Prior to the blend being reviewed today, Cavalier Genève had never used a viso Jalapa, Nicaragua leaf as a wrapper on a cigar. Rather than change that fact unceremoniously, the company made the point loud and clear by naming the cigar after that specific kind of tobacco.

In June, Cavalier Genève began shipping the BII Viso Jalapa, a regular production five-vitola line that utilizes not only the aforementioned wrapper, but also an internal blend made up entirely of Nicaraguan habano tobaccos. All five vitolas are box-pressed and come packaged in 20-count boxes.

“We have been preparing the arrival of the BII Viso Jalapa for a long time and are really excited to see it shipping to our retail partners across the country,” said Sebastien Decoppet, founder of Cavalier Genève, in a press release. “We believe that the line is a different and exciting take on the viso Jalapa leaf. This line complements what Cavalier Genève’s portfolio offers.”

  • Cavalier Genève BII Viso Jalapa Robusto (5 x 50) — $8.50 (Box of 20, $170)
  • Cavalier Genève BII Viso Jalapa Robusto Gordo (5 x 54) — $8.75 (Box of 20, $175)
  • Cavalier Genève BII Viso Jalapa Toro (6 x 54) — $9 (Box of 20, $180)
  • Cavalier Genève BII Viso Jalapa Toro Gordo (6 x 60) — $9.50 (Box of 20, $190)
  • Cavalier Genève BII Viso Jalapa Torpedo (6 x 52) — $9.50 (Box of 20, $190)

  • Cigar Reviewed: Cavalier Genève BII Viso Jalapa Toro
  • Country of Origin: Honduras
  • Factory: Fábrica Centroamericana de Tabaco S.A.
  • Wrapper: Nicaragua (Jalapa)
  • Binder: Nicaragua (Habano)
  • Filler: Nicaragua (Habano)
  • Length: 6 Inches
  • Ring Gauge: 54
  • Vitola: Toro
  • MSRP: $9 (Box of 20, $180)
  • Release Date: June 2, 2021
  • Number of Cigars Released: Regular Production
  • Number of Cigars Smoked For Review: 3

From a visual perspective, the Cavalier Genève BII Viso Jalapa Toro is gorgeous, with a medium reddish-brown wrapper and an understated band below the company’s signature diamond-made of 24-karat gold leaf. In addition, there is a bit of oil noticeable on the smooth-to-the-touch wrapper as well as a slight box-press and the cigar is nicely spongy when squeezed. The aroma from the wrapper includes notes of strong cedar, dark chocolate and manure, while the foot brings aromas of cloves, hay, tree bark, earth and sweet raisins. Finally, the cold draw includes flavors of lemon rind, hay, cocoa nibs, espresso beans, cedar, graham cracker sweetness and a slight floral flavor.

Starting out, the Cavalier Genève BII Viso Jalapa Toro has a combination of dark chocolate and graham crackers on the palate, followed by notes of sourdough bread, leather, cedar, earth, cloves and very light citrus. The retrohale features a generic vanilla sweetness and black pepper in almost equal amounts, and there is a very small amount of spice noticeable on my lips. Construction-wise, the cigar has a wonderful draw after a simple straight cut, and while the burn is far from razor sharp, it is also far from needing any sort of correction, at least so far. Body is mild while the strength level is virtually non-existent this early on, barely passing a point halfway between mild and medium by the time the first third ends.

There are some major changes in the profile of the BII Viso Jalapa during the second third, starting with the strongest flavor, which shifts from the dark chocolate and graham crackers combination to a distinct buttered popcorn note. Secondary flavors of cocoa nibs, creamy peanuts, hay, bread, cedar, leather, earth and very slight citrus flit in and out in various amounts, while the graham cracker sweetness is now located exclusively on the retrohale, where it combines nicely with the black pepper that is still present. In terms of construction, the burn continues to give me no major issues and the draw continues to give me just the right amount of resistance, while smoke production increases slightly. While the strength level increases from the first third, it still remains quite mild, ending the second third just a bit closer to the medium mark than it was before.

While the final third of the Cavalier Genève retains the buttered popcorn note as the main flavor in the profile, the secondary notes are not far behind at all. It’s a list that includes creamy cedar, peanut shells, leather tack, earth, hay, generic, citrus and slight cinnamon. While the draw remains excellent, the burn has become problematic enough that I am forced to touch it up twice in fairly close succession. Finally, the strength increases a bit more compared to the second third but ultimately stalls out at a point noticeably below the medium mark by the time I put the nub down with a little more than an inch left.

Final Notes

  • Cavalier Genève moved production of all of its products from Tabacos de Oriente and San Judas Tadeo to its own factory—Fabrica Centroamericana de Tabaco S.A. factory in Danlí, Honduras—earlier this year.

  • As is the case with a number of other Cavalier lines, the wrapper of the BII Viso Jalapa includes a diamond shape made out of 24-karat edible gold. The symbol is designed to be left on the cigar and smoked through, which results in a unique golden appearance for that part of the ash as you can see in this detail photograph.
  • This is not the first cigar using edible gold that I have smoked; in fact, I reviewed a cigar completely covered in gold back in 2013 that did not taste nearly as good as this one.
  • If you are wondering, according to two doctors I talked to before smoking the above cigar, there will are no known health risks with smoking edible gold on a cigar for two reasons: the vast majority of the metal stays on the ash instead of becoming part of the smoke, and most cigar smokers don’t inhale smoke into their lungs anyway.
  • For what it is worth, while the Cavalier Genève website indicates the strength for this blend is a four out of five, I would disagree.
  • The construction was a bit all over the map for my three samples: while the draw was excellent for all three, my first and last cigars needed almost no attention from my lighter at all, but my second cigar needed a touchup in each of the thirds.
  • The cigars smoked for this review were purchased by halfwheel.
  • Final smoking time averaged just under two hours for the three samples.
  • If you would like to purchase any of the Cavalier Genève BII Viso Jalapa cigars, site sponsor Atlantic Cigar Co. has them in stock.
89 Overall Score

Smooth as silk with an extremely well-balanced profile, the Cavalier Genève BII Viso Jalapa Toro features flavors that change constantly as it burns down. The somewhat lighter than medium strength level—at best—is well integrated, and construction was quite good overall, with only a single sample needing more than one touchup in the two-hour smoking time. In the end, the BII Viso Jalapa is a great addition to Cavalier Genève’s lineup and is seemingly made for those looking for a full-flavored, medium-bodied blend at a price that is tough to beat.

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Brooks Whittington

I have been smoking cigars for over eight years. A documentary wedding photographer by trade, I spent seven years as a photojournalist for the Dallas Morning News and the Fort Worth Star Telegram. I started the cigar blog SmokingStogie in 2008 after realizing that there was a need for a cigar blog with better photographs and more in-depth information about each release. SmokingStogie quickly became one of the more influential cigar blogs on the internet, known for reviewing preproduction, prerelease, rare, extremely hard-to-find and expensive cigars. I am a co-founder of halfwheel and now serve as an editor for halfwheel.