Cigar Review: Viaje Platino Chiva

The Viaje Platino Chiva is a small batch release from Andre Farkas featuring all Cuban-seed Nicaraguan tobaccos nestled in a Nicaraguan Corojo 99’ wrapper leaf. It’s no secret that Viaje’s boutique stogies have been getting their fair share of attention lately around the blogosphere, and I had yet to sample this particular blend, so I decided to make it the subject of today’s review.

Before lighting, I noted that the Platino is a very attractive cigar, featuring two slick bands atop a flawless, smooth and oily deep brown Corojo wrapper. Construction appeared to be excellent, with an even fill throughout the length of the cigar, and a solid triple cap applied. Cold notes were scarce, save for a mellow grassy taste. Without further ado, I put the flame to the foot.

The initial flavors of the cigar were full and hearty with notes of leather, cedar, and warm white pepper. The draw was firm, but seemed appropriate, and the burn was off to a nice straight start. The cigar produced a lot of creamy smoke, as well as a sturdy dark-grey ash.

In the 2^nd third, the Platino came across much silkier and balanced, and smooth notes of cream, coffee, and oak appeared. As I burned a little further in, I began to pick up a nutty flavor, and a slight sweetness from the wrapper. This cigar had gotten progressively tastier, and was still burning straight, clean, and cool.

During the final 3^rd, the taste shifted to a full and earthy profile. I was picking up notes of dried fruit, bold tobacco, and just a hint of anise every now and then. This portion of the cigar was surprisingly smooth, and did not have the typical “last third funk” found in many smokes. The flavors stayed pretty consistent, as did the nice even burn, until I finally laid the nub down.

I really enjoyed the subtle taste transitions in this cigar. The Viaje Platino was complex, but not overwhelmingly so, and had great balance to its flavors. The attention to detail that went into crafting this cigar was obvious, as the construction was impeccable from head to foot. Also worth mentioning is the fact that despite the full flavor of the cigar, this was a very “clean” smoke, and left very little aftertaste. This was definitely unlike any Nicaraguan puro I had tasted before.  All in all, I give the Viaje Platino Chiva an A grade. I can definitely appreciate Viaje’s philosophy of “quality over quantity”, if it means more smokes like this.