Oscar Valladares 2012 Barber Pole Review Insights

Some cigars earn your attention before you even light them. The Oscar Valladares 2012 Barber Pole is one of them. With its intertwined Candela and Mexican San Andrés wrappers spiraling around a clean box press, this cigar looks like a piece of art sitting in the hand. The bright green candela against the dark maduro is striking, and the good news is that what is inside lives up to the presentation.

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Construction of the Oscar Valladares 2012 Barber Pole

The cigar arrives firm and box-pressed with even, clean edges and a lightly matte wrapper. The barber pole construction is where it stands out. Two wrapper leaves, the green Candela and the dark Mexican San Andrés, are wound together around the cigar in alternating stripes. Combined with the candela color, the result genuinely looks like a work of art. It is one of the most visually arresting cigars I have held, and the construction underneath that striped surface is just as solid as the presentation suggests.

Band Impression

The 2012 by Oscar band fits the cigar’s character. Oscar Valladares Tobacco built its reputation on rustic, creative, hand-built cigars out of Danlí, Honduras. The 2012 line was released in 2017 to mark five years in the business, and the Barber Pole came later as an addition to that line, pairing a candela wrapper with maduro in a box-pressed format. The band does not overshadow the wrapper, which is the real star here. It lets the barber pole stripes do the talking.

Size of the Oscar Valladares 2012 Barber Pole

Length: 6 inches (152 mm)
Ring Gauge: 52 (20.6 mm)
Format: Toro, box-pressed

A box-pressed Toro at 152 mm with a 52 ring gauge. The size is built for a long, unhurried smoke, and at 90 minutes it delivers exactly that.

Blend of the Oscar Valladares 2012 Barber Pole

The signature of this cigar is the dual wrapper. A green Candela leaf and a Mexican San Andrés maduro leaf are intertwined in the barber pole style over a Nicaraguan binder and a filler blend of Honduran and Nicaraguan tobacco.

Wrapper: Candela and Mexican San Andrés
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Honduran and Nicaraguan

Scent and Cold Draw of the Oscar Valladares 2012 Barber Pole

Before lighting, the wrapper gave off notes of hay and, strangely enough, cashew nuts. The foot offered hay. The cashew on the wrapper was an unexpected pre-light note that set this cigar apart before I had even cut it.

The cold draw brought a milkiness and a light nuttiness. Smooth and inviting.

1/3 — Let’s Light Up the Oscar Valladares 2012 Barber Pole

The first third opened with a lightly creamy texture that was still rich on the palate.

The flavors I felt in the first third were a prominent pepperiness that was, strangely enough, still smooth, hay, a citrus leaning toward lime, grass, and sweet herbs. Underneath those came a light peach skin, a light cedar, and a light ground coffee.

The pepperiness here was the standout. It was prominent and noticeable, yet somehow stayed smooth rather than sharp, which is an unusual combination and one I rarely come across. The lime citrus alongside it gave the first third a bright, lively edge.

The retrohale in the first third had a light tickle in the nose, with white pepper.

2/3 — The Oscar Valladares 2012 Barber Pole Shows Its Complexity

The texture became creamy and a little richer in the second third. The profile opened up considerably.

The flavors I felt in the second third were anise, hay, citrus peel, a citrus tanginess, chocolate, grass, peach skin, and nuttiness. Underneath came a light pepperiness, a light general sweetness, a light spruce needles, a light milkiness, and a light dark cherry.

This is where the candela and maduro pairing really shows its value. The chocolate from the dark San Andrés side and the bright citrus from the candela side meet in the middle, with a dark cherry note adding depth. The complexity in this section is considerable.

The retrohale in the second third was smooth. White pepper and cedar.

3/3 — Let’s See How the Oscar Valladares 2012 Barber Pole Finishes

The texture became creamier and richer still in the final third. This is where the cigar reached its fullest expression.

The flavors I felt in the final third were citrus peel and a citrus leaning toward lemon tanginess, hay, woodiness, a general pepperiness, and a salty nuttiness. Underneath came a light anise, a light saltiness, a light tea, a light ground coffee bean, a light green chili-like flavor, a light grass, a very light soured cream, a very light earthiness, a light spruce needles, and a light dark berry with a suggestion of cherry.

