REVIEW: Viaje Late Harvest

The Viaje Late Harvest is the final, new limited release coming out of IPCPR show. These cigars come in two sizes and, again, are a very limited quantity release. Andre explains the Late Harvest as a "passion project" for him that took about a year and a half to come to fruition.

Quote from Andre Farkas: What we did was take the last two primings of the plant and put them into the filler. Added a little bit of viso, and it's unlike any cigar I've ever produced. It has a buttery quality to it.

If you'd like to see the interview we did with Andre at IPCPR 2011 where he talks about Late Harvest and all of his other new projects, you can find that here http://vimeo.com/27041732.

Specifics

Vitola: Robusto
Length: 5
Ring Gauge: 50
Wrapper: Nicaraguan
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Price:  $??
Smoking Location: My Back Deck
Beverage: water

Pre-Light 

The first thing that jumped out at me when looking over my Viaje Late Harvest was the additional graphics added to the band. I like what Andre went with there. It's a subtle change, but it added some interest while still looking classy. The wrapper on the cigar was a medium brown color with some hues of red thrown in. The texture of the leaf was pretty vein heavy and had a decent amount of tooth. The pre-lit aroma smelled like aged tobacco with some floral notes. The cap was a little difficult to cut with the type of perfect cutter I had been using due to the pigtail cap, but once I had it off, the draw was excellent. The flavor of the cold draw was a nutty tone, with a distinct Brazil nut taste.

First Third   

My Viaje Late Harvest lit up easily and started out right away with an interesting mix of flavors. The front of the profile had a mild spice mixing with some clove. I've been a big fan of clove as long as I can remember, so I was happy with this start. The finish on the profile was also very different from what I have smoked recently; tasting like a sweet toffee with some woody notes. It sounds extremely strange, but I think that's the best way to describe what I was getting. It's a very unique flavor mash up, for sure. The cigar had perfect construction and was right in the medium strength range.

Second Third  

The second third of my Viaje Late Harvest stayed pretty true on the front flavors (spice and clove), but took a different turn on the finish.  As different as the finish flavors were in the first third, I'd say the second third was even harder to describe. The best way I can describe it at this point is a "twang" and when blown through your sinuses, it's an even stronger flavor. I was really digging it because it was an enjoyable "twang" and something I'm not sure I have ever tasted before in a cigar. Just like the first third, the construction was great and the burn never died out, even between a few longer resting moments. The strength was still medium.

Final Third and Final Thoughts 

Something I should mention right away is this is a quick-burning cigar. It didn't take me very long to burn to the final third and I was by no means huffing down the stick. Now that I got that out of the way, the final third was completely taken over both on the front and the finish of the flavor profile by the "twang" from the second third. I wracked my brain for a better way to describe it and the best I can come up with is it's a non-specific tart citrus flavor. I've said this before in other reviews, but again, please. If someone else smokes this cigar and has a better explanation for this flavor, please post a comment because I'd love to know what you think. I know everyone will get this taste because it is very strong in the final third. The cigar was easy to nub and the strength never rose above medium.

My final thoughts on the Viaje Late Harvest? This cigar tasted extremely different to me and I enjoyed it. The flavor was strong and yet it still took a lot of brain power for me to try to characterize it in words. Aside from the marketing aspect of the "late Harvest", which seems a little too gimmicky for me, this is my favorite of the three new release from Viaje.

Would I buy it again? If I can find some more, I will pick some up.

Would I buy a box?  These come in huge boxes of 35. I'm not sure what the MSRP was for this stick, but I'm going to guess it's way out of my price range in box quantities.

Dan

REVIEW: Viaje Skull and Bones Little Boy

The Viaje Skull and Bones Little Boy is the second release of the "red banded" blend in this line from Andre Farkas. The Skull and Bones line is a little confusing so here is the info as I understand it. There are two different blends in the line, one with a white and black band and one with a red and black band. Either of these could come in different shapes and sizes depending on the specific release. There is to be two releases a year in the Skull and Bones line, one white and one red. The red is the stronger of the two blends. Then there is the Zombie release, but I'll not even get into that.

If you recall, I was blown away by the first "white" skull and bones release, but after that this line hasn't impressed me. The second white release was, in my opinion, not even close to ready, and the red line I've had before were straight power without much balance. 

