Assessment Updates will be posted on this web-site to: 1) Assess “pre-review” cigars that were not given a rating or score (typically pre-release cigars); 2) Provide numeric ratings to cigars previously assessed prior to the implementation of the numeric scoring system; 3) Provide a re-assessment and re-score of previously assessed/score cigars. Today, we provide a numerical score to the Viaje Oro Reserva VOR No. 5.  This was a cigar we assessed back in January, 2011.

Viaje Oro Reserva VOR No. 5

The Viaje Oro Reserva VOR No. 5 made history two years ago this month when it finished as the #2 Cigar of the Year by Cigar Aficionado for 2010 as well as the highest non-Cuban cigar for that year.  That cigar put Andre Farkas’ Viaje Cigars on the map.  Since then, this cigar has been a part of Viaje’s small batch release model and has been followed up with an annual release in 2011 and 2012.  Today, we provide an assessment and score to the 2012 release of the Viaje Oro Reserva VOR No. 5.

Viaje originally started out with two core lines, Oro and Platino.  Last year both the Oro and Platino lines became small batch consistent with all other Viaje releases.   Both blends are Nicaraguan puros with a Nicaraguan Corojo 99 wrapper.  The blends are similar but the Oro is considered an “amp’d up” blend.  Both the Oro and Platino lines have a special “Reserva” blend.  The Reserva blend is similar to the core Oro and Platino, but it contains older leaf and some additional ligero.  Both the Oro and Platino Reserva has been released in both box-press, and in 2011 was released in a special edition double torpedo.

The Viaje Oro Reserva VOR No. 5 remains a 5 1/2 x 52 box-press size.  The difference with the 2012 edition is that it has three bands.  The “Reserva” secondary band becomes a footer band.  The secondary band now says “Oro”.

Viaje Oro Reserva VOR No. 5 2011 (Top), Viaje Oro Reserva VOR No. 5 2012 (Bottom)

The 2012 edition of the Viaje Oro Reserva VOR No. 5 smokes very similar to its predecessors.  It starts out with a shot of pepper (with some salt notes).   The pepper diminishes and is joined by a combination of cocoa, cream, and natural tobacco.  The early phases of the VOR No. 5 have more of a cocoa feel while the latter phases have more of a natural tobacco taste.  Meanwhile the pepper remains present from start to finish.   Like its predecessors, the flavors are medium to full-bodied.  I found the strength amp’d a little down on 2012 VOR No. 5 as I assessed it to be medium.

The draw was excellent.  The burn did have some unevenness – and did yield some flaking and flowering with the ash.

Click here for our original assessment of the Viaje Oro Reserva No. 5 2010 edition.

Assessment: Nice to Have
Score: 89