Pre-light Experience

Aaron: The wrapper on the rectangle pressed Viso Horny 555 is milk chocolate brown with some darker marbling and there some thick but well pressed veins present. The seams are smooth and the caps have some raised edges to them. The cigar only has a white ribbon at the foot. The aroma from the wrapper is a mix of wood, earth and some cocoa while the foot brings sweet cedar. The pre-light draw is cedar and stale cotton candy along with a mid-level spiciness on my lips.
Seth: The Viso Horny 555 is average in appearance, but terrible in the sense of identifying. If you did not get this out of a box, it would be impossible to know what this cigar is/was in your humidor. No identification. The wrapper was solid maduro, and it had a chocolate coloring. Lovely press to the cigar with medium sized veins throughout. Slight bit of oils present with aromas of earth, spices, tobacco and damp wood.
John: The Viso Horny 555 comes in cellophane and does not have a UPC sticker. The cigar features a silver ribbon foot band and has the artisanal complication of being box-pressed. I weighed the cigar at 13.8 grams and measured the humidity at 64.6% using the CigarMedics HumidiMeter Pro. For aromas from the wrapper, I could pick out rich, sweet tobacco, faint barnyard and old wood. From the foot, I was getting sweet raisin and tobacco.
Jiunn: The Viso Horny 555 has a maduro wrapper shade. The wrapper feels hearty and has a nice layering of oils. Veins are well pressed, seams tight, bunch and roll even and the head is well wrapped and capped. Pre-light aromas consist of barnyard musk and cedar.

Viso Horny 555

First Third

Aaron: The cigar begins with toasted cedar, earth, baking spice and cocoa powder. The retrohale is toasted cedar, earth and lightly zingy black pepper. At three quarters of an inch in, the baking spice transitions to black pepper. At an inch and a quarter, the black pepper increases a bit. As the third comes to a close, the toasted cedar is a bit ahead of the earth, with the black pepper not much further back and then some cocoa powder in the back half of the profile. The strength was slightly above medium.
Seth: The first third begins with dark cocoa powder notes that have some bitter and sweet qualities. Touches of licorice are present as well with earth, wood and barnyard qualities. There are some herbal and cream notes as well with a finish of spices. Minerals and pepper. The cigar is medium to medium-full in strength and body.
John: The cigar opens with malty sweet tobacco, supported by earth and minerality in the center. Sweet tobacco and earth combine on the finish. I find the retrohale brings creamy tobacco with medium-strength pepper and spices, followed by a touch of mild astringency on the finish. A few puffs later, mild chocolate enters the center of the retrohale. As the first third progresses, medium-minus earth defines the post draw. Near the halfway point, tobacco sweetness intensifies to medium strength, gradually overpowering the earth on the finish.
Jiunn: The first third leans on wood, spice and minerals. Cedar wood, minerals, dried red pepper spice, leather and a hint of barnyard mustiness. Retrohaling gives a big shot of dried red pepper spice as well as further accentuates cedar wood. The finish is drying on the palate with lingering cedar. Strength is medium-full and body is medium.

Viso Horny 555

Second Third

Aaron: As the second third begins, the earth becomes even with the toasted cedar up front. At a quarter inch in, the cocoa powder departs. At three quarters of an inch in, the black pepper mellows a fair amount. The retrohale is now toasted cedar and earth with mellow black pepper. As the third comes to a close, the toasted cedar and earth are even up front, with the black pepper in the back half of the profile. The strength bumped down to medium.
Seth: The second third continues to deliver those dark cocoa notes with earth, wood, licorice and barnyard notes. Herbal cream qualities are present, and the finish is of pepper spices and stronger mineral notes. Medium to medium-full in strength and body.
John: The second third opens with creamy earth and minerality, finishing with lingering sweet earth. Medium-strength earth continues to define the post draw. As the third develops, sweet tobacco and earth lead off the draw, with earth and minerality shaping the center, and earth continuing to dominate the post draw.
Jiunn: The second third’s flavor profile changes to a better balanced formula. All the same flavors exist but they taste more in unison with each other instead of the first third where cedar wood and dried red pepper spice dominate the profile. Retrohale however is unchanged, providing the same good pop of spice and cedar wood. Strength and body continues to be medium-full and medium, respectively.

