Secret Treasures Dominican La Buse 6x52

La Buse, whose real name was Olivier Levasseur, was a famous French pirate who was active in the early 18th century during the ‘Golden Age of Piracy’. His nickname ‘La Buse’ (meaning ‘the buzzard’ in English) or ‘La Bouche’ (meaning ‘the mouth’) was given to him because of his incredible speed and tactics when attacking enemy ships, much like the bird after which he was named.

Early life

Olivier Levasseur was born around 1688 in Calais, France. Little is known about his early life, but it is thought that he came from a well-to-do family and received a decent education. There are theories that he may have received military or nautical training, which later stood him in good stead during his career as a pirate.

Pirate career

Levasseur began his seafaring career as a privateer during the War of the Spanish Succession (1701–1714), when he attacked Spanish and British ships on behalf of the French Crown. When the war ended and many privateers found themselves out of work, Levasseur also turned to piracy. For some time, he was a member of the pirate fleet led by the famous Captain Benjamin Hornigold and sailed under well-known pirates such as Samuel Bellamy. Over time, however, Levasseur made a name for himself and became a notorious and successful captain.

The attack on the ‘Nossa Senhora do Cabo’

Levasseur secured his greatest and most famous haul in 1721. He and his band of pirates captured the Portuguese ship *Nossa Senhora do Cabo* (Our Lady of the Cape), which was sailing from the coast of Africa. On board the ship were immense treasures intended to be transported to Europe by the Portuguese Crown. It is estimated that Levasseur and his crew seized gold, silver, precious stones and religious artefacts worth hundreds of millions of dollars in today’s money. Among the most valuable items was a huge cross, crafted from gold and set with diamonds. This raid was so spectacular that it cemented La Buse’s reputation as one of the most successful pirates in history. However, this success also made him a particularly wanted man.

Pursuit and capture

After the raid, Levasseur retreated to the islands of the Indian Ocean, in particular the Seychelles and Madagascar, which served as pirate hideouts at the time. The French authorities, however, spared no effort to track him down, and in 1730 he was finally captured on the island of Réunion.

The Secret of the Treasure

Levasseur was sentenced to death and hanged in Saint-Denis on Réunion in 1730. One of the most famous aspects of his legend is that, as he was being led to his execution, he is said to have thrown an encrypted document into the crowd, saying: “Let the one who can read this find my treasure!” This document is said to contain a map or a riddle leading to his vast treasure, which has not yet been found. The so-called “La Buse treasure riddle” has attracted many treasure hunters over the centuries. Several attempts have been made to decipher the mysterious text, but so far no one has succeeded in discovering the exact location of the treasure. This has only served to further fuel the myth surrounding Levasseur.

La Buse in legend

Olivier Levasseur is often described as one of the most fascinating figures in the history of piracy. Unlike many other pirates of his time, his life is remarkable not only for his raids, but above all for the mystery surrounding his treasure. The myth that his riches still lie hidden somewhere makes him a key figure in the history of treasure hunting. Levasseur’s legend lives on in numerous books, films and stories that portray him as the ‘pirate with the hidden treasure’.

Secret Treasures Dominican La Buse

Unlike La Buse’s treasure, the Secret Treasures Dominican La Buse was discovered in the ageing humidor and can be enjoyed to the full. Just like a pirate’s treasure, this cigar is not available in unlimited quantities.
The Secret Treasures Dominican La Buse is a full-bodied Maduro cigar with a Mexican San Andrés wrapper, which covers an Indonesian binder with filler tobaccos from the Dominican Republic. The La Buse is not only powerful but also highly complex, wonderfully balanced and exceptionally smooth on the palate. Rich, full-bodied notes of earth, aniseed, espresso and spices are combined with a natural tobacco sweetness, both in flavour and in its captivating aroma.

Secret Treasures – rediscovered treasures

‘Secret Treasures’ translates as ‘hidden treasures’. The cigars under the ‘Secret Treasures’ label have usually spent many years in a cigar factory’s ageing humidor. Under the Secret Treasures label, they finally emerge from the ageing humidors after years of ageing to offer a premium smoking experience. Production runs are strictly limited, ranging from 500 to 5,000 cigars per variety. Each blend is unique, and once a line has sold out, it cannot be reordered.

Tasting Report

Cigar exterior: Dark , robust wrapper.
Cigar interior: Tight rolling.
Smoke: Slight sweetness with a medium smoke volume.
Flavour: Earth , aniseed, espresso and spices.
Burn: Good burn