As always, when I walk into my favorite B&M in New Orleans, there is something special waiting for me to try. Armando, the proprietor, pulls me aside and in hushed conspiratorial tones asks me if I have had the cigar in question. My answer is almost always no. This time was no exception. There is something about a B&M that caters to rare boutique finds that just lights the fire inside a cigar guy like me. The ability to find, and smoke, items that are just not available in the main stream is something very special and Armando always affords me this little luxury that means so much in my pursuit to smoke rare and unique cigars on a regular basis.
Viaje is the current small batch, boutique cigar, champion of the world if you ask around. In fairness, I have smoked much of their stuff and found it to be hit or miss. The hits are very good and the misses are spectacular flameouts sometimes, but that is part of the fun of this endeavor. This cigar was one that I had not heard of, but when Armando pulls you aside you should listen and then smoke. No other questions are needed, just do it and sit back in his lounge and cavort with the boys and whatever whackos walk in off Bourbon St.
The cigar presents well, if simply (as Viaje is wont to do, you won't ever see many fancy adornments or bells and whistles), and looks workmanlike and powerful. The wrapper is a nice medium brown that has few veins and is well applied. No size is given, and the cigar is too new to find anything on the Googleplex, but it is definitely a Robusto. The band work is also simple and easy to look at. I always know that with this company I am not paying for box wood and fancy artist renderings, I am just paying for a smoke. The construction seems solid, maybe a touch tight, but I really have no concerns performance wise from the start. The pre light aroma is full of wood notes with some hints of loamy earth. The pre light draw shows some pepper and something metallic tasting that makes me a bit nervous.
The cigar opens with a profile that is painfully one dimensional and a touch bitter. The one flavor coming through is metallic in nature and not pleasant to experience. I can only hope that it opens up some, and soon. The back of the palate and the nose show some interesting hints of pepper and earth, but the metallic flavors from the forward portion of the palate make evaluation tough. The draw is a little tight early on, but I can feel it getting better with each pull. The burn is right on the money.
The first half of the cigar actually begins to improve nicely as it progresses. The core profile picks up some very solid dark wood flavors and some dashes of roasted nuts, but there is still a tinge of metallic flavors here that are tough to overlook. The back of the palate has really started to deliver on some very solid pepper and earth notes, and I find myself wishing for more of these flavors to show through. The draw is loosening nicely and delivers plenty of smoke. The burn is still very solid to this point.
The final half of the cigar was really quite enjoyable. The core profile becomes a complex balance of rich dark wood, tobacco and spice with just a little bit of honey sweetness in it. This was definitely something unexpected and the experience really captures my attention in the closing moments. The back of the palate really closes strong, showing pepper and earth for miles and some clover notes that set off the peppery qualities beautifully. The draw is solid in the final half and the burn is strong all the way through.
The finish was long and earthy with hints of wood.
All in all this ranks in the top third of the Viaje cigars I have smoked.
Appearance- 88 workmanlike and solid
Taste- 89 came on strong, but the early notes hurt the score
Construction- 92 some tightness early, but really came into it's own late
Strength- 87 a nice full that complemented the overall profile well
Overall- 89.5 a very solid effort