I still have high hopes for this line because of just how much loved the first release. Let's see how the Little Boy turns out.

Due to the size of this cigar, this review is only in two parts instead of the traditional thirds. 

Specifics
Vitola: Petite Robusto
Length: 4.25
Ring Gauge: 52
Wrapper: Nicaraguan
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Price:  $9.20
Smoking Location: New Havana Cigars
Beverage: nothing

Pre-Light  

The Viaje Skull and Bones Little Boy had a very oily wrapper that gave off a nice sheen in the sunlight. It also had a lot of texture to it with little bumps and veins running around the leaf. The shape of the vitola is something that Andre seems to be really into with both ends of the cigar receiving a triple cap. I'm not sure if he expects people to light one end still capped, or to clip both ends. I went with the clip both ends which might have been an issue (see below.) The aroma coming off of the stick was very pleasant and smelled of well-cured tobacco. The cold draw was also very nice and tasted of raisins with some bonus sweetness added in. 

First Half  

I lit the freshly clipped end of my cigar with a soft flame and right away had some problems with the wrapper unraveling. Luckily for me it didn't pop off all the way, and the bands lower on the cigar seemed to hold the wrapper close enough to the core of the cigar that it still burned. Maybe it would have been better to just burn through the cap? The flavors I got from the start were very lovely with some anise and cocoa on the front, followed by a warm black pepper on the finish. It was not a "bitey" pepper, but it definitely had some spice that was most most prevalent on the roof of my mouth. About half an inch into the cigar, I hit what I described as the wall of strength. Holy hell this cigar went from medium to full in the first 10 puffs or so, to a giant of power well into full. I immediately started to feel my blood pressure go up and my head start to spin. At this point, it was still in my range of comfort, but wow. It was up there. As you would guess with the wrapper problems I was having, the burn was not stellar and needed a few touch ups.  Right at the half way point of the cigar, the flavors changed up and I started to get a lot of earthy and leathery notes both on the front and the finish.

Second Half and Final Thoughts  

The second half of the cigar continued similar to the first half on the front, with the taste profile coming up in rich leather notes but the finish changed up once again. The cocoa from the first half came back strong on the finish and made for a nice flavor left to linger on my palate. By this point in the cigar, though, my nicotine tolerance level was maxed out. I could feel my heart beating heavily and my head was in a daze. I did manage to stick with the cigar all the way to the end, but I'm glad it was a small sized stick or I would have had to put it down early. The burn had problems because of my wrapper issue, but it never went out.

My final thoughts on the Viaje Little Boy? I smoke a lot of beefy, full strength cigars and this one was even too much for me. By the time I got to the nub, I felt like I just went twelve rounds with a heavyweight. With that said, I think the flavors in this stick were, by far, the best and most-pronounced in the red band releases of Skull and Bones to date. If you are more beastly cigar smoker than I, you'll dig this one.

Would I buy it again? Like my last Viaje review (and the one to come) these are pretty much sold out everywhere, so it would be hard to find some even if I loved it. I, personally, would prefer to spend that time trying to track down the Daisy Cutter release.

Would I buy a box? See above

Dan

REVIEW: Viaje Satori 2011 release

This week I was fortunate enough to get my hands on some of this year's release of the Viaje Satori. I say fortunate because, as everyone knows when it comes to Viaje limited release products, there is a very small amount to go around and the demand is high. (I picked up a sampler of all of the new LEs from New Havana Cigars so you will more than likely see a few Viaje reviews coming in the next couple of weeks.) I spoke with Andre at this year's IPCPR tradeshow and the story behind the Satori is it's a release that can only be ordered at the show and is his way of "doing a favor" to the shops who were in attendance.


Andre took a lot of heat last year with this cigar because of how dark the wrapper was. Last year he stated it was a "super special Oscuro" wrapper that had all of us scratching our heads. This year there are less secrets and he is being upfront about the leaf.

Quote from Andre Farkas: We switched the wrapper this year. We are using San Andreas Maduro. I love the change and I think its even better than last year's version.

So even though it comes in the same name as last year's edition, it is a different cigar. The stick looked nice, so let's see how it smoked.

