Video review HERE.
(Description taken from Cigar-Coop.com website)
Viaje’s seasonal release around Independence Day has hit the stores. The company announced once again the Viaje TNT and Viaje C-4 would be returning for a 2016 run.
The Viaje TNT is a 6 1/4 x 54 Toro featuring a long fuse that resembles a stick of dynamite. The C-4 is a 5 x 56 box-pressed Robusto meant to resemble a type of plastic explosive. Both the TNT and C-4 will once again use Connecticut Broadleaf wrappers and be produced out of the PDR Cigars factory.
The Viaje TNT was first introduced in 2010 and was originally a Nicaraguan puro produced in Honduras and released annually. After a year hiatus in 2014, the Viaje TNT returned for 2015 with production moving to the PDR Cigars factory in the Dominican Republic. It also now features a new blend and a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper.
The Viaje C-4 was first introduced in 2011 to complement the Viaje TNT. It was a Nicaraguan puro originally a double capped box-pressed Robusto. Like the TNT, the C-4 took a year hiatus in 2014 before returning in 2015. Like the TNT, the C-4 also had production moved to PDR Cigars. It also underwent a a blend change that would now feature a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper. One other change for 2015 is that the C-4 is no longer double capped. This continued into 2016.
Other details of the Viaje TNT 2016 and Viaje C-4 2016 blend have not been disclosed.
Today I am reviewing the TNT. It is a very dark, almost black cigar, which has a fairly light feel in the hand. The foot is unfinished.
I twisted off the "fuse" and cut the cap. The test draw was very good. The cold draw had a lot of dark notes. The initial flavors at light up were sweet dark chocolate and coffee. 1/4 inch in I got brown sugar and a touch of butter.
About one inch in the pepper is not very strong. It is a black pepper rated at a 6 1/2. The buttery notes are coming from a thick cream, almost like a white chocolate type flavor. it is quite sweet and thick. The sweet dark chocolate, coffee, brown sugar, and sweet cream is quite nice. The black pepper is much better on the finish, which is one of a sweet cream. The cigar is medium bodied at this point with a name like TNT I would expect it to move up.
2 1/2 inches in the ash is still intact. The flavors have changed somewhat. There is now black strap molasses, chocolate, and coffee. The pepper is now up to a 7 1/2. The finish is unchanged and the nice amount of lingering black pepper is still intact. The cigar is still medium bodied.
With around 3 inches remaining the molasses has a lot of buttery notes and sweetness. The dark chocolate is more of a straight dark chocolate with little sweetness. You get plenty of sweetness from the molasses notes. The coffee makes a nice base. The pepper continues to move upward. The finish is unchanged. The cigar may be medium to full bodied at this point but it's a low grade version. There are a lot of dark sweet notes with moderate power.
With about 2 inches remaining I noticed the burn time is slowing down. Also, the flavors are reverting back to sort of the way it started. Now there are brown sugar, sweet cream, butter, and coffee. The molasses notes are getting light. The black pepper is now at an 8 on the front end and it's also moving up on the finish. The finish now has some dark chocolate to go along with the sweet cream. The cigar is still a low grade medium to full bodied. It's interesting that the cigar is changing back to the way it started...sort of.
Look at the total burn time. Unbelievable! It started off burning rather quickly but it actually slowed down. This cigar got better as it went along too. There was a lot of brown sugar, chocolate, thick cream, and a raisin type flavor. The molasses notes are gone but there is what appears to be a sweet raisin flavor. The black pepper ended up very nice after starting off rather light. The finish was quite pleasing also with lots of lingering black pepper. I am surprised at the strength of this cigar. With a name like TNT I expected quite a full bodied, powerful cigar. Nonetheless it was a very tasty cigar that ramped up as it went. These should be on shelves now. Look for them and grab a few before this seasonal release is gone.
Score: 92
No comments:
Post a Comment