Blind Cigar Review: Viaje | Honey and Hand Grenades | The Shiv
Vital Stats:
This cigar was reviewed blind (no bands) by a panel of at least 4 reviewers. They did not know what they were smoking beforehand. The scores are an average of all the reviewers' scores with outliers removed. All of our cigars reviewed are shipped to the panelists with Boveda packs to ensure optimal smoking experience.
Vitola: Perfecto
Length: 6.25″
Ring Gauge: 50
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Criollo
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Factory: Fábrica de Tabacos Raíces Cubanas S. de R.L. (Raíces Cubanas)
Number of reviewers: 5 —– Nicholas (volpow61), Ron (shuckins), Emmett (rhetorik), Robert (NavyPiper), Will (Dubv23)
Price: $9
Contributed by: Ian (Sp@rky426)
Initial Impressions:
Appearance: 91
“The cigar had a unique look with the closed, pointy foot. It had a clean medium brown wrapper that shows slight marbling in color. There were not any problematic or visually intrusive veins.” –Will (Dubv23)
Aroma: 89
“Pre-light aroma was of sweet grass/hay and sweet tobacco.” –Robert (NavyPiper)
“Aroma gives off some chocolate with a natural tobacco scent” –Nicholas (volpow61)
Construction: 89
“This cigar has solid construction with a nice cap and no soft spots. The cigar itself is a very interesting shape, like a half perfecto” –Emmett (rhetorik)
First Third:
Flavor: 89
Strength: Medium
Body/Complexity: Medium
“Dry but sweet cedar tasting tobacco with a spicy coffee flavor. The draw was tight at first but opened up nicely after an inch in. Plenty of cool smoke, easy to retrohale, giving a light taste of anise.” –Ron (shuckins)
Second Third:
Flavor: 90
Strength: Medium
Body/Complexity: Medium
“The first thing I notice about the second third is a sweetness developing. It’s not very complex, but mellow and enjoyable. The wrapper split part way though and gave me some trouble with the burn. Towards the end I started picking up a distinct pumpkin spice that was a nice surprise.” –Emmett (rhetorik)
Final Third:
Flavor: 90
Strength: Medium
Body/Complexity: Medium
“The flavors in the final third were consistent with the beginning two thirds. The final third did bring forth a slight change in the saltiness which became sour. It was not harsh or bitter and did not impact flavor negatively. It actually complimented the flavor profile nicely.” –Will (Dubv23)
Final Impressions:
Draw: 91
“The draw was great after the first inch, just the right amount of resistance. The first inch was very stiff.” –Emmett (rhetorik)
Burn: 89
“Never had a problem with the burn, although it did have a slow start.” –Ron (shuckins)
Overall Experience: 91
“Overall this was a pleasant smoke that offered some unique flavors with intriguing construction. The closed foot was an interesting touch but required cutting in order to get a decent light and draw. The cigar had a lot to offer and I thought it delivered a solid experience that anyone would appreciate.” –Will (Dubv23)