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 The Don Alejandro from VEGAS ROBAINA
was released in Barcelona in 1997, it is the double corona
of this new brand. Unfortunately, the Don Alejandro was not
very well appreciated in connoisseur's circles. My first
reaction was: don't give a hasty judgment. Let us give Vegas
Robaina one or two years. I think that this brand need to be
more mature. Before discussing the fact that cigars are not
aged, we must consider the general character of Vegas
Robaina maturity.
The fact that this brand is produced in very rare quantity
and sold first exclusively in the spanish market (actually
many retailers around the world introduced this new brand)
shows that the creators of Vegas Robaina have not pronounced
their last word and that this brand is still under testing.
The composition of the blends may be adjusted. Tobacco
leaves selected will be more mature.
It's spreaded that the launching of Vegas Robaina was only
for marketing purposes; It is not totally wrong. But, this
is not the only purpose, there are other major reasons for
creating this new brand.
We have all noticed that the shapes launched are the top
five shapes requested at the end of the 20th century,
especially in the United States. And we know that even if
the embargo is lifted right now, cubans are not allowed to
send Partagas, Punch, etc. to the USA because there is a
problem concerning trademarks. Names such as Partagas,
Punch, Cohiba, etc. are registered in the USA and owned by
American companies.
For the moment, this problem is not resolved yet, and the
best way for Habanos to be present on the US marketplace
immediately after the end of the embargo on Cuba is to
introduce a new brand registered in the USA.
Habanos has decided to create the Cuaba and the Vegas
Robaina and to make of them two of the best cuban brands.
Habanos experts are selecting first choice quality tobacco
for production, they are making a good quality control and
trying to discover the blend which offer the taste requested
by cigar smokers in the next decades. In this case, even if
the problem of trademarks is not resolved, the brands owned
exclusively by Habanos will be the best brands worldwide. To
accomplish this strategic plan, Habanos will release a third
new brand probably in 1999. Let us give these new brands
their chances. I think that the real value of Vegas Robaina
will be discovered after the year 1999.
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