Viva La Vida Torpedo Review: A Good Looking Cigar

There has been a lot of buzz surrounding the release of the Viva la Vida line of boutique cigars from Artesano del Tabaco by A J Fernandez, so this weekend, along with my fellow cigar brothers and sisters from around the world, I sat down and smoked the Viva la Vida torpedo on our weekly Zoom herf.

Straight off the bat, the cigar caught my attention with the harlequin on the colourful red, black and gold band and the Colorado Maduro wrapper that felt like butter in my fingers. As I inhaled the initial aromas, I was transported to my favourite Italian restaurant with a plate fresh-out-of-the-oven bread sticks slathered in fresh parsley and newly grated parmesan. I couldn’t wait to get started! The taste on the cold draw was equally appetising with sweet floral flavours filling my mouth.

Cutting and lighting the cigar were effortless and within moments I was savouring the first flavours. The opening draws were rich and savoury with a tickle of sweet cinnamon at the back of the tongue. I focused on the meaty flavour that grew nicely through the first inch. I pinned it down to the gaminess of a venison burger that had been cooked on a wood-fired barbeque.

As I smoked my way through the first third, the woodiness built up supporting the meaty flavour in a rich combination that made me excited to get into the middle third and see how these flavours changed and evolved. Whilst waiting for the flavour to develop, I took time to admire the perfect smoke rings that I was blowing, until I was rudely distracted by my ash dropping and smashing all over both the table and me. After a clean up I was pleased to see that the cigar was still lit and burning evenly.

Conversation in the herf continued along many varied lines and after a while I noticed that I was well into the second third of the cigar. This had happened without any fanfare and in fact I only realised when I set the cigar down in my ashtray to get another drink having finished my classic Espresso Martini cocktail. Aside from a piney hint of juniper, I tasted little difference in the barbequed venison flavours that had dominated the first third.

The drink I chose for the second half was another of my tried and tested favourites, a caipirinha. It is a delicious mixture of cachaça (a Brazilian liqueur related to rum), lime, sugar and plenty of ice. Maybe this wasn’t the best drink to pair with this cigar, but I wanted something that was going to excite my taste buds, which I have to say the cigar wasn’t exactly doing.

The final third was much the same as the rest of the cigar but with added hints of pepper. The juniper had fallen away to be replaced by cedar notes, but the meatiness was still there and I could just about still taste the gentle floral tones.

Translated from Spanish, Viva la Vida means “live life”, which I try to do as much as possible. Alas, for me at least, this cigar didn’t really do much to enhance my life. Maybe I was distracted from the flavours by the vibrant conversation, but equally, the cigar did little aside from looking good to grab my attention. Maybe this is one cigar that I will have to smoke again at a later date and see if it has aged well.

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Viva la Vida Torpedo Cigar Details