Wrapper: Mexican San Andrés Maduro
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Size: 5 x 58
Strength: Medium/Full
Price: $15.00
THE WHOLE MEGILLAH:
The draw is tighter than a fish’s lips during choir practice. My PerfecDraw dries itself after 30 minutes in the lap pool and I put it to work. With a flourish and a Hi-Yo Silver the PD dives headlong into the breathless cigar…and in two swishes of a ferret’s tail, the plug is gone.
I’m always hesitant to write about very limited cigar releases because it’s just not fair when supply is fleeting. The duty of every reviewer is to alert the smoker to a good deal or a bad deal. But our tool is best used when a fleeting opportunity is worth bringing to your attention. I have no skin in the game regardless of what my detractors claim. I have no industry affiliations like most cigar reviewers. And I have no affiliations because not a single manufacturer will return my emails. Ha. Takes years to become a professional pariah. I treasure it as it was duly earned. If an industry hates you, there is always a good reason.
Excellent initial flare up. Big fat flavors of dark chocolate, espresso, mucho black pepper, malt, and earthy plant soil. Pretty typical of these leaf stats. AJ uses them ad nauseum and it really is time to move on fellas. If you are going to fall back on the tried and true, you better do it fucking good.
And the cigar is fucking good. No shit. Brash and bold. Strength is an immediate medium/full. Andre Farkas is a master of ‘good.’ And sometimes a master of ‘fantastic.’
This is a full-bodied smoke. Well rounded…which is a difficult expression to convey as we all think of something different. The dictionary explains it as “pleasingly varied or balanced.” A perfectly subjective explanation. Carry on.
It reminds me of the Southern Draw Manzanita, albeit with different leaf stats. I miss the regularity of SD releases.
Waiting for my Amazon delivery of Atkins Shakes. Next stop on the out to pasture menu is gruel and a milkshake. To avoid porch pirates, I must skedaddle and drag the shit upstairs.
Black cherry becomes strong. Followed by dark mushroom, cinnamon, and rye toast. None of these flavors are earth shattering as the leaf stats screamed them before lighting up. Farkas does a good job in the realm of making the blend tastier than the average bear. He has a way with nature that many other blenders do not.
In the late 80’s, I joined a Jack LaLanne gym. On my first visit, after a vigorous workout, I entered the spa area. There were half a dozen naked young men lounging in the jacuzzi area. I thought this very odd. I chose to back out slowly as this made me very uncomfortable…and as I slithered, out of the corner of my eye, a guy was getting a hand job. I called the LaLanne headquarters. As soon as I said the words, ‘naked guys,’ the line went dead. The rep hung up on me. I cancelled my membership. Look what you Millennials missed.
1-1/2” into this baby mammoth (30 minutes), a lovely complexity kicks in. More humi time will see this happen sooner. Yes, I know things. Some cigars shout blender’s intent while others lie there like my first wife on our honeymoon.
The sweet spot kicks in. Like a turned page, smoothness erupts. Flavors intensify while becoming less identifiable. They merge into one ball of complexity.
Sometimes, I have no idea what I’m writing. It makes sense at the time. The point is I’m having a good time with a very sophisticated but brash smoke. If the spiciness were a bit smaller, the brashness would go away. Still, I like the blend a lot. If you are an AJ fan, you will certainly dig this more erudite version of his Ramone Allones.
The halfway point is a jumping off point for incredible richness and balance. I have a classy palate. I know the difference between a cultured fusion of exotic leaves and a brazen cigar blend. Both are enjoyable because as educated smokers, we love diversity. If you’re reading this, I absolutely know you will dig this cigar. It is a very solid example of well thought out blending.
Fruity with notes of apricot, black cherry, raspberry, and lime citrus. Nice. Savory notes of black peppercorns, malt, mint, burnt oak, toast, espresso, and bittersweet cocoa.
Creaminess appears like a dust devil. Totally out of the blue. It wraps the flavor profile with vanilla ice cream goodness.
The spiciness calms. The strength remains at medium/full. No nicotine.
Farkas took the street mix of Mexican and Nicaraguan leaves and made them special. This blend surpasses most AJ lookalikes. We are in different territory now.
Cherry excels. The Viaje Full Moon Edición Limitada 2023 has become stellar.
Continual changes throughout the cigar. Fucking incredible. What a shame that this cigar is sold out everywhere except SBC. But you gotta buy a sampler to get it. Well worth the agony.
I hate reviewing an astral cigar blend. I want to spend money I don’t have to get more. I’m such a dufus.
This is an absolutely delicious 2-hour smoke. I can’t say enough.
1-1/2” to go and full tilt arrives. But no nicotine.
Andre Farkas is a brilliant guy. Don’t let the ordinary leaf stats fool you. This cigar is a trip.
Sponsor Small Batch Cigar is sold out of this cigar but has a few in 4 count samplers: 1- Viaje Full Moon 2023 5 x 58, 1- Viaje Full Moon LE 2023 5 x 58, 1- Viaje Mini Moon 2023 4-7/8 x 52, 1- Viaje Mini Moon LE 2023 4-7/8 x 52 ~ 10% off with promo code ‘katman.’
RATING: 96
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