mow virtue

adros

I have an order of these coming. Never tried them, was wondering how they were.

SmokySuit

Glorious; their one of my favorite medium strength sticks. What size did you order?

Ken_Light

Very very good. Stronger than they taste and look though.

zeebra

One of my fav smokes!

drpepperdude

*Wades into the pit of hell with his "A.J. Fernandez Fan Boy Defense Mk. II" body armor*

Now, after having donned adequate protection for the flames to follow, let me tell you that the MoW Virtue is a horribly mismatched stick. This is not to say it's not good, but that there are far better connecticut sticks out there that give you what this stick purports to do and they do it much better albeit for a slightly higher price point.

The Virtue has the same filler and binder used in the other MoW lines which are meant to be for a fuller-bodied and robust flavor you get from stronger wrappers. There is nothing noteworthy in the creaminess department, or the usual cedar and woodsy flavors you typically go for in a connecticut.
Aside from the initial burst of pepper at the front of the stick, it's a fair-to-middlin' experience and you will find that you probably enjoy the creamy flavor and medium body of a Rocky Patel Vintage 99 or the white peppery smoothness of an Oliva conn Reserve. If you prefer body and complexity in your connecticut, A.J.'s brick and mortar endeavor San Lotano Connecticut easily one-ups his Virtue stick. If price is your motive for trying the Virtue, than 5 Vegas Gold is a better alternative though not as good as the others in my opinion.

Again, it's not a BAD stick. It just suffers from multiple personality disorder since it's insides don't agree with what the outside is trying to do.

ctschirgi

drpepperdude:

*Wades into the pit of hell with his "A.J. Fernandez Fan Boy Defense Mk. II" body armor*

Now, after having donned adequate protection for the flames to follow, let me tell you that the MoW Virtue is a horribly mismatched stick. This is not to say it's not good, but that there are far better connecticut sticks out there that give you what this stick purports to do and they do it much better albeit for a slightly higher price point.

The Virtue has the same filler and binder used in the other MoW lines which are meant to be for a fuller-bodied and robust flavor you get from stronger wrappers. There is nothing noteworthy in the creaminess department, or the usual cedar and woodsy flavors you typically go for in a connecticut.
Aside from the initial burst of pepper at the front of the stick, it's a fair-to-middlin' experience and you will find that you probably enjoy the creamy flavor and medium body of a Rocky Patel Vintage 99 or the white peppery smoothness of an Oliva conn Reserve. If you prefer body and complexity in your connecticut, A.J.'s brick and mortar endeavor San Lotano Connecticut easily one-ups his Virtue stick. If price is your motive for trying the Virtue, than 5 Vegas Gold is a better alternative though not as good as the others in my opinion.

Again, it's not a BAD stick. It just suffers from multiple personality disorder since it's insides don't agree with what the outside is trying to do.

+1 though most folks here wouldn't agree

stephen_hannibal

ctschirgi:

drpepperdude:

*Wades into the pit of hell with his "A.J. Fernandez Fan Boy Defense Mk. II" body armor*

Now, after having donned adequate protection for the flames to follow, let me tell you that the MoW Virtue is a horribly mismatched stick. This is not to say it's not good, but that there are far better connecticut sticks out there that give you what this stick purports to do and they do it much better albeit for a slightly higher price point.

The Virtue has the same filler and binder used in the other MoW lines which are meant to be for a fuller-bodied and robust flavor you get from stronger wrappers. There is nothing noteworthy in the creaminess department, or the usual cedar and woodsy flavors you typically go for in a connecticut.
Aside from the initial burst of pepper at the front of the stick, it's a fair-to-middlin' experience and you will find that you probably enjoy the creamy flavor and medium body of a Rocky Patel Vintage 99 or the white peppery smoothness of an Oliva conn Reserve. If you prefer body and complexity in your connecticut, A.J.'s brick and mortar endeavor San Lotano Connecticut easily one-ups his Virtue stick. If price is your motive for trying the Virtue, than 5 Vegas Gold is a better alternative though not as good as the others in my opinion.

Again, it's not a BAD stick. It just suffers from multiple personality disorder since it's insides don't agree with what the outside is trying to do.

+1 though most folks here wouldn't agree

Honestly I'm right there with you guys not bad and I tried hard to like it, but ti's not nearly my speed.

ndhaon91

drpepperdude:

*Wades into the pit of hell with his "A.J. Fernandez Fan Boy Defense Mk. II" body armor*

Now, after having donned adequate protection for the flames to follow, let me tell you that the MoW Virtue is a horribly mismatched stick. This is not to say it's not good, but that there are far better connecticut sticks out there that give you what this stick purports to do and they do it much better albeit for a slightly higher price point.

