Pre-light Experience

The wrapper on the Black Label Trading Company Last Rites Viaticum is a uniform dark brown and has a couple of slightly raised veins present as it wraps around the soft rectangle press. The seams are fairly easily to see as they are slightly raised as well. The head is finished off with a quadruple cap that has the two top caps lifting a bit. There are two bands which are the same design as the original Last Rites, this iteration just has a green tint to the artwork and lettering instead of being white. The aroma from the wrapper is damp wood and blueberry sweetness while the foot brings wood, tobacco sweetness and more blueberry sweetness. The pre-light draw is really just cedar, but there is a fair amount of spice tingling my lips.

Pre-light Experience

The Black Label Trading Company Last Rites Viaticum is intensely pressed and finished with a solid cap. There are small veins present throughout and the cigar is silky in texture with a slight gritty texture. There is an aroma of dark earth, black pepper, cocoa powder, leather and wood.

Pre-light Experience

The Black Label Trading Company Last Rites Viaticum has a firm box press, with a very dark wrapper. The cigar has a primary band along with a foot band in a metallic green on black color scheme. The primary band has a skull and cross, the foot band indicates ‘Last Rites’. I’m able to pick up aromas of sweet earth, coffee and cocoa from the wrapper. In the foot, I detect sweet, fermented tobacco.

First Third

The cigar begins with wood, dark earth, baking spice and light mustiness. At a half inch, the wood has the lead and has some good depth as the dark earth and baking spice are slightly behind and the mustiness has picked up some but is still in the background. At an inch in, the dark earth and baking spice are really mellow as the mustiness increases and pairs up with the wood. The retrohale has the wood and mustiness paired up but has some baking spice poking through. As the third comes to a close, the profile has maintained itself with musty wood up front and baking spice and dark earth slightly behind. The strength in this third was slightly above medium.

First Third

The first third opens up by delivering dark wood and espresso notes. It is quite powerful and it has some dry earth and black pepper on the finish. I would classify the cigar as being full in strength, body and flavors, and it lives up to Black Label profiles.

First Third

Creamy cedar to open the first third with strong pepper at the back of my throat to finish. Delayed lingering cedar joins the post draw. Medium-full baking spices and pepper through the retrohale. Intense sweetness cuts the pepper by the 20 minute mark. At the 25 minute mark, flavors are starting to harmonize with the strength falling to medium. Mid palate cedar joins the profile, with powdered cocoa on the retrohale. Minutes later, post draw earthiness is added.

Second Third

As the second third begins, the mustiness now has a slight lead in the profile while the other components remain the same. There is also an underlying sweetness that has become present. At a half inch in, a slight sourness joins the profile. At an inch in, the musty wood and dark earth are at equal levels with some slight sourness. The baking spice has left the profile. The retrohale is a mirror image except without the sour note. As the third comes to a close, the sour note has left while the mustiness has a slight lead over the wood and dark earth again. The strength in this third dropped down to medium.

Second Third

The second third is fairly identical to the first. There is not a lot of transitioning, but it has a solid profile that is consistent. Dark espresso notes, black pepper, dry wood and dry dark earth. Like before, full in body, strength and flavors.

Second Third

Creamy molasses sweetness as the cigar moves in the second third. Sharp baking spices finish each draw. The profile settles into the above flavor combinations, with some added cocoa.

Final Third

The final third is maintaining the profile with the mustiness in the lead. At a quarter inch in, some char joins the wood. At three quarters of an inch in, the mustiness and wood are even as the earth and char have left. The retrohale has the mustiness up front with the wood in the background. As the cigar comes to a close, it begins to warm up which brings some mintiness to the profile of musty wood. The strength in this third bumped back up to slightly above medium.

Final Third

The final third is right in line with the first and second third and delivering that profile of dry wood and earth, black pepper and espresso beans. There is a hint of dark cocoa powder on the finish and it is full in strength, body and flavors.

Final Third

Sweet cedar and baking spices as the Last Rites Viaticum moves into the last third. The profile doesn’t move beyond the initial flavor combinations for the remainder of the third.

Burn

The burn was slight wavy at times and straight at others but never needed any attention. The ash held on in inch and a quarter increments.

Burn

The burn on Last Rites Viaticum was great from start to finish. There was a point in the second third where it got slightly wavy, but the first and final third smoked great. The ash had this light gray color and it really popped off the dark wrapper.

Burn

The burn is uneven to start, resulting in a canoe and a touch-up. The uneven burn persists resulting in a second touch-up. The cigar goes out at the halfway mark requiring a re-light. The cigar goes out in the last third requiring a second re-light. I was surprised that there were so many issues with the burn, given the open draw and fast smoking time.

Draw

The draw was fairly loose and I had to temper my draws a bit to not heat up the cigar too much.

Overall

The cigar began with wood, mustiness, dark earth and baking spice. As it progressed, the wood and mustiness took the lead with the other flavors moving to the background. A slight sourness joined for most of the second third and the cigar finished with mostly musty wood. I really enjoyed the first inch of the Black Label Trading Company Last Rites Viaticum but then things dropped down a level the rest of the way. I was really hoping for the introduction to last longer than it did. I’d have no problem smoking this again, but the price point puts a bit of a damper on that. Fans of the brand or those that like darker and fuller strength profiles will find something they like here.

Draw

Draw was fantastic from start to finish. Nice bit of resistance with thick smoke on each draw.

Overall

If you are looking for a cigar that is full in body and strength, and has those dark and pronounced flavors to pair, the Black Label Trading Company Last Rites Viaticum is your cigar. I am going to be honest, this is not a cigar I gravitate to as a smoke, but it smoked well. There was balance with the strength, body and flavors and the wood, pepper and dry earth notes really went well with the cigar. I thought the finish, showing cocoa powder notes was great, and I wish that was present from start to finish. Additional flavors and complexities would have taken this cigar to a higher level, but in the end, a solid cigar that smoked great in terms of burn and draw.

Draw

The draw is 1/2 to 1 notch towards the open spectrum which is where a box pressed cigar should be.

Overall

I enjoyed the Black Label Trading Company Last Rites Viaticum smoking experience. Although the complexity of the various flavors didn’t reach levels that I’ve found with other Black Label Trading Company cigars, they were still good. I did have burn issues throughout the experience, and it’s difficult to know whether that had any negative impact on the profile. Total smoking time was a brisk 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

5.70

Cost/Point

$2.63

Scoring System

Seth Geise

SCORE

5.65

Cost/Point

$2.65

Scoring System

John McTavish

SCORE

6.52

Cost/Point

$2.30

Scoring System

Team Cigar Review: Black Label Trading Company Last Rites Viaticum