American Viking Dama Valada Robusto (5×50)

What an amazingly great smoke. Espresso, chocolate, hints of vanilla, leather, and citrus. One of my top 2 in the AV lineup!

Dama Valada by American Viking – First Impressions From the moment I toasted the foot, Dama Valada introduced herself with a smoky, herbal character, likely from the toasting process burning off those volatile oils. That’s why, with every cigar I smoke, I always take a few puffs post-light and let it rest before diving into my first retrohale. It helps the heat settle and gives the blend a fair chance to speak its first words clearly. Once it cooled, the true flavor profile began to reveal itself: fresh ground coffee beans, hints of semi-sweet dark chocolate, and eventually a richer espresso note into the second third. There’s also a whisper of lightly charred woods, giving it a touch of rustic depth without overwhelming the palate. Construction and Burn This one’s razor sharp, and only two touchups needed. The ash holds beautifully, and the burn line is picture perfect. It’s clearly a well constructed cigar. That said, the smoke output is on the airy side, both at rest and on the draw. I personally prefer thicker, denser smoke something with more chew to it, but the flavors more than make up for that. Flavor Development There aren’t many transitions, but what’s here is consistent, full-flavored, and rewarding. If you slow your pace and keep the cigar cool, some baking spice notes will peek through, especially in the second third. That kind of responsiveness to smoking cadence is always a sign of good blending. By the final third, however, the finish starts to lose its cleanliness and edges a little toward bitterness, borderline acrid if puffed too quickly. Again, slowing down really helps here. And I genuinely believe with some age and rest, that final act will smooth out beautifully. Overall Verdict Tim, you outdid yourself on this one. While it didn’t blow my socks off right out of the cellophane, it absolutely deserves a place in the humidor in fact, I’d recommend picking up a case and giving it the time it needs to evolve. There’s a lot of potential here, and the blend is already complex enough to satisfy. I also love the meaning behind the name. “Dama Valada” speaks to strength beneath softness, power behind elegance, a beautiful reflection of both the cigar and the story it tells. Final Thoughts • Pairing suggestion for non-alcoholic drinkers: Root beer with natural vanilla or a dark cocoa note would elevate this beautifully. • Smoke time: Approx. 1 hour 20 minutes • Rating today: ★★★★☆ (4.3/5) with some serious aging potential.

Espresso, Dsrk Chocolate, dab of Vanilla sweetness. From start to finish, she was a beauty. Box worthy.

This cigar is in my Top 3. When I placed an order for more I gave one to a coworker that likes cigars, needless to say it blew it socks off. He couldn't believe how inexpensive this cigar is. It is smooth and carries a good burn on everyone I have had. I'll be buying a box or 2 soon. Tim knocked out of the park on this one!

Was recently recommended this in an After Party stream a couple of weeks ago and Terrance's run down of it was basically spot on. What I picked up on this stick was spice forward on initial light up floating on a slightly sweet espresso flavor. The spice faded on the draw the further into the stick I got, the sweetness picked up and the espresso lasted throughout. The retro is where this cigar lives though. The spice remains, backed up by leather and espresso and a wood note that I can't quite pin down. Not a typical cedar flavor that I get with other cigars but very enjoyable. Construction was almost perfect, great burn and a perfectly centered cone after each ash. My recommendation if you order this cigar is to slow down and enjoy it. Definitely a box worthy cigar at this price point.

Definitely notes of dark chocolate with that espresso tast. Leather as well. When the vanilla hits it makes it one of my most looked forward too flavor notes. Really enjoyed this blend

I bought a while back and forgot I had them. Found it when doing some rotation in the humidor. Man, I’m glad I found it. What a great stick. It’s got a great flavor and the construction was on point. I’ll be getting more soon.

I enjoyed the flavors on the cigar, but the particular stick I smoked had a very loose draw. For me personally, flavors seem to be a bit harsher and the cigar burns hotter on a loose draw. Would like to smoke another one with a more ideal-to-me draw to see if there is a difference.

A great blend of flavors all in one cigar. It was a very enjoyable smoke and not harsh at all. For sure a recommendation to those who enjoy flavored cigars.

I want to start off with saying that the construction and band design are great. The burn was even and light up was easy . That being said , this stick was super smoky. I mean it was just plumes of smoke pouring out before I could even start drawing on it. I was in a casino lounge and it was pretty off putting to everybody there. The flavor is all heavy black pepper and stout leather up front that just burned my pallet out fast and the nicotine was way too high for me. I don’t want to say this was a bad stick but it just isn’t for me.