Specifics
Vitola: Robusto
Length: 5
Ring Gauge: 50
Wrapper: Mexican San Andreas
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Price: $10.35
Smoking Location: New Havana Cigars
Beverage: Water

Pre-Light 

As I mentioned above, the controversy last year (if you want to call it that) with this stick was the jet black wrapper it had. This years version is still very dark, but does not look nearly the same as far as texture and color consistency. The wrapper had some medium veins but felt very smooth. The pre-lit aroma was pretty mild until you got to the open foot where it smelled strongly of dried fruits, especially a (call me crazy) plum like scent. The cap clipped nicely and the cold draw also had some of the dried fruity notes to it. I like the artwork on the Satori. It's different enough to be fun, but not so much that it's cheesy. Also I think it would really catch your eye if you saw someone else in a shop smoking it. 

First Third   

The Viaje Satori lit very easily with a soft flame lighter and the draw was excellent. The flavors at the start were a mild espresso on the front with some wood like taste on the finish. The finish also had a spice that lingered long between puffs. Something definitely to note is the very interesting resting smoke this stick puts off. There was tons of smoke which filled the room and had a sweet floral smell to it. I wonder if you lit this in a room with a lot of other cigar smokers if they might look at you funny? About an inch into the cigar I was hit with a unpleasant build up of that lingering spice in the back of my throat. I had to get up and get some more water. The strength of the cigar was in the medium range.

Second Third  

Burning into the second third of my Viaje Satori I'm very pleased to say that uncomfortable spice in my throat went completely away. I'm also very pleased to write about how the flavors changed and the stick overall got very complex. The front profile of the cigar now had a much sweeter flavor and had hints of the dried fruits from the cold draw. It also had a flavor in it that is very near and dear to my heart so go down this road with me for a moment. My family is right-off-the-boat English, so we have some different foods at holiday dinners that are not standard with American fair. One of them is mincemeat pies. If you click that link you will see there are many kinds of mincemeat but ours is one that does not contain actual meat, just beef suet. This cigar in the second third reminded me of this flavor.  The finish on the profile was a standard black coffee flavor which was a nice way to end the craziness of the front. I did have a pretty wavy burn during this portion of the cigar and it did have to be corrected twice. The strength was like the first third, medium.

Final Third and Final Thoughts 

Heavy is the best way to describe the final third of my Viaje Satori. The complex and interesting flavors from the second third started to tail off and I was left with a very rich dark coffee flavor that dominated the front and finish of the flavor profile. It was a nice flavor, but I was disappointed to see what was going on in the second third leave so quickly. Another thing to note is during the final third the strength of the cigar picked up quite a bit and I would put it more in the full range now; not too full, but I could feel it in my system.

My final thoughts on the Viaje Satori 2011 release? I'm not really sure what to write of an overall thought. This particular cigar had some really high highs, and some really rough low moments. The harshness I had in the beginning could be due to me smoking this right off the truck and I was happy to have that experience go away as fast as it came. The middle of the cigar is where the stick really shined. It was complex and had me very satisfied. The finish was good but left me wanting more of what I had just had. I guess I will write it up as...It's good, but not great yet, and has potential to be even better than great if those flavors in the middle of the stick balance out into the rest of the experience.

Would I buy it again? Here's the catch. Even if I wanted to, I'm pretty sure they are sold out, or will be sold out before the week is up. If you want them, start looking now.

Would I buy a box?  See above.
Dan

REVIEW: Viaje V.O.R. DT

The second cigar I am reviewing from the Viaje new releases is the cigar that shocked a lot of people last year, by taking the number two spot in Cigar Aficionado's Top 25 of 2010. It didn't shock people because it was a bad cigar, it shocked them because not a lot of people had even heard of it. Luckily for me, I live in Columbus Ohio, home of New Havana Cigars -- a long time dealer of Viaje who gets 99% of their releases. I had smoked the V.O.R. (which stands for Viaje Oro Reserva) from last year and knew it was a great cigar. For 2011 the Viaje V.O.R is being released in a double torpedo box-pressed shape .

Quote from Andre Farkas about the shape:
VOR & VPR DT were originally a one off size (that's why the Edition Limitada band is on the cigar) but I like the shape too much. This will be a permanent addition to the Reserva line up.

