A while back when these were released (since, there have been 3 new vitolas in the S&B line) I picked up some of these limited release Viajes with the intention of doing a 'new stick' type of review. I ended up forgetting about them for a while (always a good thing with cigars) and figured I would do a 'Where are they now?' review. I'm looking forward to seeing what the stick, released as a powerhouse of nicotine in a small package, has turned into after almost a year of humidor time.
Pre-light - This small vitola has a rich chocolate wrapper with a very smooth feel. The pre-light draw provides a bit of tug and some mild sweetness.
First Third -The cigar starts with some sweet wood, a bit of cedary spice, raw tobacco, and a dry, smokey (as in food) flavor. Drawing is not an issue in tug or feel, despite it's girth, and the smoke is fairly dense. As it progresses, some coffee like creaminess enters. Despite the heavy nature of the flavors and the imminent strength of the stick, I wouldn't say it is the least bit overpowering, something one might expect. Definitely not
full full-bodied in the first third, more like medium+
Second Third - This third find the flavors mellowing into a complex, creamy fusion of leather, wood and cedar. Construction is still great, as with most Viajes I have found, as the ash held over an inch before I clumsily dropped in on my white shirt. It could just be the massive hunk of delicious cow I ate for dinner, or the humi time, but I'm honestly not feeling a huge nic-kick thus far... Not that that has any bearing on the quality of the cigar.
Third Third - I must say the progression in this cigar is awesome. It has finally hit full-bodied, and not just with a tap- the strength here is pretty apparent. The flavors in the last third come out of their shell a bit from the last third, but remain fairly consistent, though there are a bit more spice and tobacco notes. The last whole third is so rich and complex I wish it had been longer!
Conclusion and Score - Granted I haven't been smoking much lately because I've been crazy busy, so anything would be at least somewhat enjoyable, but this cigar was absolutely phenomenal. The flavor profile was rich, complex, and full, while the construction was perfect. While it was a strong little stick later on, it wasn't the beast I was expecting. But nicotine bomb or not, no question this was a great cigar and worth 93 points in my book.
PS I remember Brooks from
SmokingStogie.com saying that this stick and the similarly sized/strength Tatuaje T110 (which I reviewed a while back, one of the few sticks I hoard) were totally different, and he was spot on.
