Good Fellas Cigars » Kristania

31st Oct2011

Viaje Fifty Fifty Black Label No. 3 (2011)

by GoodFellasCigars

Wrapper: Nicaraguan Corojo

Binder: Nicaraguan

Filler: Nicaraguan

Shape: No. 3

Size: 7 x 47

Country: Nicaragua

Strength: Medium to Full

Price Range: Around $13.00

To start off I will say a little background to what the Viaje Fifty Fifty series is about. It first made it’s debut in 2009 and after that it was meant to be an annual release for Viaje. The thing that sets these cigars apart is that they involve taking two different blends which they then combine into a single cigar. Overall this is a unique concept developed by Andre Farkas and his crew at Viaje. The Fifty Fifty series has always a pair of two when released, one Black, and one Red. The difference is usually the Black Label is to be considered a more full-bodied smoke referring to the body and strength. The Fifty Fifty is usually available in 3 sizes which are:

No. 1: 5 5 /8 x 46
No. 2: 6 x 50
No. 3: 7 x 47

Now lets get to the cigar itself. The Viaje Fifty Fifty Black Label has great construction to it being very smooth with a light amount of dark veins. It also has a baby pigtail to it like the previous years’ Fifty Fifty. It’s slightly heavy in the hand and when pressing upon it it has a pretty firm pack comparable to the stiffness of a very hard cousin with really no give to it kind of making me think this will have a semi hard draw.

The smell to the foot/wrapper has a light, sweet, wood smell.The pre-draw to this cigar has mild tobacco flavor with a draw that takes some effort which I predicted before by the tight feel of the cigar. As for the initial it was a sweet chocolate followed by a mild spice.

The first third of the Black Fifty Fifty had the main profile of a vanilla bean which reminded me of the Kristoff Kristania. A light chocolate mixed with a cedar spice followed the vanilla bean which ended up being great on the palate. The profile on this was starting out great. The draw still is taking a decent amount of effort during the first third which in turn is giving off little smoke from the cigar itself and the draw. The burn here too is slightly jagged and the ash is a dark grey/black mix that is semi flaky. Transitioning into just about the second third there still is that amazing creamy vanilla bean flavor along with a rich chocolate and that really mild spice that compliments the sweetness just right. Also at this point there is a warm earthy tone that’s present after each draw. Lastly nearing the second third the draw begins to loosen up slightly producing more smoke.

You can feel the journey of the Fifty Fifty about to take place once into the second third. The spice here is ever so slowly building up but, the vanilla bean is still center stage at the beginning of the second third being rich and creamy. The draw is loosening up the farther you go and producing more voluminous smoke. The burn still evening and ash still flaky and loose. Once past half way point the cedar type spice becomes now the main attraction with the vanilla bean taking its place. Through the retro haul you get a lot of spice. Also there is faint flavors of nuts and a dark chocolate earth.

The last third is now where you can really see the change that takes place and why the Fifty Fifty is so unique. The draw now has gotten a lot better along with the burn remaining really steady but the ash is still the same. On each draw the smoke is warm and creamy with the wood spice being combined with nuts and a dark chocolate. The finish on each draw had a light sweetness of the vanilla bean still and a faint anise tone as well but, just barely. The finish to this stick had a jagged burn again and flavors of spice mixed with a dark chocolate.

Overall the Viaje Fifty Fifty Black Label had an excellent flavor profile with the downfalls being the jagged burn that produced an ash that was a bit flaky, and a hard draw in the first half of the cigar that didn’t produce much smoke. I say don’t become discouraged by those factors because this stick really did have a great mix of flavors and having it transition around the midpoint was really cool. It’s like starting a whole new cigar so pretty much a buy one get one kind of deal with the Fifty Fifty.

