VARGAS | Series 1925 Don Manuel | La Palma | Cuban-Canarian Connection | Out-of-stock Rarity | Box of 10

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VARGAS | Series 1925 Don Manuel

TAM | Totalmente a Mano

Made entirely by hand with whole leaves
Out-of-stock Rarity | Box of 10

Canary Islands cigars - the insider tip for aficionados | The Canary Islands are the most south-westerly outpost of Europe - well over 1,000 kilometers from the Spanish mainland - and therefore already belong to the subtropics in terms of climate. Even though they lie at roughly the same latitude as Florida, they still have a lot in common with Cuba - not least because of their shared cigar tradition. In the past, the Canary Islands were a bitterly poor region, which were actually only of interest to the Spanish crown because they offered the last and first port between Europe and the Spanish colonies in the West Indies, today's Caribbean. The port of La Palma in particular became one of the most important hubs in Europe in the early modern era. After many failed agricultural experiments - sugar cane, silk production, wine - one of the few promising economic sectors that remained was tobacco growing. Even today, there are still several cigar manufacturers on the island of La Palma, which also supply the Spanish royal family - not least because of this, Canarian cigars are considered an insider tip among aficionados.

Cuban-Canarian connections | There have been old family ties between the Canary Islands and Cuba for centuries. It was families from these islands who were willing to emigrate to the Spanish colonies to try their luck there due to the prevailing hardship. It is said that around 120,000 Canarios emigrated to the West Indies, where they were needed as workers for the burgeoning tobacco business. Thanks to the agricultural knowledge they brought with them from their old homeland and their work discipline, they were also in great demand in Cuba. Some returned to their old homeland after decades, descendants even after centuries, and successfully planted tobacco. Due to its geographical location and the Mediterranean-subtropical climate, this plant thrives particularly well in the permanent spring of La Palma, which is why today it is the only place where tobacco cultivation for Canarian cigars is still worth mentioning. The close connection between the two islands gave rise to the saying that many Palmeros have “their feet in Europe and their hearts in Cuba”.

In the middle of the 19th century in particular, there was a major migration back to the Canary Islands and a flourishing tobacco industry soon developed. The municipalities of Breña Alta, Mazo, Santa Cruz and El Paso in particular became strongholds of the tobacco industry. But then, around 1965, there was a blue mold plague, which led to the decline of the previously famous tobacco variety Pelo de oro, which means golden hair. All the tobacco plants had to be destroyed and replaced by a resistant variety. It may be considered a twist of fate that on the other side of the Atlantic, the Cuban revolution drove many experienced tobacco growers and barons off the island and some of them found a new home in the Canary Islands. One of the first known Canarian cigars was the Montecruz, which was produced by Pepe Garcia and Benjamin Menendez after they were forced to leave Cuba following Castro's rise to power.

About puros that are not always puros | It is a common misconception, even among aficionados, that all Canarian cigars are puros. The misunderstanding lies in the fact that it is common in Spanish to call cigars puros. The majority of Canarian cigars are blends of tobaccos from different growing countries - including Brazilian, Dominican or Mexican leaves. The El Mito brand is considered a genuine puro and has only been on the market for a few years, after Don Antonio González García from Breña Alta invested many years of development time and was able to win Woermann Cigars for distribution in 2002. To date, only a few brands of Canarian cigars are available to buy in Germany. Some varieties from smaller companies are only produced for the local market. The best-known manufacturers are La Inmejorable, Puros Richard, Puros Julio, Flor de Las Breñas, El Consuelo, Vargas, La Rica Hoja and El Sitio - the name of Don Antonio González García's finca, which is also the brand name. Canarian cigars hecho a mano are characterized not only by a high level of craftsmanship, but also by the quality of the tobaccos used, which are processed into long-fillers. Well-known brands of Canarian cigars were Condal, Goya and Peñamil. However, as with many other manufacturers, production was discontinued.

Vargas Tabacalera was founded in 1925 by Manuel Vargas on the Canary Islands. The cigars quickly became very popular and have remained one of the most renowned cigar brands to this day. Manuel's son, Enrique Vargas, was introduced to the secrets of blending tobaccos at a young age. Even today, at around eighty years of age, he still personally sorts the Connecticut wrapper leaves of Vargas Reserva cigars.

