A few months back, I wrote a piece about the launch of my new brand, Los Vista Cigars. This month I’m going to do a review of one of our cigars, The ’64. The ’64 is a bolder version, but still light, of the cigar I do for weddings and other events. I felt the Los Vista line needed a light to light-medium cigar for a daily smoke type of stick, novice smokers, and the bridesmaids who, after 4 glasses of wine, decide it’s a great time to smoke and inhale their first cigar.
But first, I’ll give you a recap of how I got the name of the cigar. The Los Vista Cigar name came from two very small colonias just south of San Antonio. Losoya and Buena Vista. My paternal grandparents owned a ranch between the town communities, so I called the area Los Vista. The name of The ’64 cigar came from the year my grandparent’s plantation style home was built in 1864. Needless to say, the name of the company and the name of the cigars have a very special meaning to me. I may live in Boerne, but I’ll always love and embrace my South Texican roots. Sidenote: at the time of this writing, it is the anniversary of the bloodiest battle in Texas history – The Battle of the Medina. My family has found artifacts from that battle on my grandparents’ ranch.
This cigar was designed as an homage to the working vaqueros on my grandfather’s ranch. It is intended to be another tool in the saddle bag and a companion as great as a trusty cow dog. I wanted this to be the daily smoke for the working cowboys. I wanted it to complement their way of life, and at the same time give them life. I wanted it to be as necessary for their life as their boots and spurs. The cigar needed to be something they could smoke on or chew on throughout the day, never leaving them with too much of a buzz to mess with their ability to work, especially in the heat.
The result was this: I took my events cigar, which included all Dominican tobacco for the wrapper, binder, and filler. I used that cigar as the base and swapped the wrapper with a Sumatra wrapper from Ecuador to give it a small kick. This cigar gave me exactly what I was looking for. It is earthy, spicy, has a hint of sweetness (light vanilla) and ends with a taste of complex wood.
It is now time to put some smoke in the air. I have my awesome green racecar-looking torch, with the punch attached. I use the small punch, place the cigar in my mouth, flip the top, light the cigar, and inhale to make sure it lights properly. It is lit, and now I grab my first official draw. My first thought is, “damn, I roll a good cigar”. Not really, my first thought, or taste, is earth and a small bit of vanilla. It rolls across the tongue and back of my throat like a tidal wave of immense pleasure. The earthy flavors make me think of the ranch, being outside, tasting the air, and the memories. The vanilla taste is reminiscent of my grandmother’s house, always smelling so wonderful and homey.
The middle of the cigar is nothing but spice, and I love it. This part is puro vaquero. Tough, rugged, and consistently amazing. The ash is almost perfect, and the flavor is what is exactly what was needed for this unique blend. The final third of the cigar suddenly erupts with an absolutely intended and deliberate punch of woody complexity. It gives this stick an unforgettable finish that will have you asking for The ’64.
This now completes the cigar I wanted to create. I could not be more proud or in absolute awe of this blend. I never dreamed that a kid from that ranch would one day start a cigar line named after those communities and a cigar named after the house.
The ‘64, is a Dominican Robusto (5 x 50) with an Ecuadorian wrapper. It is the lightest cigar of our lineup. It is very similar to cigars I’ve done for my events and shows. I just switched up the wrapper.
Los Vista Cigar – 64
Robusto 5 x50
Wrapper – Sumatran (Ecuador)
Binder – Nicaraguan
Filler – Nicaraguan
Pairs well with: tequila, Tanager Cigar Blend by Still Austin, and a great pilsner that you can grab at Free Roam Brewing on Main St.
Clay Smoot’s review continues the story he began in Los Vista, his introduction to the cigar line these smokes call home. For more from this issue, read Bill Thomas’s story in The Man Who Built Joy, or head outdoors with Jed Mazour’s guide to The Perfect Weekend in Boerne, Texas.