Review on the Viaje Fifty Fifty Red Label No. 2 (2011)

Home » Viaje Fifty Fifty Black Label No. 3 (2011) » Viaje Fifty Fifty Black Label

Viaje 50/50 Black Label close up

Viaje 50/50 Black Label on old wooden stairs

Viaje 50/50 Black Label held up

Viaje 50/50 Black Label smoked

Category : viaje

Tags : 2009, 2011, 3, 50, andre, annual, black, cigars, Farkas, fella, fellas, fifty, full, good, Kristania, Kristoff, label, medium, no., nov, november, number, oct, october, red, review, reviews, viaje

0 Comm

02nd Oct2011

Kristoff Kristania (5.5×60)

by GoodFellasCigars

Wrapper: Nicaraguan Criollo Habano

Binder: Dominican Habano

Filler: Dominican Habano

Shape: Unnamed

Size: 5.5×60

Country: Dominican Republic

Strength: Medium

Welcome back to our 3rd edition of Good Fellas Cigar of the Month. To start lets just say the Kristoff Kristania is unique. Not in a bad way, in a really good way that is why we chose it for this month’s pick. To begin lets start with a little history about this stick, it was first debuted at the 2011 IPCPR trade show in Las Vegas. Kristoff made this stick to help created a new budget cigar that would be a hit and in our minds over here at Good Fellas they did a damn good job! The two unique things we found in this cigar is first the look and then the flavor profile. Right after the bat the wrapper of the Kristania catches your eye for the simple fact it doesn’t look like your standard cigar. It is a standard brown wrapper but, with pretty much black veins all over it, kind of reminded us of Halloween but, more so it looked like a warn piece of leather. The band of this stick also had a pretty cool layout as well besides the fact it sort of blends in with the wrapper. Overall we loved the look of this cigar.

The pack was firm, it had a smell of a sweet and light tobacco, and the pre-light draw was very smooth and with a little sweetness we picked up with nothing else being to noticeable. The other thing we found very unique is the flavor profile of this cigar, it had things you don’t often find in many sticks out there. To start with the initial light flavors which was a spice that tingled the tongue along with a sweet hint that was comparable to a lite cream.

The first third, around only an inch or so into the Kristania it had a spice of roasted cedar which had main stage along with the underlying cream that wasn’t showing it’s true flavor just quite yet. As progressing past an inch or getting close to the second third we noticed the ash is white with a small amount of grey peppered in and it is holding strong with the draw still smooth. The flavors finally begin to really pop here with the spice subduing and a bitterness of a roasted coffee bean or an espresso coming through and along with the cream part we were trying to pin point which at this point were noticing a vanilla bean. Not that much though, it’s comparable to having a dark roast coffee with a small amount of cream in it. Overall at this point a great profile which only seems like it’s going to get better. The smoke produce by the cigar is thick on the draw but, not when resting and also this is the kind of stick which you can let sit a while without going out in you.

Transitioning in to the second third and going through it too the vanilla bean is finally up there more with where one can really notice it. The vanilla takes the main flavor at this point the espresso following close making a nice bitterness right after the sweet you get from the vanilla which is awesome! Then on the finish is just a tad bit of the spice from the beginning that’s still around. The burn at this point is doing alright it is just a little jagged most likely due to the larger ring gauge of this cigar.

Now to the final third of this cigar which becomes more bitter due to that warm coffee flavor and the rich vanilla bean is still there too. Another sweetness that came into play at this part of the cigar too, which was anise. You could taste it after every finish of a draw which went excellent with the bitterness from the coffee. And as for the finish of the Kristania it was a bitterness of anise and the vanilla bean.

We overall here at Good Fellas thought this would be perfect here for our Cigar of the Month due to the fact this was a pretty unique cigar from the look to the taste of it, along with something new and lower price range from Kristoff which isn’t seen too often. So we suggest the Kristoff Kristania to anyone from a beginner to an aficionado.

We would also love to thank MansonPhoto from MansonPhoto.com again for these great pictures!

Home » Kristoff Kristania (5.5×60) » Kristoff Kristania