Specifics
Vitola: Double Torpedo box-pressed
Length: 5 3/4
Ring Gauge: 52
Wrapper: Nicaragua Corojo 99
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Price: $11.50 in full boxes
Smoking Location: New Havana Cigars
Beverage: water

Pre-Light 

Do you think there are enough bands on this cigar? I'm pretty sure most people will say the same thing at first glance. Just like the La Sirena from Miami Cigars, most of this cigar's wrapper is covered up by bands. Or in the case of La Sirena, one band. What was visible of the wrapper showed off a medium brown color with darkened areas that looked like wood spalting. I noted this also on the most recent version of the Viaje Summerfest. The cigar was evenly packed and constructed very well for its difficult shape. The pre-lit aroma was faint, but did smell slightly of earthy tobacco. I clipped both ends of this double torpedo and the cold draw was quite surprising. I tasted some sweet apricot flavors that I had not expected from the pre-lit aroma.

First Third   

My Viaje V.O.R. started out with a full-on assault of spice. From the moment the flame hit the cigar, I was getting a ton of black and white pepper flavors covering my entire palate. An inch into the cigar, the front of the profile was still spicy as ever. What did change up is the flavor on the finish. I started to taste a deep leathery flavor that made for a nice little relief from the pepper.  I am a self-proclaimed lover of peppery cigars, but I also love a little mixture of flavors. This stick was producing just that. It needs to be noted that just like the spice, from the first puff, it rockets you into a full-body, full-power smoking experience. This one is not for the medium strength guys. The draw was excellent and the stick burned evenly.

Second Third  

The second third of my Viaje V.O.R. saw the flavors turn to what I had been expecting from this cigar. I remembered smoking one from last year and really felt like the flavors were reminiscent of old, refined tobacco. At about the halfway point of this stick, that is exactly what I was tasting again. Whereas in the first third, it was very similar to the normal Oro release from Viaje, this point was where things got different. This flavor was very interesting and I highly suggest to anyone who wants to experience it, to pick up one of these cigars. There are no other words to describe it other than old tobacco. Mixing with this flavor were still the spicy, peppery notes, and now just a mild afterthought of leather. Again, the strength is very strong and even though I was only in the second third, I could feel my heart rate picking up.  

Final Third and Final Thoughts 

The final third of my Viaje V.O.R. was once again dominated by that old tobacco flavor that came on at about the half way point of the cigar. The spice seemed to fade off a bit to make way for this star, but it was still there enough to make me go for some sips of water. I smoked the last third of this cigar very slowly because the strength was way up there for me and I didn't want to knock myself out.  I smoke a lot of heavy sticks and this, for me, is way up there in strength. The construction was great all the way to the nub and I never had to do any touch ups, even when smoking slowly.

My final thoughts on the Viaje V.O.R. DT? This is a much better effort from Viaje. I've historically been a fan of this brand, but have had some disappointment with some of their newer releases. I will 100% say I was not disappointed with this one and it lived up to just what I remembered from last year. The old tobacco flavor I got from this blend is unique, which makes for a cigar that I would like to sit down and pay attention to. I'm going out on a limb here, but maybe that is the flavor that wowed the people at Cigar Aficionado so much? I have no idea if that is true.

Would I buy it again? I would buy a few more of these to keep around for when I want something out of the ordinary. I know of a few still kicking around from last year, so it would be cool to see what even more aging does to them.

Would I buy a box? I don't think I would buy an entire box of these because there are other sticks from Viaje that I like more. I'm sure it's box worthy for some people though because it is a very nice cigar.

Dan

REVIEW: Viaje Summerfest 2011

Today's review is the first review of a bunch of new sticks, all being released at the same time by Viaje. If you like reading about Viaje, you're going to like this website for the next few weeks. Anyway, the cigar for today is the 2011 release of the Summerfest line. I couldn't find much information on this release online (as with all the other new releases), aside from it, once again, being a very small batch release. I sent a message to Andre asking for some more details:

Quote Andre Farkas:
"Last year the brushed foot on Summerfest was very difficult to smoke due to its length. This year the cigar has been designed to smoke. It gives you the ability to taste the filler alone before getting into the binder and wrapper. Again, unlike Holiday Blends unfinished foot representing the cold of Winter, the brush represents shedding clothing for Summer."

