Sibling Rivalry - Viaje Exclusivo Robusto

Origin: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Criollo
Binders: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Size: 4-7/8 X 50
Price: $9.50 (if you can find them!)

I received a package that made me come home for lunch yesterday. It was from a certain man named “Dan” from OH... Inside were these:


Appearance & Construction: The Criollo Wrapper on this cigar is very Dark, Rich, and Oily. Its made with a beautiful Pig Tailed double cap. I noticed some very light and small veins. The cigar was firm to the touch w/ an ever so slight amount of give when you squeeze it. It has been packed very well. The wrapper has a very clean smell to it. I've noticed a couple of tiny dark spots it. The foot has a musky/peaty scent, followed by a slight hint of caramel and cocoa. The as I exhale tobacco is very rich and pepper is present as I exhale.

Prelight – The draw is amazing! I already have a blast of pepper... I taste cinnamon, musk, and the nicotine is literally starting to numb my tongue! Now mind you this is prelight. I also taste cedar and the prelight draw has your boy a little light headed. I also noticed the taste of nutmeg. I've never had my tongue numb on predraw.

1st Third:

I notice notes of cinnamon, a woody flavor probably oak, there is an aftertaste of pepper on the back of my tongue. This cigar has very Cubanesque characteristics! The ash on this one is brown and black. Caramel notes are coming out again, faint leather, as well as the very clean tobacco taste that was present when I initially sniffed the wrapper. The billows of smoke being produced effortlessly is very creamy, has an oily finish to it. A this point the stick is starting to mellow out (no harshness whatsoever) and the pepper is subsiding again. I read all of these reviews about this stick being one-dimensional, but I don't see it. We're still in the first third and I now taste Burnt Caramel, leather, now cedar kicks in and the pepper is more pronounced. Several different nuances going on almost simultaneously! I cant get over the creaminess and smoothness of this strong stick!

2nd Third:

The amount of ligero in this cigar is very evident! That numbing feeling from the prelight draw has given way to a very full bodies smoke. The smoke from this stogie is extremely voluminous. I now taste charcoal on the back of my tongue as well. Who said this cigar was one dimensional?

Last Third:

Caramel and cedar are pronounced right now which makes for an interesting combination in my opinion. The pepper has all but subsided. I've touched it up twice during this smoke, and the burn line is damn near perfect! I had to relight it only once about halfway through. This is one of the smoothest cigars I've smoked in a while. The flavor of salt has appeared (another Cuban quality), the cedar flavor is very evident, and I'm now experiencing that “twang” that I hear a lot of brothers describe. The caramel flavor is beginning to subside at this point.

Nub: Leather is showing back up as well as pepper. This stogie remains very oily and creamy. The smoke is still voluminous, the cedar flavor is in full effect, and the pepper has located itself on the front of my tongue. I feel in my chest a very cedary, woody, faint salty, and very smooth finish.

Andre, you did your thing on this one!