Viaje Platino Lancero (7.5x38)

After speaking with many other smokers about what is hot, and what is not, in the world of cigars I have heard about all sorts of brands.  Of these mentioned brands Viaje seems to be the most often loved.  Oddly, of the brands that have been mentioned it is also the most often maligned.  How is it that a cigar becomes so polarizing amongst so many smokers?  I have recently purchased just about every blend they make and I will be putting them to the rigid testing processes of the Czar and we will see how they stack up.  Further, I will be looking for answers about the enigmatic nature of the cigars and the feedback that I have been getting.

This cigar already scores points with me because it comes in a lancero vitola, one of my favorite sizes.  The cigar is touch rough looking and it really has no visual charm.  The band work is drab and the band at the foot is applied too tightly and I have to remove it carefully because it will not slide off.  Is there anything worse than nicking a wrapper because some nit wit put the foot band on too tight?  The cigar is way underpacked, I can feel it when I roll it through my fingers.  This is a bad sign because lanceros can be very temperamental if not made correctly.  I am nervous about this smoke from the get go.  The pre light aroma is full of spice and wood notes.  The pre light draw is decidedly robust and woody.

The cigar opens with a profile that is pleasing, but somewhat thin in presentation of flavors.  There are some nice notes of dark wood, light spice and some dark fruit, but they are all shallow and teasing rather than satisfying.  At the back of the palate there are some really nice flavors of cocoa and tobacco, this really saves the first part of the smoke.  The draw is far, far too loose, this is most likely the result of the loose construction that I noted in the pre light inspection.  The burn is all over the place and runners and voids are everywhere in the opening moments.

The first half of the smoke moves very quickly, the combustion rate is far too high for a cigar of this size, and I again fault the loose bunch of the cigar.  This leads to a hot burn as well, so I really slow it down to avoid the accumulating heat in the smoke.  The flavor is nice, and some more depth and complexity is seeping into the offering.  The profile shows some very nice wood and pepper notes that are robust and enticing.  At the back of the palate there are some excellent flavors of earth and tobacco that are showing through.  The issue continues to be the construction.  The draw is too loose and the burn is a mess however, I have not had to re light to this point.

The final half of the smoke continues to be hindered by poor construction.  The profile continues to show notes of wood and pepper and there is a light creamy aftertaste through the nose that is vanilla like.  At the back of the palate a crisp tobacco flavor takes center stage and delivers a solid, if not spectacular, base of flavor.  The draw continues to be inferior and the burn is a complete disaster by this point.

The finish was a touch harsh (I attribute this to the quick burn), but there were some wood and tobacco flavors.

Appearance- 87 not winning any looks contests
Taste- 88 the early issues hinder the smoke, but it was above average
Construction- 74 very, very poor and it led to a cigar that could have easily been unsmokable
Strength- 85 a solid medium
Overall- 82.75 killed by poor construction