I smoked a couple of these last year and remember thinking the open brushed foot was a little overkill. This stick looks a little more like Andre said -- designed to smoke.  On to the review.

Specifics
Vitola: Churchill
Length: 7
Ring Gauge: 50
Wrapper: Nicaragua Corojo 99
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Price: $9.35 in full boxes
Smoking Location: New Havana Cigars
Beverage: water

Pre-Light 

The first thing I noticed when examining the 2011 Summerfest was the brushed foot is a much tighter, bunched filler than last year's release. Last year, the cigar really looked like it had a paint bush on the end, but not so much this year. The wrapper was a dark brown color with some darker black streaks like you would find in spalted wood. Not the prettiest wrapper, but isn't really about the looks right? The aroma of the unlit cigar was very musty and at first and smelled kind of sweaty. After holding it out of the newly opened box for a few minutes that smell faded fast and gave way to a earthy natural tobacco scent. The cold draw was free and tasted mostly of natural tobacco with just a hint of raw honey. 

First Third   

I lit the unwrapped, covered part of my Summerfest and was greeted right away with a nice blast of white pepper. The front of the flavor profile was nice and spicy with the finish adding another element of a cooling mint-like note. I was very happy with what was going on with this kind-of-funny-to-smoke brushed foot. The cigar gave off a great volume of smoke both while resting and, more surprisingly, while being puffed on. I hit the wrapper part of the cigar about ten minutes into smoking and the flavor profile completely changed. A strong woody flavor came through and dominated the cigar both on the front and the finish.  No longer was I getting any of the mint taste, which I really missed. The body was in the medium to full range, but not anywhere near overpowering.

Second Third  

The second third of my Summerfest started off very similar to the first third with a strong woodsy flavor both on the front and the finish. Unfortunately, burning further into the second third, the cigar's finish started to taste medicinal. This could be from them being young (I have no idea how long these have been rolled, and even then, sometimes a fresh cigar can taste great), but something strange was going on. As the second third burned on, this taste seemed to fade a bit but I could still taste it in the back of my palate. Another change in the second third was that the strength of the cigar amped up. I would put this part of the stick firmly in the full strength area.

Final Third and Final Thoughts 

The final third of my Summerfest is where things really went downhill for me. At this point I was not picking up any really strong flavors other than a burnt tobacco taste mixed with ash. The smoke was very thick and coated my mouth, which I normally like, but it coated with an unpleasant flavor. I hoped some of those notes from the very beginning of the cigar would come back but they did not. The body was still in the full range and the draw still had zero problems.

My final thoughts on the Viaje Summerfest 2001?  This was not one of the better Viaje releases in my opinion. Note to anyone smoking this cigar.. do not cut off the brushed foot because it tastes great! After that, if you have a similar taste in cigars that I have, you might be disappointed. I normally like a lot of stuff from Viaje, but this one was not for me. On a more positive note, the construction of this cigar was excellent and it burned/draw without any problems. I'd love to hear what other people think of this cigar, so please leave a comment if you have a similar experience or one completely different.

Would I buy it again? I would like to try this in the torpedo size so I could see myself buying one of those to see if it's different.

Would I buy a box? Of this size, I would not.

Dan

REVIEW: 2010 Viaje Holiday Blend

Today's cigar review is something I have been looking forward to ever since the weather started to get cold and the holiday lights started going up on the houses around mine. The Viaje Holiday Blend was a great stick last year, and when I heard that this years version was going to be made in one of my two favorite sizes, my anticipation was heightened. Below is an email I received from Andre Farkas, owner of Viaje Cigars:

I decided to use a different wrapper this year (Holiday Blend) to switch up the flavor a bit; select Criollo98. Still the same core as last year's release. We will probably tweak the cigar a hair, so each year will be a little different than the last. For those that grabbed a 2010 enjoy and happy holidays. 

Thank you Andre for taking the time to answer my email. Enough chat, lets see how the 2010 smokes.

Due to the size of this cigar, this review is only in two parts instead of the traditional thirds.

