The Jar

The last week and a half or so has been pretty bad. I was let go from my job, thus loosing the house we were about to close on. Needless to say, I haven't felt like myself for a while now. I decided to take this opportunity today to smoke a cigar. I haven't had a cigar since last Tuesday, so I thought my palate would be fresh enough to give a review. As mentioned in the article below, I had tasted the Viaje Exclusivo cigars in a Jar at the smoke shop. I enjoyed these sticks but thought I needed to sit down with them and revisit their taste profile.
Viaje is a boutique brand born out of the mind of Andre Farkas. These cigars are all Nicaraguan tobacco, I believe. But not much is known about this cigar. The cigar I smoked today is the Exclusivo robusto size. This cigar is a 5x50 ring gauge and comes in glass jars (see picture below). I do know the wrapper is made of Criollo tobacco.

The Pre-Light:
This cigar is nice and oily, with a slight squishiness to the touch. The cigar smells of hay and barn yard, and the foot gives off a strong aroma of chicken coupe. The cap on this cigar has a little tail, reminiscent of the old Cuban style.

Light:
After lighting this smoke, I almost immediately got the taste of chocolate and sweet honey. This cigar surprised me in the sense that it was more mild bodied than I remembered. Don't get me wrong, this cigar produces copious amounts of thick smoke. But the smoke did not coat my mouth with as much creaminess as I remember. This cigar melts from chocolate and nutmeg to a mild white pepper spice. The retro hale was extremely enjoyable, with notes of cedar and puffy chocolate cake. I smoked this one down to the nub, as I just couldn't put this smoke down. The flavors were mild, but complex enough to keep me guessing what I was going to taste next.

After Taste:
This cigar leaves you with a mild sweetness in your mouth. I would pair this cigar with a nice coffee, or fruity wine. Because of the pronounced chocolate character I get from this cigar, I think it would go nicely with the silky and delicate flavors of a Pinot Noir wine. After all, chocolate and red wine is a heavenly combination.

Over all I would recommend this cigar to a newbie. The flavors are mild enough, yet complex to be perfect as a mid morning to early afternoon cigar. I think Viaje is doing some exciting things, and I can't wait to see what they come up with next.