Viso Horny 555

Final Third

Aaron: As the final third begins, it continues with the toasted cedar and earth even up front and the black pepper in the back half. The retrohale remains toasted cedar and earth with mellow black pepper. At an inch in, the toast level increases a bit. As the cigar wraps up, the toasted cedar and earth are even up front, with black pepper in the back half of the profile. The strength remained at medium.
Seth: The final third shows dark cocoa, wood, earth and barnyard notes. Lots of licorice and pepper spice notes are present, along with mineral qualities. Medium to medium-full in strength and body.
John: The final third begins with creamy tobacco and earth, with earth driving most of the flavor and lingering through the finish. The retrohale reveals a combination of malty tobacco sweetness and earth. By the halfway point of the last third, medium-full earth takes over the profile.
Jiunn: The final third is unchanged from the second third. Still a balanced approach of the same cedar wood, minerals, dried red pepper spice, leather and a hint of barnyard mustiness. Retrohale continues to be the star because the flavors are full and tasty. Strength and body finishes the same medium-full and medium, respectively.

Viso Horny 555

Burn

Aaron: The burn was straight throughout and the ash held on in inch and a half increments. The pink ash was pretty unique.
Seth: The burn was good from start to finish.
John: The burn was wavy during the first and second thirds and uneven in the final third, but no touch-ups or re-lights were required throughout the smoking experience.
Jiunn: Flawless burn performance, giving an even burn, tight ashes and cool burning temperature.

Viso Horny 555

Draw

Aaron: The draw was perfect, with just the right amount of resistance that I prefer.
Seth: The draw was a little snug for me.
John: I measured the draw at 49 inches of water using the CigarMedics draw machine. Subjectively, the draw was 2 to 2½ notches toward the resistant side, providing a slightly firm but acceptable draw.
Jiunn: Slightly tight but wasn’t a major hindrance to the smoking experience.

Overall

Aaron: The cigar began with toasted cedar, earth, baking spice and cocoa powder. Later, the baking spice transitioned to black pepper and then it increased a bit later. The second third saw the earth become even with the toasted cedar up front. The cocoa powder departed and the black pepper mellowed a fair amount. The final third saw the toast level increase a bit. Construction was absolutely perfect. The Viso Horny 555 had a nice start with a good combination of flavors. It took a step down in the second third as the cocoa departed and remained that way for the duration of the cigar. Overall, a pretty average offering as I was hoping the cocoa powder could have stuck around longer. The price point is fairly high, which is understandable due to the low volume of production, but I just don’t see myself really coming back to this cigar.
Seth: The Viso Horny 555 was a lacking cigar. One dimension from beginning to end, and the flavor profile itself was not overly enjoyable. It was not bad, but it lacked some basic concepts to make the cigar enjoyable. I felt the draw was too constricted and that impacted the flavors. There was a sharpness with the draw that made for a sharp mineral spice at times. There were sweetness and earth aspects that wanted to be more pronounced but never took off. The overall construction was not bad, but that could not save the cigar. The presentation was terrible. Hard to identify this cigar.
John: The Viso Horny 555 delivers a sweet and earthy experience with a profile that leans on malted tobacco, minerality and steadily intensifying earth. The first third stands out with layers of sweet tobacco, creamy retrohale notes and a pleasant chocolate accent. However, the second and final thirds transition into a more earth-dominant performance, reducing the overall complexity. Despite waviness in the burn, no touch-ups were needed, and the draw had some resistance to it. A solidly constructed cigar with flashes of character, but one that ultimately settles into familiar territory by its conclusion. Total smoking time was 1 hour and 45 minutes on the nose.
Jiunn: The Viso Horny 555 has a strong backbone of rustic flavors, which is a good baseline of a broadleaf. However, what it lacked was texture and body as well as flavors to round out the overly rustic nature (such as sweetness and creaminess). It’s a decent introduction to the brand and I’m looking forward to seeing what else comes from it. But as for the 555, it’s a miss for me.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

6.10

Cost/Point

$2.46

Scoring System

Seth Geise

SCORE

5.10

Cost/Point

$2.94

Scoring System

John McTavish

SCORE

5.80

Cost/Point

$2.59

Scoring System

Jiunn Liu

SCORE

5.60

Cost/Point

$2.68

Scoring System

Team Cigar Review: Viso Horny 555