Anyone who is familiar with Cuban cigars is also familiar with the Vegueros brand name—and will be thrilled to learn that the Vegueros brand is coming out with three brand new vitolas. Along with some refreshing changes to the brand’s image, these new vitolas are paving the way for a new era of Vegueros excellence.

The history of Vegueros dates clear back to 1961 when the Francisco Donatién Factory in the Pinar del Rio Province started manufacturing cigars. The factory was erected in 1868, but previously specialized solely in cigarettes. The high-quality cigars produced in the factory used tobacco farmed in the famous Vuelta Abajo region. Named for the farmers that worked the tobacco and sugar cane plantations in the area, the Vegueros line became quite famous as well. Vegueros were rolled especially for national banquets and other important events. Tourists began purchasing the cigars, and eventually, in 1997, Habanos SA began exporting them.

Previously, there were just four vitolas in the Vegueros line: Especial No. 1, Especial No. 2, Mareva and Seoane. Now, Vegueros is rebooting the brand, and has introduced three new vitolas: Tapados, Entretiempos, and Mañanitas. These cigars are being made in Western Cuba instead of Havana, and originally debuted at the 2013 Habanos Festival. They were going to be released some time ago, but delays have resulted in a prolonged wait. As far as I know, they are now available in a lot of shops worldwide.

Mañanitas is a petit belicoso measuring 4 inches with a 46-ring gauge, Entretiempos is a robusto measuring 4 3/8 inches with a 52-ring gauge, and Tapados, the longest of the new vitolas, measures 4 3/4 inches with a 46-ring gauge. The original lines included cigars no thicker than a 42-ring gauge, so these new cigars are quite a change. These cigars, like the original ones, are being rolled at the very same Francisco Donatién factory. This same factory rolls Trinidad cigars, originally produced in Havana.

Along with the new vitolas, the Vegueros brand is renewing its image with new packaging. The new Vegueros logo is based on the old one, but the yellow color has been switched out with a more subdued tan. The dark green has been replaced by a brighter green, and the logo has been re-styled with a subtle gradient and a new look and feel. The boxes feature a white, black and green color scheme and subtle stripes for an elegant, modern design. Each of these metal cans will come with 16 cigars inside. All three vitolas will feature medium to strong flavors. All of these developments are very exciting, and we have a lot to look forward to with the new rebooted Vegueros brand! The reviews of these new cigars will be published in the coming months.