TX Duo Review - Viaje Oro Koa (2025)

[Çnote]

@Capn_Jackson I know you like Oro!

In the size wars, Viaje doesn't play. Every release last year had a 54-58 rg offering. Only 2 vitola all year were <50, this 48 and a 44 in the HHG band. Coronas under fire.

It's a brillant start of ginger biscuits and burnt nuts. Wanders through honey and golden treacle, but on the sharp side of the street. I can imagine from previous Oros this will bulk up with richness, this is still quite young and still a touch wet. Construction is incredible if a little ashy.

87 today and hope for 92+ i shouldn't smoke another for a long time...

Oro bands are probably the deepest item in the humidor. I hope they don't make any this year, I'd bleed.

Jackson any thoughts here?

[Capn_Jackson]

I’ve had many Viaje Oro, thanks to @Çnote, but only the Oro Robusto and Oro Perfecto. Excellent sticks full of cocoa and sugar and coffee and cinnamon and bits of citrus fruits. Wondering how this one stacks up, and if the difference is mainly in intensity as it’s a different vitola. Maybe things stay spicy for longer, or maybe it’s just got more bite. We’ll see.

To start with, this has more pepper than I remember either other vitola having. Maybe this one is newer, I’m not sure. The Viaje Oro’s I’ve had before were from 2020 and 2021, I think. Maybe some older. Luckily, this pepper fades quickly and I’m getting lots of that cinnamon and baking spice that I remember from the others. Maybe even more. Extremely bright honey, almost too sharp. This seems like a pretty young cigar at this point. Some plum to go with all that, just slightly tannic. 

Second third has washes of espresso roast, caramel crème, and crushed hazelnut. Some cocoa mingles, and I’m in Nutella-ville. Cointreau lightly dribbled on top. Excellent stuff here. Past the midpoint, more leather comes in, slowly at first and then fully present. Not like Kramer, more like Lurch. 

Things from this point on get a little linear.  Not a lot of change in the last act, although I sense some mushroom paste here and there. Still leather explodes on every puff, and still some cocoa vibes but without the hazelnuts. The nub becomes just over-roasted coffee. I’ve enjoyed this one a lot more than this review makes it sound, but it’s just not hitting the spot like the other Oro has. One of my favorite blends, and one of my favorite vitolas. I have no idea of the age, because I’m sure Cody told me about ten seconds before I forgot, but this one seems new-ish. Doesn’t “feel” like it’s had a long time to rest. That’s okay, I can appreciate a cigar at any stage, as long as it shows character. This one did, just not quite the character I was looking for.

88 from me.

[Çnote]

18 hours ago, Capn_Jackson said:

but this one seems new-ish.

Crazy fresh! We'll come back to this in 2030...