A Milder Viva La Vida
After fully exploring bold, full-bodied blends, Artesano del Tobacco is now going in the other direction and offering its Viva La Vida line in a lighter, Connecticut-seed wrapper from Ecuador. Viva La Vida Connecticut will be on display at the upcoming PCA trade show and, according to the company, the new cigar was the result of consumer demand.
“Several years ago, we engaged with our loyal customers to discover what they wanted next from our portfolio,” the company says. “A significant number of requests pointed towards a Viva La Vida with a Connecticut wrapper.”
Like all cigars from Artesano del Tobacco, Viva La Vida Connecticut is made in Nicaragua by A.J. Fernandez. Other than the wrapper, all the tobacco inside the new smokes comes from Nicaragua, and the cigars are intended to be mild to medium in body. This is a smaller brand, made in only two sizes (Robusto, measuring 5 inches by 54 ring gauge, and a 6-by-54 Toro) and they’re slated to retail for $14.50 and $15 each, respectively. Both will come packaged in 10-count boxes.
The new blend is a departure for the young company, as it debuted with the medium-to-full-bodied Viva La Vida line in 2019 (the Jester size is the No. 13 cigar of 2024). Afterward, Artesano went even stronger with its more powerful El Pulpo brand, which got impressive accolades as the No. 10 cigar of 2023 shortly after its release.
Billy Fakih of Artesano del Tobacco tells Cigar Aficionado that the new cigars will ship to retailers on April 17, just days after the conclusion of the PCA trade show in New Orleans.
For a rating of the new Viva La Vida Connecticut, see a future issue of Cigar Insider.
