Video review HERE.
(Description taken from Halfwheel.com website)
Viaje has announced that its Hamaki Omakase has returned.
The 2022 version is a 5 x 52 box pressed robusto that is made in Nicaragua, and will come with an MSRP of $11 per cigar and $198 for a box of 18 cigars. The company has not revealed any blend details about the cigar, though this is not surprising as the company has not released details of either of the cigar’s previous releases, due to the meaning of the cigar’s name.
The Viaje Hamaki Omakase debuted in 2017 as part of the company’s White Label Project, and gets its name from the Japanese word for cigar, hamaki, and the term omakase, which is best known as being a dining term that translates as I will leave it to you. Diners use the term when ordering to allow the chef to choose their meal for them. Viaje is adapting this practice to cigars, saying that “as the name suggests, you’re just going to have to trust us.”
In social media posts, the company acknowledged that there has been some “tinkering” which resulted in “this box pressed version to be a tasty twist on the original.” That first release, as well as the second release in 2019, were both 6 x 52 toros, making this the first time the Viaje Hamaki Omakase will be released in the 5 x 52 box pressed robusto vitola. AGANORSA Leaf is once again producing the cigar for Viaje.
This would seemingly indicate why this year’s release wears an Edición Limitada blend, as the company has used it to note when a cigar is using a modified blend, a different wrapper, or has a notably smaller production.
The cigar is very dark and has striking red Japanese lettering on the bands with a white band at the foot, which is closed. It has an average feel in the hand.
The test draw after cutting the cap was good. The initial flavors at light up were a nice citrus/peach, brown sugar, quite a bit of nutmeg, and black coffee. There was black pepper rated at 7 1/2. Pretty nice start.
At the first third (34 minutes) the notes are just like they started. The sweet notes are quite nice but not quite as high as I would like. The black pepper is still very good and at least 7 1/2. The cigar is medium bodied. The finish is a little peach and light black coffee with very good lingering black pepper. The cigar is very tasty. I would like a little more sweetness but it's sufficient. I rated the first third 93.
Moving through the second third (51 minutes) the black coffee rose. The citrus/peach notes are very light, along with the brown sugar. There is still nutmeg and a lot of black coffee. The cigar is medium to full bodied. The finish is unchanged. I rated the second third 90.
The cigar lasted 1 hour 10 minutes. The black coffee continued to rise. The sweeter notes got lighter. The cigar is full bodied. The finish is black coffee with very good lingering black pepper. The cigar got quite dark and the sweetness suffered. I rated the final third 88.
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