Specifics  
Vitola: Petite Robusto
Length: 4
Ring Gauge: 54
Wrapper: Niaraguan Criollo
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Price: $9.25
Smoking Location: Explorer Lounge
Beverage: water
Manufacture's Website: http://www.viajecigars.com/

Pre-Light  

I chose to buy My Viaje Holiday Blend 2010 in the petite robusto size because it's one of my favorite vitolas. (I picked these up at New Havana Cigars, but I am pretty sure he is sold out of them.) The combination of the small size, with the pretty large band, really made this cigar look tiny. I smoke a lot of petite robustos, but this one really looks "petite". I could tell when squeezing the cigar that is is fully packed and well-constructed. The foot of the stick is closed tightly, with the wrapper covering any sight of filler tobacco. The wrapper itself has a lot of tooth seeming to be in random places all over the leaf. A lot of times you see uniform tooth on wrapper leafs, but not with this stick. The pre-lit aroma was very leathery with earthy undertones. Not much of a cold draw on this stick (closed foot), but the wrapper left a earthy taste on my lips.

First Half  

I lit my Viaje Holiday Blend 2010 with some wooden matches because I didn't want to scorch the closed foot with my triple flame. The first few puffs were WOW, a fire cracker of warm spice and smoke exploding all over my taste buds. Just like I wrote in a past review of a Viaje cigar, this stick roared out of the gate and came to the show in full strength. Speaking of strength, right from the first puff I could tell that this was a full body cigar. You know those cigars that when you light them, you just know what you are in for? This is one of them. The volume of smoke was large and the draw was excellent. After about 3/4 of an inch in, the spice started to transition to the finish of the flavor profile and brought a strong cedar taste to the front. The cedar was not only prevalent in the taste, but also in the resting smoke between puffs. My smoking partner commented that it was a "sophisticated" aroma that reminded him of a high-quality walk in humidor. As you can see in the picture above, the construction was fantastic and the ash held very strongly for over half of the stick.

Second Half and Final Thoughts  

The second half of my Viaje Holiday Blend 2010 had some changes in flavors and more of a mellowing out of the smoke. When I write mellowing, I don't mean in strength (it was just as strong as it started)...I mean more in the flavors becoming one, and not as distinct to pick out.  I was still getting a lot of cedar on the front of each draw, but on the finish, it was a mix of warm spice, hints of mild American-style coffee, and something else I couldn't put my finger on. Toward the nub, this mystery flavor got even stronger, but I still can't put a name to it. All these flavors blended nicely and made for a smooth and relaxing finish. The cigar burned perfectly all the way to the nub, never picking up any heat or harshness. I only ashed this cigar once before putting it down, so I'd say that is a testament to it's construction. Warning again...FULL BODY. My heart was well racing from the nicotine by the time I put this little guy down. It was not to much, but in a bigger size, it might be.


My final thoughts on the Viaje Holiday Blend 2010?  Just like most other Viaje limited release sticks, this is not for the novice smoker. The power in this cigar is very evident from the first puff and, if you were not ready for it, I think it my throw you for a loop. Once you look past the strength, the flavors were enjoyable, especially in the second half when the cigar mellowed a bit and became very full and rich in taste. I still am not sure what that mystery flavor is I was tasting towards the end, so I look forward to reading other reviews to see what my fellow smokers get out of this cigar. Awesome construction, perfect burn, enjoyable FULL BODY cigar.
 
Would I buy it again? I still have a few of these left, so I don't think I would search for more at this moment. While I enjoyed the cigar, there are other rare/limited releases from Viaje with similar power that I enjoyed a bit more. Those would be the ones I hunted for before this one.

Would I buy a box? I could not afford these in box quantities, but if I was a rich man it, would be fun to buy a box to sit on for years, simply because it's for the holidays. It would be great to pull out a full box 5-10 years from now in December and remember back to 2010.

Happy Holidays everyone!

Dan 

REVIEW: Viaje Satori

Today's cigar review is for a stick which was brought back from the IPCPR trade show by one of my partners at Cigar Explorer. (@Cigarexplorer on twitter, please follow us!) Many people are beginning to recognize the Viaje name and understand that Andre Farka's cigars are primarily micro-batch releases. Yes, Viaje does have 3 core lines (Platino, Oro, 50/50), but it's in these highly-limited releases that the company has been making the biggest impact. The Satori, meaning state of sudden spiritual enlightenment in Japanese, falls right in line with only 150 boxes of each of the three sizes being made. I'm not sure if the samples from IPCPR count towards that exclusive 150 box count, but I'm pretty excited to get my hands on one either way.