The range of flavors arriving together in the final third is remarkable for any cigar. The salty nuttiness, the green chili note, and the soured cream are not flavors you expect to find layered together, and they gave the close a savory complexity that balanced the citrus brightness.

The retrohale in the final third was smooth. Woodiness with a suggestion of white pepper.

After Taste

The aftertaste lingered with walnuts and a light woodiness. A clean and refined close.

Smoke Time

Approximately 90 minutes from lighting to the final puffs.

Draw

Excellent throughout. Open and consistent across all three thirds with no resistance.

Burn Quality

Even and steady. The box press and clean construction translated into a reliable burn throughout the smoke. No touch-ups were needed, which is worth noting given that barber pole cigars can sometimes burn unevenly where the two wrappers meet.

Body of the Oscar Valladares 2012 Barber Pole

Medium on the border of full. The body built gradually across the 90 minutes without ever becoming aggressive. The Nicaraguan and Honduran core gives the cigar a substantial weight that supports the complex flavor profile. If you are still learning how to read cigar body and what it means for your experience, our guide to cigar sizes and their impact covers it in full.

Price of the Oscar Valladares 2012 Barber Pole

The Oscar Valladares 2012 Barber Pole has an average retail price of around $11-12 per cigar, sold in 20-count boxes. For a 90-minute smoke with this much flavor development and a presentation this striking, the price is low compared to what you actually get. It belongs on any honest list of the best cigars for the money.

Conclusion

The Oscar Valladares 2012 Barber Pole is a cigar that delivers on both looks and substance.

The intertwined Candela and Mexican San Andrés wrappers make it one of the most beautiful cigars you can buy, a genuine work of art thanks to the barber pole construction and that bright candela green. But the looks would mean little if the smoke did not back them up, and it does. The first third opens with a prominent yet smooth pepperiness and bright lime citrus. The second builds into chocolate, dark cherry, and citrus complexity. The final third layers salty nuttiness, green chili, and soured cream against the citrus for a savory and surprising finish.

If I compare price versus quality versus flavor, the Oscar Valladares 2012 Barber Pole is low in price compared to what you get. At around $11-12 for 90 minutes of this kind of complexity, wrapped in a cigar this striking, the value is hard to argue with.

A cigar that looks like art and smokes like it too. Worth your time and your humidor space.

Frequently Asked Questions About the Oscar Valladares 2012 Barber Pole

Is the Oscar Valladares 2012 Barber Pole worth buying?

Yes. It pairs one of the most visually striking presentations on the market with a genuinely complex 90-minute smoke. At around $11-12 per cigar, it delivers flavor and character that justify the price easily.

What does the Oscar Valladares 2012 Barber Pole taste like?

It opens with a prominent but smooth pepperiness, lime citrus, hay, grass, and sweet herbs. The second third brings chocolate, citrus peel, dark cherry, anise, and nuttiness. The final third closes with citrus, salty nuttiness, green chili, tea, soured cream, and dark berry. The aftertaste lingers with walnuts and light woodiness.

What is a barber pole cigar?

A barber pole cigar uses two different wrapper leaves wound together in alternating stripes, resembling the spinning pole outside a barbershop. The 2012 Barber Pole intertwines a green Candela wrapper with a dark Mexican San Andrés maduro, giving each cigar its distinctive striped, two-tone appearance.

How strong is the Oscar Valladares 2012 Barber Pole?

Medium on the border of full. The body builds gradually across the smoke without becoming aggressive.

How long does the Oscar Valladares 2012 Barber Pole smoke?

Approximately 90 minutes at a comfortable pace. The box-pressed Toro format is built for a long, unhurried session.

What tobacco is in the Oscar Valladares 2012 Barber Pole?

A dual wrapper of Candela and Mexican San Andrés over a Nicaraguan binder and a filler blend of Honduran and Nicaraguan tobacco, handmade by Oscar Valladares Tobacco & Co. in Danlí, Honduras.

The Oscar Valladares 2012 Barber Pole was purchased independently. No compensation was received for this review. At VDG Cigars, no cigar is reviewed because of who makes it or who asked. Only because it deserves to be.

About the author: Peter Stefanic is the editor of VDG Cigars and a certified cigar sommelier. He has personally reviewed a wide range of cigars and conducted exclusive interviews with brand owners and master blenders across the industry. Every cigar he reviews is smoked in full and assessed on its own merits. Read more about him here.