Tabacos de la Cordillera (Highland Cigars) grows all their tobacco for this cigar, and other lines, in the mountains near Puriscal, Costa Rica. This 65-acre farm is home to the many genetically pure strains of Cuban tobacco that John Vogel has maintained throughout the years. The tobacco strain that is used in the Vogel Green originally sprung to life at San Juan y Martinez, Cuba, in 1950.

Like the Funcación de Ancestral line of cigars, the Vogel line uses the “entubado” method in setting-up their filler. This method uses the practice of rolling each individual filler leaf into a “straw” rather that to just bunch it up into a mass. This process helps to avoid plugs and other burn issues. This cigar also incorporates using a method called, “Dead Center Ligero”, where the ligero is placed in the center of the filler, while also using the “entubado” method.

When I first opened the box, the strong, aromatic aroma of cedar hits your nasal cavity and permeates the senses. Five cello-wrapped cigars patiently wait inside the wooden enclosure.

As I gently remove the first cigar from its cello, I take in the hay and alfalfa aroma that the foot of the cigar displays. Further removing the cello from the body, I detect little, or no aroma from the wrapper. Continuing this inspection, I see this cigar is draped with a Costa Rican Maduro wrapper that is a dull, dark walnut-brown color, with some darker marbling. Some slight veins are noticed, but otherwise too light to see with the eye. The body is firm, and well constructed with no soft spots noted.

After I cut an ample portion of the cap, I take a pre-light draw to see what is in store. I am met with the light, musty flavors of hay and alfalfa. Slowly toasting the foot with my lighter, and being careful not to char these delicate tobaccos, I bring this cigar to life.

The Vogel Green begins with some light “wood-y” nuances and a light sweet aftertaste right at the beginning. Soon after that, maybe in the first 3/8-inch, the cigar takes on pronounced medium-full flavors of dry cedar, while maintaining a medium body. I remember that I have enjoyed this dry cedar flavor in many other cigars, but never this rich and robust. Occasionally, a light cocoa sweetness would appear in the aftertaste, but would quickly disappear. Retrohaling this cigar produced no spiciness, nor irritation within the nasal cavity.

This flavor profile remains fairly constant until just past the mark. At that point, the dry cedar character disappears for a few moments, but returns with a charry, light bitter flavor. I decided to purge this cigar at this point to see if I could return the cigar to normal, and I was successful in returning to the lighter profile. The cigar had a long finish, that was medium in body, with the medium-full flavor of dry cedar and a very light sweetness in the aftertaste.

This Vogel Green produced a cracked, charcoal-colored ash with dense construction. Of the two I smoked to produce this review, one would not hold an ash at all, while the other required some effort to remove. I found this interesting because the construction of this cigar is like that of a steel cable.

Some scalloping was noted in the burn line, but rotating the cigar, and allowing it to rest occasionally controlled the issue.

This cigar is a unique, challenging and complex experience. Like a mistress, it requires patience and attention to bring forth its best characteristics. And, like a mistress, if you ignore it and over use it, it will bring you less than savory results. We'll rate this cigar again after three months.

~Blake