For more information on Viaje there is a great interview with Andre in this months Cigar Press magazine.

I'll admit upfront that I have truly enjoyed everything I have smoked from Viaje and hold them to a pretty high standard. The Skull and Bones and the Double Edged Sword are most likely going to end up in my Top 10 (if not Top 5) cigars of the year -- both of which I am out of, so if any readers have some they want to trade please let me know. Let's see how the Satori stacks up against my expectations.

Specifics
Vitola: "Nirvana" (Toro)
Length: 6
Ring Gauge: 50
Wrapper: Nicaragua "Super special" Oscuro
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Price: $? each
Smoking Location: Explorer Lounge
Beverage: water
Manufacture's Website: http://viajecigars.com/

Pre-Light 

My Satori from Viaje was a very different looking cigar. The "super special" Oscuro wrapper was very dark and reminded me of black leather. The cigar felt smooth to the touch, which added to that leather description, but when inspected closely had a lot of tooth and tiny bumps. Another aspect of this cigar that stood out right away was just how tightly this stick was rolled. I was a little nervous about the draw before testing it, but after clipping the head, all those worries went away. The draw was just how I like it, free with some light resistance. The cold draw tasted sweet with raisin and coffee flavors. The pre-lit aroma was faint, but what was there was of typical aged tobacco.

First Third

This Satori lit up easily and started producing bold flavors from the first puff. On the front of the flavor profile was a nice black pepper note that woke up my taste buds and, on the finish, was a weaker sweetened black coffee taste. The cigar produced a lot of smoke, both on each draw and while resting, which easily filled up the lounge within minutes. After getting about an inch into this stick, the flavors started to change up. The black pepper faded off a bit and was balancing more evenly with the coffee taste on the finish. Simply put -- it mellowed out a bit. The burn on the stick was a little wavy but not problematic, with the body falling right into the medium range. 

Second Third 

The second third was different than the first third in that the smoke seemed to get very creamy and have a smooth feeling on my palette. I'm not saying the first third was dry or harsh, I'm just saying the cigar was noticeably smoother in the second third. To go along with the very enjoyable smoothness were very strong flavors that even a beginning cigar smoker would pick up on. On the front of each draw, I tasted a lot of milk chocolate notes, which blended awesomely with the black coffee finish. The second third of this cigar was just like a mocha, frappa, whatever they call them at Starbucks...very enjoyable and relaxing. Another difference in the second third from the first third was the body, now rocking more into the full range. Not so full that it gave me the spins, but I could definitely feel the nicotine kicking in. The burn remained slightly wavy all the way through the second third, but again, nothing that needed a touch up with my lighter or anything like that.

Final Third and Final Thoughts

In the final third of my Viaje Satori, the creaminess from the second third faded off a bit, but the strong flavors of milk chocolate and black coffee kept on coming. The flavors were possibly even stronger now than they had been the entire stick and almost made me wish I could eat the cigar -- it was that good. Something I have yet to mention about the finish on this stick was just how clean it left my mouth feeling after each exhale. For such a strongly flavored stick, I would've expected more of a heavy after-smoke taste, but this cigar left none of that. The body in the final third was just like the second third in that it was FULL body. Much like the Viaje Daisy Cutter boasted a "be warned" stamp on the box, I think the Satori could warrant that same packaging. A very relaxing cigar, but not for beginners.


My final thoughts on the Viaje Satori? Another winner for Andre. The flavor profile is maybe not the most complex stick I've ever had, but the strength of the chocolate and coffee flavor blend make for a very enjoyable smoke. I am very interested to get my hands on the other sizes and see how they stack up. Specifically, the box pressed double torpedo which looks to be a truly masterpiece of a cigar (just as I thought the Viaje Double Edged Sword was, which is of a similar shape.)

Would I buy it again? If I get the chance and my cigar budget is there, I will buy more Satori. These are not an everyday smoke, but great for a calm evening after dinner on the deck.

Would I buy a box?  I'm not sure I would run out and buy a box right away (like I would if there were more Skull and Bones released, hint, hint), but after trying the other sizes I wouldn't put off buying a box in the future.