Tabacalera Vargas is the official supplier to the court of the Spanish royal family. Tobacco has been grown in the Canary Islands since the middle of the 19th century. Canarian emigrants returning from the island of Cuba brought Cuban tobacco seeds with them, which they then cultivated in the fields around La Palma.

The high-quality tobaccos used for the filler ripen on the Vargas plantations. Cultivation, harvesting and processing are carried out by hand using traditional methods, and the cigars themselves are also made entirely by hand. The high-quality Vargas are mild and smooth with a slightly sweet aroma. The filler consists of Dominican and Canarian tobaccos, the binder is also from the Canary Islands. A light American Connecticut wrapper leaf is used for the light-colored cigars, while a Broadleaf Connecticut is used for the dark-colored cigars.

Get your puro, dress up in your guayaberas or your historical costume, Panama hat and/or lace parasol and importantly, remember to bring your watch and jewelry & come to La Espera on March 3, 2025 at 12 noon – join 50,000 other vibrant, white-clad “Indianos” dancing to Cuban music, enjoying a mojito, celebrating into the day & into the night together with wonderful, vivacious people - hours of your life that you will never forget - that's a promise!

Needless to say, you are welcome to join in without Puro too - and it will be an impressive moment in your life!

Los Indianos Carnival Festival 2025 | Santa Cruz de la Palma | La Palma Island

Los Indianos | A traditional festival on the island of La Palma that takes place every year as a tribute to Cuba and as a parody of the Canarians who returned from Latin America, boasting and showing off the wealth they had acquired in these countries in the 19th and 20th centuries. One of the most striking aspects of the festival is the throwing of talcum powder and the clothing of the participants: guayabera and white pants or linen suit, but also Panama hats, white historical costumes and lace parasols. The Indianos festival is also used to commemorate the links between the island of La Palma and Cuba: music with sones, guarachas and guajiras, gastronomy with the typical honey soups, doughnuts, sugar cane rum and tobacco. The festival is integrated into the carnival program of Santa Cruz de La Palma and takes place on Carnival Monday.

History | This tradition began in the 19th century with the celebration of the arrival of ships from Cuba and Latin America in the harbor. The islanders who had emigrated, returned to the island and boasted about their wealth and stories of prosperity were called “Indianos”. The talcum powder battle is generally believed to have originated in the 19th century when a ship left a cargo of spoiled flour in the harbor and became a fun element of the carnival celebrated on that day. This belief was discarded as documents from the 17th century were found that speak of “powdering” on Rose Monday. It is believed to be a custom that originated from the Cuban Náñigo rituals to lighten the skin.

Traditions & clothing | The traditional clothing for this holiday consists of a guayabera and white pants or a linen suit and a Panama hat. Women can also wear white historical costumes and carry lace parasols, without forgetting the jewelry, of course. An accessory that Indianos and Indianas often carry with them are suitcases - also vintage, preferably made of leather - which are said to be full of money and riches. The festival begins in the early hours of the morning, when you can already see people dressed up as Indians on the streets. It officially starts at 12:00 in the atrium of the town hall with an event called La Espera, where all the Indianos are welcomed with Cuban music and tastings of sugar cane, molasses and mojito. The carnival has strong Cuban components, as it was one of the main focal points of emigration for many people from La Palma and the two islands became strongly linked as a result. In the afternoon, the parade of the Indianos begins from the aforementioned Avenida de los Indianos next to the harbor to the Plaza de La Alameda, where the festivities continue until the early hours of the morning. The Indians carry suitcases, chests, cages with tropical animals and some even a retinue of black servants. The cigar is also a fundamental element. All this, of course, from the perspective of this parody of the rich Indian returning to his homeland. The festival not only takes place between these two points, the entire historic center is literally taken over by crowds of Indianos leaving the streets covered in white talcum powder. To get an idea of the scale of this festival for the island's capital, suffice it to say that the population of the city of Santa Cruz de la Palma rises from around 20,000 inhabitants to 50,000 on this day. The main character of this festival on La Palma is La Negra Tomasa, who always arrives punctually for the meeting in the atrium of the town hall. His arrival marks the start of the Los Indianos festivities. This figure was created by Victor Lorenzo Díaz Molina, better known as Sosó.

Bienvenidos al Día de Los Indianos!

Differential taxation according to § 25a UStG. No taxes included. | Differenzbesteuerung nach § 25a UStG. Kunstgegenstände und Sammlungsstücke, Sonderregelung.