JC Newman

April 24, 2021

Viaje PHAT Purple Jalapeño (5 3/16 x 55)








Video review HERE.


(Description taken from Halfwheel.com website)

The PHAT Purple Jalapeño is a new cigar, part of Viaje’s Pepper Series that began in 2015. It’s a variation of the 2020 release of Viaje PHAT Jalapeño, itself a cigar based on the original Viaje Jalapeño from 2015.

“The purple variety shares a similar bite to a regular jalapeño, but there is a little more sweetness to these chilies,” said the company on social media.

When asked to elaborate on the change, a representative said that the company chose tobaccos that “dialed back strength and added sweetness.”

It is the same size and price as the other PHAT cigars from Viaje: a 5 3/16 x 55 perfecto with an MSRP of $9.44 per. The representative from the company told halfwheel that it is a Nicaraguan puro and made in Honduras, though a factory was not specified.

When asked how many cigars were being released, the representative replied, “Just the right amount.”


This year's pepper sports a shiny purple sleeve. The cigar has an average feel in the hand.




The test draw after cutting the cap was firm but I expect it to open up as it burns. The initial flavors at light up were orange peel, light orange citrus, quite a bit of earthy nutmeg and earthy black coffee. There was black pepper rated at 7 to 7 1/2. For a cigar advertised as having elevated sweetness I do not detect any at this point.



At the first third (32 minutes) the cigar has very little sweetness. I had hints of orange peel and orange citrus. There was a lot of earthy nutmeg, leather, and earthy black coffee. The black pepper is pretty good. The finish is earthy nutmeg and black coffee with decent lingering black pepper. Still, where's the elevated sweetness? I've reviewed many in the Pepper series over the years and many have scored very well. They also had significant sweetness. This cigar lacks any significant sweetness. I rated the first third 82.




Moving through the second third (56 minutes) I still had the same question; where's the sweetness? The little sweetness it had in the first third is gone. Now I had leather, earthy nutmeg, and earthy black coffee. The finish has a hint of orange peel, nutmeg, and black coffee. The cigar is medium to full bodied. I rated the second third 80.




The cigar lasted 1 hour 9 minutes. Nothing has changed. Little to no sweetness. The cigar is heavy on the earthy notes; nutmeg, leather, and black coffee. The cigar is medium to full bodied. The finish is unchanged. This is not an impressive cigar. Quite heavy on earthiness with very little sweetness. It was billed as having more sweetness than other peppers but it simply does not. I rated the final third 78.




Overall Score: 80

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