Viva Republica Advanced Warfare Corona (5 1/4 x 43)

Video review HERE.

Advanced Warfare is the follow-up to the existing Guerrilla Warfare line. These debuted at this year's IPCPR.

Advanced Warfare is described as a more potent and fuller-bodied smoke than the original Guerrilla Warfare.

The packaging will be similar as Guerrilla Warfare as Advanced Warfare will also be in 50 count boxes. The banding will be similar, but it will use a bright yellow and black scheme instead of a green and black scheme.

Viva Republica is distributed by Miami Cigar and Company. Production occurs at the La Aurora factory in the Dominican Republic.

Blend: 

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sumatra

Binder: Connecticut Broadleaf

Filler: Dominican, Nicaraguan, Pennsylvania

Country of Origin: Dominican Republic (La Aurora SA)

Vitolas Available:

Petit Corona: 4 x 41

Corona: 5 1/4 x 43 (REVIEWED TODAY)

The cigar is well made and for a small ring cigar it has a nice feel in the hand. Here is a shot of the foot:

The test draw after cutting the cap was a bit firm but workable. After a few light squeezes around the cap the draw was perfect. The initial flavors were a very sweet orange citrus combining with boysenberry and white chocolate. There is also a lot of black coffee and a ton of black pepper which I rate at an 8.5. This is the definition of a good start, in my opinion.

About 3/4 inch in the boysenberry notes are no longer in play but the sweet citrus and white chocolate are still very much in play and now there are buttery notes to go along with them. The black coffee is still a nice base and the black pepper is still very good. The finish is a sweet cream with a lot of lingering black pepper. The cigar is full bodied right away. You can feel the ligero even at this early point. 

At 1 1/2 inches in the ash is still intact although a bit curved. The flavors are about like they were in the last segment but now the sweet citrus has another flavor mixed in; a cherry flavor. The butter is still there to combine with them, as well as the butter. The pepper may be slightly lower than it was at the start but it's still quite intense. The finish has some influence of the cherry notes on the sweet cream and lingering black pepper. The cigar is burning nice and slowly, especially for a small ring cigar.

With about 2 1/2 inches remaining the burn is fantastic. For a small ring cigar the time at this point is amazing. I got a lot more sweetness and this time it's coming from brown sugar. The white chocolate has morphed into brown sugar. The sweet orange citrus and cherry is still nice. It almost tastes like sweet cedar and cherry at this point. They still have the buttery notes. There are still lots of coffee notes at the base and the black pepper is still very good. The finish is about the same except there are now buttery notes on the finish also.

Look at the time you get out of a 5 1/4 x 43 cigar! Amazing. In a word the Viva Republica Advanced Warfare Corona is fantastic. I can say nothing bad about it. The fact that it's a small ring and had an hour and 22 minute burn is mind boggling. Remember, at the beginning I told you that this small ring cigar had a dense feel. That obviously translated into a long burn. This cigar had about everything that I want in a cigar; nice sweet, rich flavors, power, great finish, great pepper. Seek these out and try them. You will not be disappointed. Great, great cigar. Loved it. You can buy Advanced Warfare HERE.

Score: 95