VegaFina 1998 finally coming to America. The brand, founded by the former Spanish tobacco monopoly Tabacalera, isn’t new to Europe. But the cigar is available in international markets since 2019. We reviewed the cigar earlier this year.

1998

The 1998 name refers to the year when the brand saw the light. And the cigar ring is a tribute to the first releases. It’s a throwback ring, with the old design instead of the more modern design of the later VegaFina releases. The cigars are made at Tabacalera de Garcia in the Dominican Republic.

Tabacalera is now a part of Altadis, and even though Altadis has a strong presence on the American markets, VegaFina is mostly focussed on Europe. A lot of VegaFina releases never make it to the largest cigar market in the world. But this September, more than a year after the initial international release, the VegaFina 1998 will reach the American consumer.

The blend

The cigar is made with tobaccos from Nicaragua, Colombia, and the Dominican Republic in the filler. The binder is Indonesian. The wrapper hails from Ecuador and is a dark Habano variety. There are three sizes, and all will be released in the United States. Those are the 4½x50 VF50, the 5×52 VF52, and the 6×54 VF54.

VegaFina produces several other blends that are not available in the United States. Whether these blends are on the planning for a release in the United States is not confirmed. Under a new owner, Altadis might decide to release other VegaFina blends in its most important market as well.

In an upcoming episode of The Philip and Ferdy Cigar Show, the VegaFina 1998 will be smoked.