Brothers Billy and Gus Fakih team from Artesano Del Tobacco have been growing their small cigar brand for close to a year now, along with the help of AJ Fernandez, who collaborated with them on the company’s sole and successful offering – Viva La Vida (Live the Life). The blend intrigued AJ so much, that he forged an agreement with Billy and Gus to take on distribution of the brand which hit the market in March 2019. Since then, the company has grown the brand to include six vitolas; Toro, Torpedo, Gran Toro, Daidemas Finas, Robusto, and today’s review – The Jester.
The Viva La Vida Jester was widely released in October of 2019 and is expressed in a 5 x 56 vitola. It comes packaged in a paper 5-pack and are not offered in boxes. Each pack has an MSRP of $58.00 or $11.60/cigar. I received a pack of Jester’s from the company late last year and have smoked through three of them prior to this review.
Like the others in the Viva La Vida lineup, the Jester is a Nicaraguan puro that utilizes a wrapper grown by and on AJ Fernandez’ farms.
I recently did a video review of the Viva La Vida Jester which you can view here:
Pre-Light Examination
The Viva La Vida Jester is as stunningly beautiful as the company’s inaugural toro, with its oily and dark brown wrapper that has a light tooth and is finished with a well applied cap. There is a slight red tinge to the wrapper. The Jester is tightly packed and superbly solid from head to foot.
The standard Viva La Vida band is presented on the cigar as the primary with its vibrant and artistic artwork. It also has a secondary band just underneath that declares this one as the “JESTER”.
The pre-light aromas on this one had a mildly pungent note along the barrel with an interesting touch of smoked wood notes. The foot exuded a pleasant cocoa aroma.
Once the cap was removed, with a straight cut across the shoulder, I gave the Jester a few cold draw puffs that were spot on with restriction while offering a savory sensation on the palate.
Once ignited, the first puffs delivered a medium pepper strike to the nose and a full volume of smoke right from the first puff.
Cigar Review Notes
- Full volume of smoke right from first puff
- Medium pepper hit to the nose
- White ash develops on a medium char line
- Savory notes enter
- Cedar notes fill in the profile with continued savoriness
- Slight wave in the burn
- Sweet Floral aroma
- Ash fell in nice chunk with decent burn cone
- Buttery notes
- Savory continues as core note
- Touch of citrus on the finish
- Medium strength
- Increase of citrus notes
- Touch of bitterness in final third
- Nut nuance played with the palate
- Dry fruit nuance near the end
- Strength move to medium full
- Total Smoking Time was 1 hour and 40 minutes
Overall, the Artesano Del Tobacco Viva La Vida Jester took me a pleasant journey with a solid core of savory sensations along with nuances of citrus, nut, sweetness, floral, cedar, and butter. The strength was pretty much medium until the final where it ratcheted up to medium full. This is certainly a cigar you want to enjoy in the evening after a nice steak dinner. There was a slight wave in the burn that never needed a touch-up, yet seemed to stay through the burn and there was a touch of bitterness in the final. Pick up five pack of these, if you get a chance, and enjoy the Jester. I rate this a 93.
Point Deductions: (-1) Slight Wave In Burn; (-1) Touch of Bitterness in Final Third
Bonus Point: (+1) Consistent in Multiple Samples