Dan

REVIEW: Viaje Skull and Bones

I was very lucky to get my hands on a few of today's review cigar. The Viaje Skull and Bones is a limited release stick that came quickly to shops after the release of the popular Viaje Reserva. This cigar, in size, is exactly what I am into these days. It's pretty much a petit robusto. I've really been enjoying petit robustos, and petit cigars in general, so when I saw the size that this stick was to be released in, I was all over it. The problem? This was limited to a production run of 150 boxes of 25 cigars, so finding some could have been a problem. Luckily for me, Dan (NHCDAN on twitter) at New Havana Cigars got a shipment (very small mind you and they are all gone, so please don't call about them) and hooked me up with a chance to get some. I don't know if I'll ever see these cigars again, so was looking forward to smoking one.

Due to the size of this cigar, this review is only in two parts instead of the traditional thirds. On with the show.

Specifics

Vitola: "Daisy Cutter"
Length: 4
Ring Gauge: 54
Wrapper: Nicaragua Criollo
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Price: $9 each
Smoking Location: My back deck
Beverage: water

Pre-Light

The Viaje Skull and Bones is a awesome looking stick. Yes, it does seem weird to smoke something that has the image of a skull and bones on it, but wow, what a nice departure from tradition cigar bands. The wrapper on my "Daisy Cutter vitola" (again a great name departure from the norm) is very smooth and oily. I did see quite a few veins running around the wrapper, but these had been expertly smoothed down and appeared would have no effect on the burn. The cigar feels surprisingly hefty for it's size and when squeezed is hard as a rock. The pre-lit aroma was of strong wood scents, mixed in with what I would describe as a raisin smell. After clipping the triple cap, the cold draw was tight and tasted sweet with strong woodsiness flavors. I was worried that this stick might be a little plugged due to the tight draw, but I pinched it a bit more and the draw loosened nicely.

First Half  

I lit my Viaje Skull and Bones with a triple flame torch and the cigar roared out of the gate. From the very first puff, I was hit hard with thick, smooth, and extremely rich smoke...the kind of smoke that takes over your palate and says yup, I'm the star in this show. I don't think I can put into words just how rich this cigar started out, but if you get the chance to smoke one, you'll know exactly what I mean. In conjunction with the rich smoke, the initial flavors were also very powerful. On the front of the flavor profile, I was getting a strong woodsy taste. Not at all a harsh camp fire kind of wood, but more a sweet sassafras or oak taste. On the finish, and especially through the nose, there was a dominate black pepper flavor. The finish flavor was long-lasting and remained noticeable the entire time between draws. The burn did start a little wavy, but corrected itself without having to do any touch ups. The ash (as you can see in the picture) held on all the way to the band. These cigars are expertly constructed.

Second Half and Final Thoughts

The second half of my Viaje Skull and Bones was just as smooth and rich as the first half, but brought on a small evolution of the flavors. The wood notes I was getting in the first half turned into a strong cedar wood taste and the black pepper faded off some to make room for powerful coffee and cream. The closer I got to the nub of the cigar, the more and more the coffee and cream flavors ramped up; so much so that in the last few puffs I took that was all I was tasting. And what a awesome taste it was. The burn and construction were the same in the second half as it was the first half and left nothing to be desired. The finish on the smoke was not as long as the first half, and the cigar did get a little hot, but that heat only seemed to intensify the coffee flavors more.

My final thoughts on the Viaje Skull and Bones are that this cigar is absolute winner. The powerful richness and smoothness of the smoke mixed in with the strong flavors really make this stick a enjoyable experience from start to finish. Speaking of power, this review would not be complete without a quote that is printed on the box. "BE WARNED" is burned into the bottom of each box of  Viaje Skull and Bones and there is a reason. This is a full strength cigar not to be taken lightly. I had eaten a full meal before I smoked this stick, and the nicotine still had my heart racing. I am not normally a fan of all-out full strength cigars, but this one hit it right for me in that profile. With that said, this is not a cigar for amateur smokers. BE WARNED!

Would I buy it again? Here is the problem. I would by this cigar again in a second, but as far as I heard, they have all been sold. If you can find a fellow BOTL willing to part with some, don't hesitate to take them up on the offer. Or you can send them my way...

Would I buy a box? This is a box worthy stick in my opinion, but see my comments above about availability.

Dan