Viaje Double Edge Sword
In keeping up with a viaje limited release filled 2010 the much anticipated Double Edge Sword has been released. Back in January viaje released a cigar called the exclusivo. The exclusivo blend was based on the owner of viaje's (Andre farkas) personal cigar. He started handing them out at events and was getting a lot of positive feedback so he decided to release them in very limited quantities. It was a 4 7/8 X 50 pigtailed robusto that came in 35 count glass jars. Only 100 jars released. The stores that received the Exclusivo were put into a lottery and 5 stores would be picked. Those 5 stores would get the Double Edge Sword. The double edge sword is made up of the same blend as the exclusivo. It's a 5 3/4 x 52 perfecto with Nicaraguan tobacco and a Nicaraguan Criollo wrapper. Comes 25 to a box and only 125 boxes were made. Here we go...
Pre Light
This is a very nice looking cigar. It sports a gorgeous dark chocolate wrapper with minimal veins. Its got a nice oily sheen to it and smells of very high quality tobacco. Its a perfecto and both ends are closed so you have to take a little off the head as well as the foot.
On the Pre light draw I got a nice leather flavor as well as some chocolate giving it an overall very sweet taste. In fact I sat for a bit and dry puffed it for a bit because I was enjoying the flavor so much.
1/3
The Cigar opens up very bold! I got Dark flavors of espresso/black coffee, leather and a lot pepper on the finish. Its Very full bodied right off the bat! The cigar is burning perfect and giving off tons of thick rich smoke! The pepper and spice tingles on my tongue with every puff.
2/3
Going into the second third the cigar mellows out very nicely but is still in your face with its bold flavors. The Dominant flavor now is a mild woody note mixed with the espresso and leather flavors. The pepper is also still making up the finish which I must point out is one of the longest finishes I have experienced in a while! All of the flavors are flowing very well, very balanced. The cigar is still burning perfect at this point as well.
3/3
The final third certainly holds its own with the rest of the cigar! The espresso flavor has turned into more of a regular coffee flavor and the leather is still present but now I am getting a nice chocolate note as well. I also am getting an amazing cinnamon note through the nose which mixed with the leather gives it a very opus esque profile. The cigar ends on a more medium to med/full note.
Final Thoughts:
To say I liked this cigar would be a huge understatement. Its everything I love in a cigar. If I had a personal cigar made just for me it would taste like this. I love a full bodied earthy leathery cigar that has power but manages to stay smooth. Viaje did this once for me with the skull and bones but perfected it with this. It was very complex and balanced and powerful but slowly mellowed out creating a perfect transition. The smoke output was also a huge plus for me. It put off a massive amount of smoke with every draw. The perfecto is not my vitola of choice but I thought it smoked very well and the construction was perfect. This is my favorite cigar viaje put out this year for sure. If you can find them, get them.
Final Score: 94
In keeping up with a viaje limited release filled 2010 the much anticipated Double Edge Sword has been released. Back in January viaje released a cigar called the exclusivo. The exclusivo blend was based on the owner of viaje's (Andre farkas) personal cigar. He started handing them out at events and was getting a lot of positive feedback so he decided to release them in very limited quantities. It was a 4 7/8 X 50 pigtailed robusto that came in 35 count glass jars. Only 100 jars released. The stores that received the Exclusivo were put into a lottery and 5 stores would be picked. Those 5 stores would get the Double Edge Sword. The double edge sword is made up of the same blend as the exclusivo. It's a 5 3/4 x 52 perfecto with Nicaraguan tobacco and a Nicaraguan Criollo wrapper. Comes 25 to a box and only 125 boxes were made. Here we go...
Pre Light
This is a very nice looking cigar. It sports a gorgeous dark chocolate wrapper with minimal veins. Its got a nice oily sheen to it and smells of very high quality tobacco. Its a perfecto and both ends are closed so you have to take a little off the head as well as the foot.
On the Pre light draw I got a nice leather flavor as well as some chocolate giving it an overall very sweet taste. In fact I sat for a bit and dry puffed it for a bit because I was enjoying the flavor so much.
1/3
The Cigar opens up very bold! I got Dark flavors of espresso/black coffee, leather and a lot pepper on the finish. Its Very full bodied right off the bat! The cigar is burning perfect and giving off tons of thick rich smoke! The pepper and spice tingles on my tongue with every puff.
2/3
Going into the second third the cigar mellows out very nicely but is still in your face with its bold flavors. The Dominant flavor now is a mild woody note mixed with the espresso and leather flavors. The pepper is also still making up the finish which I must point out is one of the longest finishes I have experienced in a while! All of the flavors are flowing very well, very balanced. The cigar is still burning perfect at this point as well.
3/3
The final third certainly holds its own with the rest of the cigar! The espresso flavor has turned into more of a regular coffee flavor and the leather is still present but now I am getting a nice chocolate note as well. I also am getting an amazing cinnamon note through the nose which mixed with the leather gives it a very opus esque profile. The cigar ends on a more medium to med/full note.
Final Thoughts:
To say I liked this cigar would be a huge understatement. Its everything I love in a cigar. If I had a personal cigar made just for me it would taste like this. I love a full bodied earthy leathery cigar that has power but manages to stay smooth. Viaje did this once for me with the skull and bones but perfected it with this. It was very complex and balanced and powerful but slowly mellowed out creating a perfect transition. The smoke output was also a huge plus for me. It put off a massive amount of smoke with every draw. The perfecto is not my vitola of choice but I thought it smoked very well and the construction was perfect. This is my favorite cigar viaje put out this year for sure. If you can find them, get them.
Final Score: 94
