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. .