Awesome stick!

yup, decent stick, i like the band design too. would buy again

Would have been four stars if not for the price. More of a nicotine kick than I usually go for, but not overbearing. Plenty of leather, and a subtle sweetness. I did not get any of the espresso that others have reported on. Good ash and even burn. Not a bad stick by any means, but don't know if its worth the price tag. Lots of other sticks around this price point that I like better. I will leave a few in the humidor to see if age brings out any more flavor notes.

Nice rich bitter flavor. A solid stick.

Great stick. 4 stars because I’ve had better cigars in the 6-8 dollar range.

An excellent stick. Leather, espresso, chocolate were the most prominent flavor notes for me with a hint of sweetness in the background. As I smoked into the second and final third the leather notes became more pronounced and the chocolate notes became almost toasted and created a very good flavor. The espresso notes held all the way through and the sweetess in the background subtly changed but remained. Great construction on this stick as I've come to find with all AV sticks. Overall, my favorite of the AV lone so far. I've yet to try the Box Pressed Rebellion but that's tomorrow's smoke. All in all, it's simply fantastic and I'll be buying more of these for sure.

Wow! What a dark horse stick, this was great . Love the flavor, great smoke and construction.

Definately a flavor bomb! The description says it all. Espresso, chocolate, and sweet notes that leave a vanilla aftertaste on the tongue. Extremely thick white smoke clouds with each puff. Very smooth draw. Perfect burn! Started out medium and kept getting stronger. The great flavor remained consistent throughout. Great all around flawless smoke.

Amazing cigar! Goes great with my coffee in the morning or the evening.Will be ordering more soon.

Ahh what a Strikingly Sinister Seductress. I found this to have a lot of complexity in it's flavor. It started out sweet and spicy, hints of French vanilla and a floral perfume (which continue to peak through for the rest of the smoke); the 2/3 of the cigar mellowed out to a creamy chocolate with just the slightest hint of hazelnut. It ends strong with a warm leather and dark/bitter chocolate flavor that truly make this cigar one of a kind.

Was a good smoke with some black coffee, it's a good full body cigar. It had a very even burn, great construction

So far this is my favorite in the American Viking line! Exploding with flavor and stellar construction, I highly recommend!

Got this in the sampler and will definitely be ordering more. Great construction, even burn, and great flavor.

Excellent stick, It was creamy tons of flavor smoked it all the way to the very end. Great construction, amazing Bern, a great dry as well not too stiff not too loose honestly perfect. Would highly recommend it to anybody

Smoke time 1h, punch cut, decent smoke output. The band has an elegant colour scheme of gold and red with a touch of dark, ghoulish artistry. The photos do not do the presentation of this one much justice, it looks much nicer in reality. This one is not for me. I think that I may been expecting too much. I definitely found the flavour to be confusing. Paired with Laphroaig Select, neat - it started off heavy on the pepper and spice. Then mellowed out to a medium spice that was earthy and had some espresso notes. Maybe it was the scotch I paired it with? Fortunately I have this one in the toro, so not all of the facts are in on this one yet. Still, personally I find there are more to choose from, that are half the price of this one. So, slightly disappointing but still enjoyable.

This was a fantastic cigar! Definitely got the espresso and leather notes, and a hint of sweetness every now and then. Held it’s ash very well, burned very evenly. Very well done! And 4 thumbs up to Cigars Daily, their customer service is excellent!

My favorite from the Viking line.

Good stick I enjoy it for what it is. With that being said my only hangup is the price I would call this more of about a seven dollar stick.

medium to full taste lots of leather, great burn... but was mediocre, 9 bucks not bad

Bought one to try it and boy was I impressed. Great flavor, great burn medium to full body but not too strong. Immediately bought a 5 pack of Toro’s to throw in the humidor!

Excellent stick. Nice even burn. Full of flavor. First time smoking it but sure as heck won’t be the last!

Great stick I got it in the American Viking and everything I have had in it has been great so far. I highly recommend

Tried this in the American Viking sampler and loved the Dama Valada. Came back for a 5 pack and will probably get a box in the near future.

Excellent stick! Notes of leather and a bit of espresso were the most prominent for me. A slight sweetness from the wrapper like the description stated. The Dama Valada was a smooth smoke! Excellent construction, burn and ash. It wasn’t the flavor bomb I was expecting but I look forward to purchasing again!!! Highly recommended!