The Virtue has the same filler and binder used in the other MoW lines which are meant to be for a fuller-bodied and robust flavor you get from stronger wrappers. There is nothing noteworthy in the creaminess department, or the usual cedar and woodsy flavors you typically go for in a connecticut.

Aside from the initial burst of pepper at the front of the stick, it's a fair-to-middlin' experience and you will find that you probably enjoy the creamy flavor and medium body of a Rocky Patel Vintage 99 or the white peppery smoothness of an Oliva conn Reserve. If you prefer body and complexity in your connecticut, A.J.'s brick and mortar endeavor San Lotano Connecticut easily one-ups his Virtue stick.
If price is your motive for trying the Virtue, than 5 Vegas Gold is a better alternative though not as good as the others in my opinion.

Again, it's not a BAD stick. It just suffers from multiple personality disorder since it's insides don't agree with what the outside is trying to do.

Couldn't agree more. This stick just falls into no-man's-land for me. As far as Connie's go, there are much better options. As far as medium body sticks, there are options with much more complexity (coming from using a wrapper that pairs better with a medium bodied blend).

gaberox

drpepperdude:

*Wades into the pit of hell with his "A.J. Fernandez Fan Boy Defense Mk. II" body armor*

Now, after having donned adequate protection for the flames to follow, let me tell you that the MoW Virtue is a horribly mismatched stick. This is not to say it's not good, but that there are far better connecticut sticks out there that give you what this stick purports to do and they do it much better albeit for a slightly higher price point.

The Virtue has the same filler and binder used in the other MoW lines which are meant to be for a fuller-bodied and robust flavor you get from stronger wrappers. There is nothing noteworthy in the creaminess department, or the usual cedar and woodsy flavors you typically go for in a connecticut.

Aside from the initial burst of pepper at the front of the stick, it's a fair-to-middlin' experience and you will find that you probably enjoy the creamy flavor and medium body of a Rocky Patel Vintage 99 or the white peppery smoothness of an Oliva conn Reserve. If you prefer body and complexity in your connecticut, A.J.'s brick and mortar endeavor San Lotano Connecticut easily one-ups his Virtue stick.
If price is your motive for trying the Virtue, than 5 Vegas Gold is a better alternative though not as good as the others in my opinion.

Again, it's not a BAD stick. It just suffers from multiple personality disorder since it's insides don't agree with what the outside is trying to do.

Id have to disagree, I get plenty of sweet cedar from the wrapper. I also enjoy the contrast of the mild wrapper against the stronger filler. Kinda like the 601 black but much more sweetness way less power and strength. Just my taste though.

adros

Drpepper you put a lot of time and thought into your comments and I really appreciate it. I will certainly post what I think about them. I have some 5 Vegas golds I received this week with a horribly bad first experience. So they are just gonna rest for a while. Tha nks again for all the input.

Russ55

I'm fairly certain the Virtue is not just a Connecticut wrapped MoW. It's its own blend. They all are, except for the SE. I don't really care for it either though. It isn't what I look for in a Connecticut, and I haven't had one yet that I've really enjoyed. Lot's of plugs, improperly bunched sticks, and just mediocre experiences so far with it. I have a couple that are from the pre-release still aging that I need to try again. If after I try those, and they disappoint, I will completely write it off. Some people do like them, so try it, hopefully with an open mind, and see what you think.

dennisking

I'm with the haters on this stick. I've smoked it 3 times and I just can't get in to it. It's bitter, then it's mellow, then it's medium body, then there's no flavor. It's random and not good. I love AJ's stuff but it seems like the guy knows how to make medium and full flavor sticks but his mild/medium stuff is meh.

fla-gypsy

It is my least favorite MOW but still OK in the morning

bigharpoon

I had one of these today in the mini-salomon size and it was dee-lish! Absolutely no construction problems at all. Razor sharp burn the whole way, 2" ashes, billows of smoke and completely hassle free smoking.

The body is definitely mild-medium and I thought it was plenty tasty. Not bitter at all even for one puff. I didn't go into it expecting a Ruination experience so maybe that perspective helped me enjoy it but I thought there was cedar and cream to spare and subtle spice here and there. Not super dynamic but not boring by any stretch.

It was every bit as good as I remember them being. I haven't had any of the coronas yet, perhaps the larger ring gauges work well for this particular stick. I'm thrilled to have four more of these sitting in my humi!

