Today I would like to introduce you to a relatively new cigar brand, LaVega Cigars Co. The company was founded by Aaron Paoletta who was a Las Vegas chef, musician and record label owner. Originally from Pennsylvania, he spent a good part of his business life in Las Vegas, NV. The brand launched in 2023 with three inaugural bends, each formatted in a toro vitola. In 2024, the company added a Robusto vitola for each blend as a tribute to Aaron’s late father.
- IL Primo, Italian for “the first”
- IL Secondo, Italian for “the second”
- IL Terzo, Italian for “the third”
The name LaVega was chosen to give tribute to his life in Las Vegas. Aaron removed the two S’s to shorten the name to LaVega.
For this review, I sampled 2 of the LaVega Cigars IL Primo Robustos which I received from the company for the purpose of reviewing on Stogie Press.
The blend is described by the company as:
- Wrapper – Mexican San Andrés
- Binder – Dominican
- Filler – Colombia, Nicaraguan and Pennsylvania broadleaf
The LaVega Cigars IL Primo is expressed in two vitolas, each packaged in 10-count bundles. They also have a retailer tray to present the full line on a shelf to minimize shelf space.
- Robusto (6 x 50) – MSRP $9.50
- Toro (6 x 50) – MSRP $11.99
All LaVega cigars are hand crafted at Tabacalera Las Lavas in Santiago, Dominican Republic.
Pre-Light Examination
The LaVega Cigars IL Primo is a slightly rugged looking cigar with a dark brown wrapper that has a slight oily sheen and a number of noticeable veins. The cigar is firm to the touch from the head to the foot.
A single royal blue and gold band adorns the cigar that boldly displays the company’s name and the blend name “IL Primo” There are also six gold circles with letters/numbers on them at the bottom which tell the story of LaVega.
From left to right they are: AMP signifies founder Aaron Michael Paoletta, JLP is jacklean lee Paoletta, Aarons wife, LSP is Laurie Sue Paoletta, Aarons mother, LV is for Las Vegas which is what the company is named after, 2020 is when LaVega as a company was formed; 5 – 11–23 is when LaVega officially went to market with the cigars and is also Aaron’s grandmother’s birthday.
Running the LaVega Cigars IL Primo across the nose, I detected notes of earth and a hint of tobacco sweetness while the foot exuded notes of spice and fruit.
I sliced the cap straight across the shoulder of the cigar and proceeded to give it some cold puffs that I found to have a decent restriction and offered notes of natural sweetness, hickory, and pepper with a hint of fruit.
Using my double flame torch, I warmed the foot to an even orange glow as I drew in the first puffs of fruity sweetness and pepper notes. Follow along as I burn this one to ash.
Cigar Review Notes
- First puffs of smoke impart notes of natural fruity sweetness with a peppery retrohale
- White ash forms on top of a thick wavy char line
- Full volume of smoke
- Caramel notes begin to develop after an inch of burn
- Ash fell in a nice chunk revealing a well-formed and centered burn cone
- Dark Chocolate and Citrus Peel notes add to the profile moving into the second third
- Mild spice and a lingering cashew nut essence enters
- Off-burn develops that requires mild touch-up
- Woody notes join the mix with a pleasant and evolved dry fruit component to the end
- Medium in Strength
- Total Smoking Time was 1 hour and 40 minutes
Final Analysis
The initial draws of the LaVega Cigars IL Primo Robusto release wisps of smoke carrying hints of ripe, natural fruit sweetness, accompanied by a peppery sensation on the retrohale. Around an inch into the burn, subtle caramel undertones emerge, adding depth to the flavor profile. Transitioning into the second third, nuances of dark chocolate and zesty citrus peel intermingle, enriching the experience. A gentle spice emerges, accompanied by a lingering essence of cashew nuts. Despite a slight deviation in burn, easily rectified with a minor touch-up, the journey continues with the introduction of woody notes, complemented by an evolved dry fruit component, culminating in a satisfying conclusion. This is worth grabbing a fiver of. I rate this a 92.
Point Deductions: (-1) Wavy Burn; (-1) Off Burn; (-1) Touch-up Required;
Bonus Points: (+1) Pleasant and balanced flavor complexity across multiple samples
