Rudy from Vegas de Santiago ( www.vegassantiago.com ) had sent me this new cigar to review, a corona with a golden band which said “secretos del maestro”. The wrapper looks rough & raw with some veins and some green spots on it. The aroma is full & heavy and reminds me of a stable, while the construction is good, no hard or soft spots in it. The predraw is fine and leaves a spicy aroma on the palate.

The flavor is full and tastes like dry leather but the leather is replaced soon by spices, but also a bit dry. The leather makes a comeback with a little pepper and halfway there is a quick appearance of something sweet, but it disappears just as quickly as it appeared. Unfortunately, the cigar mellows out towards the end instead of taking it to a climax.

The burn and the smoke are fine, but the ash is frayed and not really firm.

Would I buy this cigar again? I think I will stick to the Vegas de Santiago puros, although I would like to try a robusto from this secretos del maestro blend too.
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