The3Stogies

Very good. One of my favorite milds.

sdloco30

bigharpoon:

I had one of these today in the mini-salomon size and it was dee-lish! Absolutely no construction problems at all. Razor sharp burn the whole way, 2" ashes, billows of smoke and completely hassle free smoking.

The body is definitely mild-medium and I thought it was plenty tasty. Not bitter at all even for one puff. I didn't go into it expecting a Ruination experience so maybe that perspective helped me enjoy it but I thought there was cedar and cream to spare and subtle spice here and there. Not super dynamic but not boring by any stretch.

It was every bit as good as I remember them being. I haven't had any of the coronas yet, perhaps the larger ring gauges work well for this particular stick. I'm thrilled to have four more of these sitting in my humi!

I agree completely. I love this stick in the mornings or as a pre-dinner smoke. Prefer the full bodied ones in the PM. I've also only smoked the larger gauges, so that may have something to do with it.

Dynaguy

I am a big MOW fan, except for these. This is a Man Of War if the man is wearing a TuTu. Very little going here. The 601 Black is how to do a Conn. cigar for those who like a full bodied cigar, but would like a little change of pace. Not hatin' just sayin'. In most other regards, I am a big AJ fan.

Heavy

I had my first ever MOW Virtue last night - I had a corona from the AJ corona sampler from a couple of months ago. It looks like people either love or hate this stick with not a lot of in between. Put me in the LOVE IT group. I took what people call unbalanced as a nice meaty addition to an otherwise mild yet flavorful connie. I got everything from meaty/nutty and toasty nuances to hints of sweet-spicy coco. (Reading the unbalanced comments I was expecting an experience similar to what I got from a Chateau Real - a connie that was overwhelmed with nothing but spice.)

I should say I usually like my smokes on either side of medium so that may be why this is right in my wheelhouse. I'm going to have a hard time holding on to my last remaining corona. I have a couple of toros resting since last fall that I'm looking forward to sparking this summer and see how they translate in a larger vitola.

If anyone has some of these coronas left over that they would be interested in trading, please let me know. I'd be glad to work something out and take them off your hands.

RCY_Cigars

Heavy:

I had my first ever MOW Virtue last night - I had a corona from the AJ corona sampler from a couple of months ago. It looks like people either love or hate this stick with not a lot of in between. Put me in the LOVE IT group. I took what people call unbalanced as a nice meaty addition to an otherwise mild yet flavorful connie. I got everything from meaty/nutty and toasty nuances to hints of sweet-spicy coco. (Reading the unbalanced comments I was expecting an experience similar to what I got from a Chateau Real - a connie that was overwhelmed with nothing but spice.)

I should say I usually like my smokes on either side of medium so that may be why this is right in my wheelhouse. I'm going to have a hard time holding on to my last remaining corona. I have a couple of toros resting since last fall that I'm looking forward to sparking this summer and see how they translate in a larger vitola.

If anyone has some of these coronas left over that they would be interested in trading, please let me know. I'd be glad to work something out and take them off your hands.

+1

I found myself liking the corona size also. Got two of the AJ Sampler and their both gone. Maybe that's what the problem may be Heavy. The different vitola. It may have balanced out better in this size. Just a thought.

kuzi16

drpepperdude:

The Virtue has the same filler and binder used in the other MoW lines which are meant to be for a fuller-bodied and robust flavor you get from stronger wrappers.

not true.
some of the tobacco may be the same but it was reblended to support the wrapper. there is less ligero and more seco to keep the filler from over powering the wrapper. it is still nicaraguan tobacco

drpepperdude:

There is nothing noteworthy in the creaminess department, or the usual cedar and woodsy flavors you typically go for in a connecticut.
Aside from the initial burst of pepper at the front of the stick, it's a fair-to-middlin' experience and you will find that you probably enjoy the creamy flavor and medium body of a Rocky Patel Vintage 99 or the white peppery smoothness of an Oliva conn Reserve. If you prefer body and complexity in your connecticut, A.J.'s brick and mortar endeavor San Lotano Connecticut easily one-ups his Virtue stick. If price is your motive for trying the Virtue, than 5 Vegas Gold is a better alternative though not as good as the others in my opinion.

Again, it's not a BAD stick. It just suffers from multiple personality disorder since it's insides don't agree with what the outside is trying to do.

i think what makes this cigar a difficult blend is that it had to still "feel like a Man o' War"

adding an ecuadorian grown connecticut wrapper with 8 years of age on it to the regular blend of MoW wont show the wrapper at all. the challenge is blending down the power to make mild/medium cigar that both feels like a MoW and also doesnt over power the wrapper... thats a difficult task.

it is the weakest in the lineup that is MoW, but given what it was trying to accomplish, i can understand why.

