The Brothers Fakih (Billy and Gus of Artesano Del Tobacco), in collaboration with A.J. Fernandez, unveiled 2 new extensions to their famed Viva La Vida line of cigars at this year’s PCA trade show. These new vitolas are celebrating the 5th anniversary of the blend:
- The Jester Flat Round Belicoso 5.5 X 56
- The Club500 Sabroso 5.25 X 58 Box-pressed
For this new full production release, the team changed the wrapper to a Habano Connecticut Maduro grown in Connecticut, USA. Fillers and binder remain the same.
Artesano Del Tobacco noted:
“ It has been 5 years since we launched The Viva La Vida Cigars and to celebrate it, we asked Abdel Fernandez to help us create a unique blend that celebrates the success of Viva La Vida line, and to do so, Abdel was able to find a beautiful aged dark , oily Habano Connecticut Maduro wrapper that was grown here in the USA, and for that we chose our most famous selling 2 sizes of the Viva La Vida line The Jester Rated 94 by Cigar Aficionado and The Club500. By designing and hand drown the new shapes such as the flat round JESTER Belicoso and the CLUB500 Sabroso, by doing so, we were able to enlighten the flavors of the new Wrapper. Both cigars come in a 10 count cigar boxes.“
The full blend is described as:
- Wrapper: Habano Connecticut Maduro
- Binder: Nicaraguan
- Filler: Nicaraguan
For this review I sampled the Viva La Vida 5th Anniversary Jester Flat Round Belicoso which I received from the company for the purpose of reviewing on Stogie Press.
The cigar is expressed in a (5.5 X 56) Belicoso with a flat head and comes packaged in 10-count boxes with an MSRP set at $19.00/cigar. They are hand crafted at the AJ Fernandez factory in Estelí, Nicaragua.
Pre-Light Examination
The Viva La Vida 5th Anniversary Jester is a beautifully constructed large ring gauge belicoso. It sports a dark reddish-brown wrapper that has some marbling and minimal, barely noticeable, veins. The wrapper has a light toothiness and is more of a matte finish than oily. The cigar is firmly packed and expertly rolled. A well applied flat head cap finishes the construction.
Two bands adorn the cigar. The primary band is the standard Viva La Vida band and the secondary band, placed just below the primary, declares this as the JESTER by Artesano Del Tobacco
Running the 5th Anniversary Jester across the nose, I picked up sweet floral aromas, reminiscent of honey suckle along the barrel while the foot exudes notes of cocoa and nut.
Using my double blade cutter, I sliced the cap straight across the minimum girth of the cigar which opened the cap perfectly. As I gave it some cold draw puffs, I noted the restriction was good while the palate was introduced to notes of peppery spice, light cocoa and nut.
I used my dual flame torch to gently warm the foot to an even orange glow and drew in the first puffs of dry cocoa powder and pepper smoke. I did note that the cut was just a bit too narrow as the smoke volume was not to my liking. Another small slice and voila, the volume opened up and delivered palate filling smoke. Follow along as I burn this Jester to ash.
Cigar Review Notes
- Dry cocoa powder and peppery spice start the journey
- As noted, once cut properly I got a full volume of palate filling smoke
- A solid white ash evolves in top of a medium thick char line
- Lemon rind notes brighten the profile
- Salt and cedar notes increase the pleasure of the early profile
- The early cocoa powder evolves into more of a dark chocolate sensation
- The ash fell in a solid chunk revealing a flat but centered burn cone
- Slight wave in burn
- Toasted honey notes form in the background in the second third
- The profile has been mouth-watering since the first puff
- Peppery spice remerges in the final with ever present dark chocolate
- Requires a nub tool to finish this delight
- Fruit nuances down in the nub
- Medium Strength
- Total Smoking Time was 1 hour and 40 minutes to the nub
Final Analysis
The Viva La Vida 5th Anniversary Jester Flat Round Belicoso journey begins with dry cocoa powder and a dose of peppery spice, setting the stage for an intriguing experience. The profile is brightened by notes of lemon rind, adding a refreshing element to the flavor. Pleasure is further heightened by hints of salt and cedar, enhancing the early stages of enjoyment. The initial cocoa powder evolves into a richer, darker chocolate sensation as the smoke progresses. In the second third, toasted honey notes emerge delicately in the background, adding depth to the flavor profile. From the first puff, the experience has been consistently mouth-watering. In the final stretch, the peppery spice makes a resurgence, complemented by the lingering presence of dark chocolate. Finishing this delightful cigar requires the use of a nub tool, and as the journey comes to a close, fruit nuances gently grace the palate, leaving a satisfying conclusion to the experience. I absolutely loved the honey and lemon rind notes in this gem. This is certainly worth a box buy. I rate this a solid 95.
Point Deductions: (-1) Flat but centered burn cone; (-1) Slight wave in burn
Bonus Points: (+1) Box Buy; (+1) Excellent Balanced Flavor; (+1) Long Ash
