Victor Vitale Tortuga 215 Reserva Tributo (6 x 56)

 

 

 

Video review HERE.

 

 

With nearly twenty years of experience, Cigar Maker Victor Vitale has gained an expert’s knowledge of the cigar industry. Vitale knows the intricacies of sourcing tobacco, manufacturing cigars, how to be a successful trade-marked brand owner, and the hurdles of international brand exposure. He is also heavily involved with several private-brand lines of which he manufacturers, imports and distributes globally. As Victor Vitale expands upon his current endeavors, he continues to remain committed to providing the best quality products befitting to all lifestyles.

 

 

This is the first of two reviews I will do on the Victor Vitale cigars. I received a 2 pack of his cigars, one cigar of each blend. The two cigars are the Tortuga 215 Reserva (reviewed today) and the Ora Vivo Armand Asante.

 

 

 

The blend info on the Tortuga 215 Reserva:

Wrapper: Nicaraguan

Filler: Nicaraguan

Binder: Nicaraguan

Package: 27 cigars

 

The cigar is a dark brown and well made. The bands on this cigar are absolutely beautiful. I love the gold foil highlights. The cigar is box pressed which makes the 56 ring look much smaller than it actually is.

 

 

 

The test draw after cutting the cap was effortless. The initial flavors were a  nutmeg/cedar combination with some sweetness, earth, leather, and white pepper rated at an 8. At this point the earth notes are very prominent.

 

 

 

About 3/4 inch in I am satisfied with the initial assessment. The ratio of earth to leather is around 70/30. There are quite a bit of earth notes. The finish is one of a caramelized cream, or you may describe it as a toasted cream but it's more of a caramelized cream. The cigar is medium to full bodied.



At the bands not a lot has changed. The initial flavors are still intact. The only small change is the nutmeg notes seem to be a little heavier than the cedar notes.




With about 2 1/2 inches remaining the earth notes have decreased and the leather notes have dropped off. There is the addition of oak, however. Other than that the cigar is about the same. At this point I'm 57 minutes in.








 The cigar did not have a lot of changes but there were some highlights. The leather dropped off around the midpoint. The oak notes became quite prominent in the final third. The nutmeg/cedar combination had some sweetness but had no richness. The finish and pepper remained consistent. The cigar remained medium to full bodied. These are very limited cigars and not a lot of shops carry them but try them if you find them. I found the cigar to be good but would like for it to have some richness. The cigar took 1 hour 20 minutes to smoke.

Score: 88