Viva La Vida – Club 500 Limited Edition

Viva La Vida Club 500 Edition Cigar – This is a special edition in homage to the original 500 stores that supported AJ Fernandez when he initially launched his brand. This is an exclusive offer only through brick and mortar storefronts not available through online retailers.

Rolled at the A.J. Fernandez factory in Nicaragua, Viva La Vida is made with only Nicaraguan tobacco and blended with a variety of Nicaraguan leaves including a wrapper grown by Fernandez himself. The A.J. Fernandez name is printed on the outer lid of the black box of Viva La Vida, but not the band.

The cigar oozes with sweet, pruney, funky A.J. pepper flavors. The cold-draw impresses a completely different pepper experience, as the prominent flavor note is that of sweet, ripe, red bell peppers. The first draw features a predominant vegetable note that disappears quickly, leaving something that is more familiar with that signature A.J. pepper. As a few more minutes the pepper is spicy, pungent, and powerful—a tingle that lingers after each draw. The smoke is plentiful and nearing full in the body; it’s very flavorful, with a medium-plus strength. The burn has been flawless thus far, dispelling my concerns about dampness.