Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sumatra Rosado
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Length: 5.875 x 52
Strength: Medium/Full
Price: $14.75
Released: December 2024
Quantity Released: 1,000 boxes of 15 cigars
Factory: Tabacalera La iSLA, Dominican Republic
My cigars received 3 months of naked humidor time.
Kyle Gellis sent three completely different blends to twelve retailers to choose which they liked best. This was the winner.
THE WHOLE MEGILLAH:
Apologies for the crappy photo. It’s been the result of actively chain-smoking New Days over the last few months, and clearly the last stick took a beating. A little PerfecRepair and the cigar is as good as new…and best of all, it leaves zero taste residue.
The wrapper smells very sweet and toasty. And more than its share of barnyard. To the rescue are notes of red and black pepper, freshly hewn pine, Boston Baked Beans candy, and red licorice.
The draw is acceptable…leaning towards a bit plugged. In one hand, I hold the cigar. In another hand, I hold my torch lighter. In the other hand, I hold my PerfecDraw. What…you didn’t buy the Deluxe Edition from Dr. Rod?
The cold draw is simply the aromas on rinse and repeat.
The loaf begins like most Nic filler cigars. A bit peppery with somewhat of a sledgehammer approach to its personality. I don’t know if it’s just a phase or if my palate is making a shift. I have a collection of different Viaje blends, and they taste very similar.
It doesn’t help that Farkas is throwing ‘Undisclosed’ around like a crazy man. How do we know it just isn’t the same blend repeated constantly? Is he that mad that he thinks we must unequivocally trust him because he is now a cigar god?
I favor Warped blends a lot. But they begin to taste the same too. Fortunately, Gellis doesn’t pound the pavement with that annoying undisclosed crap.
Over the course of my gazillion years smoking cigars, I don’t remember an onslaught of new cigars as we have seen after Covid. I get it. Covid fucked things up. Still, is it me or does Viaje release something every week?
OK. The New Day. Wow, what a rant. It’s a nice smooth illiterate blend. Nothing stands out. It’s OK. All righty then. Not bad. Wait for it…I taste red and black pepper, espresso, coca leaves, effervescent creaminess, oak and cedar, dried fruit, and
You Fill It In.
I smoked these cigars en masse because they are Warped. How many cigars do you buy on name value? A lot, I know. Me too. At some point, we have an epiphany. We need to reassess. I’m doing it in front of you.
I get past the crinkled part of the corrupted foot. There is a moss-like quality. There is also an annoying redundancy. It is becoming a pepper bomb. Earliness should have some sign of richness…it does not. Warped blends tend to stay within the playbook of sophisticated and refined. New Day follows the AJ playbook. I prefer the kinder gentler elegance that I crave. I know you do too.
The spiciness needs to stop. Strength began at medium and is now edging towards the abyss.
The burn is styling. Construction is excellent as the stick is plumpy and slow moving. Fill in your own joke.
Remembering my previous New Day smoke-a-thons, transitions were far and few between.
Takes 70 minutes to burn the first half. Not great. Not bad. A solid B.
The balance of red pepper and black pepper is even steven. Wish it would stop.
This Gellis shift to a bolder blend was on purpose. It seems more like a failed experiment. No one wants to be boxed into a corner, and everyone deserves a chance to grow, but do I need to spend $220 for a box. Talk about buyers’ remorse. I’m so old that I remember a couple of friends buying a used Ford Edsel. It was a lumbering uncool tank. Its appearance should have been a dog whistle. One guy bought a station wagon model. Oy vay. You could hear those fuckers miles away. And of course, they never ran well…like the New Day.
Where was I.
Flavor progression requires squeezing the eyes and making a wish. Yeah, I can taste things that I like in other cigars. But what I don’t taste is richness or complexity.
I feel like I’m killing time. And dragging you with me. Apologies. I prefer not to review cigars that I’m sure will not interest you. Shit happens.
I say what smokers are thinking. Others, how they prefer you to think.
You can purchase Warped New Day from sponsor Small Batch Cigar. Promotions and discounts will not apply.
RATING: 86
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Categories: CIGAR REVIEWS
I gave it an 88 just because I thought it can improve over time. It needs like 2 years aging and then it would be a 93 cigar. Too much ammonia still in it.
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You might be correct although my samples had no ammonia residue.
The fermentation process normally removes the offending aroma or taste. If the cigars are not allowed to ferment properly, ie. ergo, e.g., you get ammonia.
To rid your cigars of ammonia, you should separate those cigars from the others.
Dry box them for a few days. Occasionally, open the lid and allow air to escape. Repeat as necessary.
Thanks for your comment,
Phil
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My New Days need another month of humidor time, so I haven’t tried one yet. I did smoke a Warped Sarto, which is their other foray into bolder cigars. It was quite enjoyable – reminiscent of the Warped Isla de Cocodrilo, except with a CT broadleaf wrapper. And it was definitely not a pepper bomb.
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Hi Jeff,
I look forward to smoking the Sarto.
Thanks for your comment,
Phil
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Yeeeahhh. Warped. Right! I’m also pipe dweller sort of feller, and now I’ve taken to this comment to opine on the state of the label writ large. What in tarnation are they really up to at the circle W?
I get the impression that Warped is a self-styled eccentric gonzo blender who does their damnedest to differentiate from the insinuated pack of uninspired “traditional” reigning dreadnoughts of the industry, just as iconoclastic as they can try real hard to Syd a hard Roger.
But the fact is, the dreadnoughts are doing the same thing. So are the upstart garage blenders. At what point did Warped realize they’ve got to move this product somehow, and quietly walk the pedestrian path whilst street preaching? It’s been a long time. You mention samey, how in the hell is that? Well, I too arrive at the conclusion that what ends up in the stick or tin is a dandy standard power walker but with a deliberate screech at passers-by who might just become endured with the mania.
sometimes I get a giggle, but mostly I roll up the window and crank the Porcupine Tree.
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Exactly. Wake up smokers!
Thanks for your comment, Ryan.
Phil
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