Pre-light Experience

The wrapper is a medium brown with some slightly darker colored veins. There are a couple of medium sized veins and then a series of smaller ones criss-crossing the wrapper. It’s hard to tell the exact number of caps, so I guess that means they are applied very well. The band is fairly large as it takes up about a quarter of the cigar, but it looks quite nice with a map in the background and the name in red up front. The black and silver accents look very nice. The aroma from the wrapper is a faint barnyard while the foot gives a fairly sweet grassy note. The pre-light draw brings some of that same sweet grassy note. There is a fairly significant spicy tingle on my lips and the tip of my tongue.

Pre-light Experience

The Baracoa Voyage has a medium brown Corojo wrapper. The veins are not pressed very well, with one vein running through the extent of the cigar. The seams however are tight and fairly invisible. The head is finished off with only a single cap. The cigar feels well bunched and rolled providing an even and uniformed give. Nosing the wrapper gives barnyard, construction paper and cedar. Nosing the foot provides sweet natural tobacco notes, hay, cedar and white pepper. Cold draw tells tongue numbing white pepper, dry cardboard and cedar.

First Third

Initial draws bring a fairly spicy cedar. A quarter inch in, the spice settles down some. A few draws further in and the cedar transforms into a very light general woodiness along with some cream and mustiness. The retrohale carries the same light woodiness but is accompanied by a medium-full black pepper. At an inch in, some sweetness is present in the mouth and on the retrohale. The black pepper is on the finish in the mouth and sits on my tongue to keep it in my mind that it’s there. A little further in and the creaminess increases to be the primary flavor with some woodiness, mustiness and black pepper in the background. Nearing the end of the third, the woodiness and black pepper increase some to better mix with the cream. There is still a hint of mustiness as well. The strength in this third was a little above medium.

First Third

First thirds profile consists of namely dry red pepper spice and hay. Following these notes, airy bread and medium-light bodied sweet cream. On the retrohale, intense nose stinging dry red pepper spice and cedar. The finish is rather short with lingering notes of faint cedar and airy bread. Body and strength within the first third is a medium.

Second Third

As this third begins, the woodiness and mustiness ramp up while the cream and black pepper are now in the background. A quarter inch in and the same profile is holding, but the retrohale has a little fuller black pepper that keeps a zing going through the nose. A half inch in and the creaminess gets back on the level with the woodiness and mustiness with just the pepper in the background. Three quarters of an inch in and the creaminess falls back again leaving the woodiness and mustiness up front. An inch in and some char comes in to mix with the woodiness but that also drowns out the other flavors that were present. Nearing the end of the third, the char goes away and some minerality comes in to mix with the wood and cream. The mustiness and pepper has pretty much gone away. The retrohale is also woody and has some minerality. The strength in this third is medium-full.

Second Third

The second thirds flavor profile carries forth from the first third but in a more distinctive manner. The sweet cream has moved from a medium-light body to a medium body. The dry red pepper amplifies and is sitting on the rear palate towards the back of the throat. There is still the notes airy bread and hay. A new note of dry cardboard enters the profile, which I find interesting as I typically get this on the cold draw. The retrohale is still a fierce nose stinging dry red pepper spice, followed by cedar. The finish is still short with airy bread, slight cedar and dry red pepper spice. Towards the middle of the second third, the strength creeps to a medium full. The body maintains a medium.

Final Third

As this third begins, the creaminess returns to mix with the woodiness and the minerality leaves and is just present on the retrohale with the wood. Half an inch in and a slight char returns to the woodiness. Three quarters of an inch in, the profile is slightly charred wood and cream. The retrohale is very woody with a slight minerality. As the cigar comes to an end, the char has left and it is just woody and creamy. On the retrohale the minerality has gone away and it is also woody and creamy. The strength in this third was slightly above medium.

Final Third

The last third mimics the second third. Notes of dry red pepper spice, medium bodied sweet cream, airy bread, dry cardboard and hay. Through the nose, the same intense dry red chili and cedar. The finish is still short with airy bread, faint cedar and dry red pepper. Strength and body continues to be medium full and medium, respectively.

Burn

The burn was razor sharp through the first half of the cigar. Getting into the second half of the second third, the cigar went out on me and after relighting, I fought it a couple of times where it seemed like it wanted to go out again and the burn would get off a half inch or so at different points. The ash held on in one inch segments.

Burn

The burn was overall good. The burn line was fairly razor sharp. The ashes held on a bit loose but never flaking off. Average ash marks yielded one inch. The burn time was 110 minutes, which is in line with how long it typically takes me to smoke a robusto.

Draw

The draw was just slightly tighter than I prefer, but nothing that effected the experience.

Overall

The flavors that the cigar presented were pretty good. It took an inch or so before things balanced out, but once they did, the profile was doing well. With some burn issues towards the end of the second third, it put a bit of a damper on the remainder of the cigar, but nothing too extreme. I would probably recommend this cigar to a more experienced smoker due to the strength levels, but still fairly approachable to most. It would be a good mid day cigar and beyond. I could see revisiting this cigar, hoping for better burn performance.

Draw

The draw, although a bit loose, was good. Still allowed me to taste all the flavors without it being a major issue.

Overall

I found The Voyage to be an average, run-of-the-mill cigar. I enjoyed especially the second thirds flavor profile as it was more distinctive in flavors and fuller in body. I find the flavors in general too faint and did not give me the depth of flavors that a typical Corojo wrapped cigar gives. A cigar worth smoking but not high on the purchase list.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

6.20

Cost/Point

$1.61

Scoring System

Jiunn Liu

SCORE

5.00

Cost/Point

$2.00

Scoring System