Heavy

RCY Cigars:

Heavy:

I had my first ever MOW Virtue last night - I had a corona from the AJ corona sampler from a couple of months ago. It looks like people either love or hate this stick with not a lot of in between. Put me in the LOVE IT group. I took what people call unbalanced as a nice meaty addition to an otherwise mild yet flavorful connie. I got everything from meaty/nutty and toasty nuances to hints of sweet-spicy coco. (Reading the unbalanced comments I was expecting an experience similar to what I got from a Chateau Real - a connie that was overwhelmed with nothing but spice.)

I should say I usually like my smokes on either side of medium so that may be why this is right in my wheelhouse. I'm going to have a hard time holding on to my last remaining corona. I have a couple of toros resting since last fall that I'm looking forward to sparking this summer and see how they translate in a larger vitola.

If anyone has some of these coronas left over that they would be interested in trading, please let me know. I'd be glad to work something out and take them off your hands.

+1

I found myself liking the corona size also. Got two of the AJ Sampler and their both gone. Maybe that's what the problem may be Heavy. The different vitola. It may have balanced out better in this size. Just a thought.

Yeah, maybe so. I'm interested to compare to the toro. But I definitely want to seek out more of the coronas

timb

Gents, always love your reviews!  Just to clarify, Man O War Virtue is a completely different blend than the other Man O War.  I enjoy them most during the day with coffee or tea.  If I have at night, I'll pair with a dark beer like Victory Storm King or Murphy's Irish Stout.

I find the secret to Connecticut blends is timing and pairing.  Try on a fresh palate earlier in the day and I think you'll be surprised how good these can taste!

ENFIDL

timb:

Gents, always love your reviews!  Just to clarify, Man O War Virtue is a completely different blend than the other Man O War.  I enjoy them most during the day with coffee or tea.  If I have at night, I'll pair with a dark beer like Victory Storm King or Murphy's Irish Stout.

I find the secret to Connecticut blends is timing and pairing.  Try on a fresh palate earlier in the day and I think you'll be surprised how good these can taste!

And so it shall be, The Beard has spoken!

ShotgunJohn

timb:

Gents, always love your reviews!  Just to clarify, Man O War Virtue is a completely different blend than the other Man O War.  I enjoy them most during the day with coffee or tea.  If I have at night, I'll pair with a dark beer like Victory Storm King or Murphy's Irish Stout.

I find the secret to Connecticut blends is timing and pairing.  Try on a fresh palate earlier in the day and I think you'll be surprised how good these can taste!

All Hail "The Beard"

Heavy

timb:

Gents, always love your reviews!  Just to clarify, Man O War Virtue is a completely different blend than the other Man O War.  I enjoy them most during the day with coffee or tea.  If I have at night, I'll pair with a dark beer like Victory Storm King or Murphy's Irish Stout.

I find the secret to Connecticut blends is timing and pairing.  Try on a fresh palate earlier in the day and I think you'll be surprised how good these can taste!

Hail, hail the beard! Now, when will I be able to get a box of the coronas??? ;-)

kuzi16

timb:

I find the secret to Connecticut blends is timing and pairing.  Try on a fresh palate earlier in the day and I think you'll be surprised how good these can taste!

i agree with this 100%
there is a time and a place for every cigar. you just have to find it.

Krieg

Considering I'm a full bodied kinda smoker, I think these are mild. Not too bad for a morning smoke though w/ some coffee.

flayankee

Had my first one the other day on the golf course, loved it.Perfect for the course,not to mild not to full . My new golf smoke.

Marmico

I'm gonna agree with both Kuzi and The Beard on this one. There is a time and a place for Connie's, and that should be respected. Definitely not my favorite out of the lineup, but not bad either. They definitely haven't wowed me so far, like some other Connie's have, but they're by no means 'bad'. I think however that for the price, they could be a little better. I have found a couple other Connie's at lower price points that have impressed me more, such as the Park Avenue Torpedo, and the Graycliff G2. If you're going for this price point, personally I would say I prefer the Romeo Y Julieta Reserva Real. That's just me though.

bigbluesmoke

I actually like this one alot more than some of the other Connie's I've had. It just seems to have more body and stregnth than say a 5 Vegas Gold or Park Avenue. Although both those are good sticks I feel they are just missing it for me. The Virtue is just a little more interesting/ memorable, has it's own thing going on.

fla-gypsy

The Beard has spoken, this discussion is over!!