VegaFina releases Year of the Rat

VegaFina releases Year of the Rat. One of the growing numbers of brands that dedicate a cigar to the Chinese New Year is VegaFina. This is the third time they release a cigar named after the Chinese zodiac calendar. They released the VegaFina year of the pig and the VegaFina year of the dog before.

The VegaFina year of the Rat is a 5 9/10 x52 Toro. It’s made at Tabacalera de Garcia in the Dominican Republic. The fillers come from the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua. For the wrapper, the VegaFina blenders used a Habano 2000 leaf. And as a detail, the cigars are finished with a rat tail instead of a pigtail.

VegaFina and Tabacalera de Garcia are part of the Imperial Brands portfolio, although the premium cigars division of the company is for sale. That division includes 50% of Habanos and stakes in several Habanos distributors worldwide. The VegaFina Year of the Rat is an exclusive international release, which means that the cigars won’t be sold on the American market.

Chinese Zodiac Calendar

In Chinese culture, red and gold are important colors. So the rings and boxes are red with gold. And the number 8 is a lucky number, so a box contains two rows of 8 cigars. Little over 4000 boxes are made.

The Calendar is divided into 12 animals. So each animal returns in a 12-year interval. The zodiac signs are rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog and pig. 

We are planning to do a series of reviews of Year of the Rat cigars during Chinese New Year, late January 2020. Other companies that have, or will be, releasing cigars for the Chinese New Year are Maya Selva, Brun del Re, Drew Estate, Brick House, and of course the company that started it all: Davidoff.