Last week the owner of my local b&m pointed out to me a cigar in Smoke Magazine for today’s review. He was contemplating bringing them into the store for retail sale. The reviewers for the cigar gave it high marks, but it failed to be very descriptive in terms of flavor. When I informed the owner of the b&m that I had recently ordered a couple of these cigars he stated that he would wait for my review before ordering them as he valued my opinion.
The Skinny:
Cigar: Viaje
Origin: Nicaragua
Size: 6 x 50 Oro Delicado
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Criollo
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaragua
The Viaje cigar is small boutique cigar with a limited quantity produced each year. The cigar is hand rolled in the Tobacos Puros de Nicaragua factory which is the same factory that produces the Joya De Nicaragua which is now distributed by Drew Estate.
Pre-Smoke: I was very impressed during my pre-smoke ritual as the cigar was different then what I had been smoking lately and I was looking forward to a change. The scent of the wrapper was that of the cocoa bean while the draw revealed notes of jasmine and coffee. The jasmine was interesting to say the least. The foot of the cigar has a slight touch of pepper and cookie-dough. The overall appearance of this cigar was ok. The roll did not blow me away, nor did the wrapper which had a lot of veins. I did however like the originality of the band of this cigar with its heart shaped logo.
Smoke: Sitting at the beach with no breeze to speak of I lit this baby up. The cigar was medium bodied and I was smoking it through a hole punch. The cigar revealed floral notes, cookie-dough and a faint hint of cocoa. The cigar did not change from start to finish with the exception of some pepper notes on a couple of pulls but not really noticeable enough to make a difference in the smoke. The burn line was straight til it hit some of of the prominent veins when it began to burn jagged.
Overall: The more I think about it, the more I wonder who the cigar is geared to. There are a lot of feminine aspects to this cigar. From the jasmine, flower, and cookie-dough notes, the heart shaped band and the name Oro Delicado (Gold Delicate). I might get another opinion at a later date after I let a lady smoke it.
My Local Price: $6.00
Rating: 86 (Out of 100)
