As part of Viaje Cigar Company’s White Label Project, the company released their first cigar of 2020 known as the Viaje Amuse-Bouche Robusto. It hit shelves at all Viaje retailers in January of this year.
The White Label Project is where Viaje creates experimental blends that may or may not become a production line for the company. Regardless, these blends tend to be highly sought after are are extremely limited. In the case of the Viaje Amuse-Bouche Robusto, the company produced a total of 7,500 cigars (300 bundles of 25).
Viaje Cigar Company explains that the name “Amuse-Bouche” refers to the opening course of a meal, generally a small hors d’oeuvre that is eaten in a single bite. In most cases Amuse–bouches are different from appetizers in that they are not ordered from a menu by patrons but are served free and according to the chef’s selection alone. These are served both to prepare the guest for the meal and to offer a glimpse of the chef’s style. The term is French and literally means “mouth amuser”.
The Viaje Amuse-Bouche Robusto is described as a Nicaraguan puro where all leaf is sourced from Aganorsa Leaf:
- Wrapper – Nicaraguan Habano Claro
- Binder -Nicaraguan
- Filler – Nicaraguan
As noted, the Viaje Amuse-Bouche is expressed in a single (4.5 x 48) robusto vitola and comes packaged in 25-count bundles. MSRP is set at $7.60/cigar.
For this review, I purchased 5 Viaje Amuse-Bouche’s from R & R Cigars in Tuscaloosa, AL. I sampled three of them for this review, and hope to hide the other two deep in my humidor for enjoying after aging.
Pre-Light Examination
The Viaje Amuse=Bouche is a expertly constructed vitola that has a silky smooth medium brown wrapper with minimal veins and a light marbling. The cigar is solid to the touch and is finished with a well applied triple cap.
As with all White Label Project cigars, the Viaje Amuse-Bouche is branded with a single white and black band that simply declares this as a “VIAJE” product.
As I ran the Viaje Amuse-Bouche along the nose, I detected a mild pungent aroma along the barrel and a fruit and spice note off the foot.
Using a double blade Xikar cutter, I sliced the cap straight across the shoulder and proceeded to give it some cold draw puffs that I would say was a tad more open than restricted. As I cold puffed it, there was a peppery spice that hit the tip of my tongue along with a tanginess and hint of earth.
Using my double flame torch, I warmed the foot to an even orange glow, and drew in the first peppery shots of smoke. Follow along as I burn the Viaje Amuse-Bouche to ash.
Cigar Review Notes
- Pepper shot to the palate and nose off first puff
- Citrus tang joins in as the pepper pulls back a notch
- Sweet Cream notes wafts off the foot, filling the air with inviting aroma
- Excellent smoke output
- Light grey ash forms on medium char line with a bit of a wave
- Oak and creamy espresso notes complete the early flavor sensation near the end of the first third
- Char line is straightening out nicely
- Ash fell revealing a decent burn cone
- Cinnamon spice and a hint of cocoa enter as the aroma shifts to a maple syrup
- Spice morphs into a savory note midway
- Natural sweetness rounds out the flavor
- Finishes with increased spice down to the nub
- Medium to Full in Strength
- Total Smoking Time was 1 hour and 35 minute to the nub
Overall, the Viaje Amuse-Bouche was a spectacular cigar that was a a flavor filled sensation with great transitions of balanced flavor and aromas from foot to nub. This is a cigar I vote to be a full production line from Viaje. With just a mild wave in the burn, early on, that eventually corrected itself, this is a cigar I would buy a bundle of. I rate this a solid 95.
Point Deductions: (-1) Mild wave early in burn
Bonus Points: (+1) Buy a Bundle; (+1) Pleasurable Experience across Multiple Samples
