Wrapper: Nicaragua

Binder: Nicaragua

Filler: Nicaragua

Vitola: 5 ½ x 58

Purchase Link: Viaje Circa 45 Nicaragua

VIAJE CIRCA 45 NICARAGUA REVIEW – CALIFORNIA

Summary:  Apple on the pre-light.  My first few puffs have me feeling a bit uppity with butter, milk chocolate, and saffron (smelt some for the first time last month).  I'm not digging this larger ring gauge, but the draw is spot on.  Ash is flaky but holding like a champ.

Cinnamon kicks off the second third.  Subtle maple syrup sweetness livens things up.  The flavors transition to being somewhat Cubanesque as the sweetness dissipates. I know it's not a Cuban stick though because of the solid construction (I'm throwing haymakers over here).

Relighting it as I enter the final third.  Vegetal notes at the close as my palate gets a bit hot.

If You Like That, You Might Like This:  Shopping for art to hang on your wall.

Pairing Suggestion:  Coffee.

Purchase Recommendation to a Friend:  Fiver.

VIAJE CIRCA 45 NICARAGUA REVIEW – WISCONSIN

Summary:  Sometimes you smoke a cigar and think 'well, this is a handmade product and sometimes things happen'. That's the story of this week's cigar for me. There were burn problems - it went out several times and really didn't want to burn. There were draw problems - it was very loose. Sometimes that's the way it goes.

I got flavors of pepper, spice, sourdough bread, cream, cedar, sourness, mint, and chocolate. It was mostly peppery cedar. I can't say whether these flavors were impacted by the construction problems I ran into, but I expect they were.

I'm curious to read if the other reviewers had construction issues too, or if this was just an odd mistake.

If You Like That, You Might Like This:  Peppery cedar.

Pairing Suggestion:  Rum.

Purchase Recommendation to a Friend:  Single.

VIAJE CIRCA 45 NICARAGUA REVIEW – OREGON

Summary:  Cold draw tasting like pencil shavings...don’t ask how I know that.  Also, slightly tight on the resistance.  This stick is... voluminous.  

Cedar, hints of cardamom, add a pinch of black pepper, mild tobacco, some nuttiness.  Damn, off to a nice start.

Tasting that strong cedar still with raw almonds, leather and a long finish of mild black pepper and lemongrass.  Lots of good smoke churning out too.  I can set this cigar down, ignore it and it just keeps workin’ perfectly.

Last part of this stick seems to be ramping up on the pepper a bit, especially in the retro hale. Lots of wood notes holding strong, flavors of mixed nuts and a whole lot more creaminess to the entire profile. 

If You Like That, You Might Like This:  Larger cigars with body and some strength.

Pairing Suggestion:  Dirty Martini.

Purchase Recommendation to a Friend:  Fiver.

Participants in this blind review were completely unaware of the cigar they were evaluating until all submissions were received and processed. Each participant was asked to answer a summary paragraph, an if/than statement, a pairing suggestion, and a purchase suggestion. Cigars were provided by Small Batch with only the expectations of candid responses. All pictures, information, and formatting were completed by a Coordinator outside of the reviewing process. 

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