Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano
Binder: Nicaraguan Corojo ’99 (Double Binders)
Filler: Nicaraguan (Estelí & Jalapa – Aged 1 Year)
Size: 5 x 52 “Pajarito” Robusto
Strength: Medium/Full
Price: $13.00
Released: July 2024
Quantities released: Regular Production
Factory: AGANORSA
My cigars received 5 months of naked humidor time.
THE WHOLE MEGILLAH:
It is very difficult to keep up with new releases from Viaje. It feels like a newborn spews from the birth canal weekly. I am a proud and loyal fanboy of Andre Farkas but as there is no respite from facing a constant flow, I must tap out most of the time.
One reason I love Andre long time is the man constructs quality kitchenware and keeps his price points at an affordable number…this is fantastically novel considering the overblown price points of average 2024-2025 releases. $10-$13 may have been expensive 5 years ago…now, it’s a bargain.
Cigar exteriors are always deceiving. Fancy billboard materials give the branding a hoist. I admit that the packaging of the Private Pale Bird is stunning for an inexpensive cigar. Am I fooled? Probably.
Barnyard is absent from the wrapper’s aromas. Nice. There are charming notes of creamy chocolate pudding, cinnamon, dried fruit, and a small touch of spicy peppers.
The cold draw begins as an immaculate perception with textbook resistance. My PerfecDraw mopes and sighs…pretending to be me. I hold a Liva Snap above my desk. The PD tool jumps for joy…trips over its tiny feet and lands in the waste basket. I’ll let it/him stew a while before returning him/her to them’s home in an empty enema bottle.
The cold draw is spicy. Strong cinnamon, dried cherries, honey-soaked peanuts, lots of cedar, jet black coffee, rich Nicaraguan soil, and milk chocolate.
Viaje blends remind me a bit of AJ fresh produce. The Nic blends are unmistakably strong, vibrant, and brash. The difference being that Farkas provides richer content and smoother depth. The impetuosity is less a being of an impending train wreck and more along the lines of a controlled burn.
First up is creaminess followed by strong cinnamon that works well with the spicy red pepperiness. It’s more about French Sumatran coffee beans than eponymous espresso.
Smooth to the touch. There is a natural sweetness that orders me to puff relentlessly. I ignore those orders as falling victim to that practice eventually ruins the experience as tar comes to the forefront. Peanuts. Potent but buttery. This is very nice.
Only a couple reviews of this cigar. Methinks that the meh critiques happened because the cigar was burned too early in its sleep process. Viaje and AJ Fernandez blends are similar as they are very cheeky if smoked too early. Both stand tall with extended humidor time, but it is Viaje that consistently sees victory in this foot race.
The other thing I like about the way Farkas thinks is every line of cigars is packed to the hilt allowing a slow roll burn. Getting your money’s worth is never an issue.
A hundred choppers approached the restaurant in Scottsdale. Hell’s Angels rented the place for their annual Christmas shindig. Me being a dumb fuck, brought my wife and young daughter to enjoy the festivities. This was a mistake. The emcee used the word cunt in every sentence. It was shocking because the horde brought their small children as well. After an hour, I sent my family home profusely apologizing for being so naïve.
I’ve smoked several Birds on the way here. Today’s trope is much smoother than the previous dubungas. The cigar tastes fancy.
I sat at a table with the big dog. Amazingly, the guy was educated and articulate. We spoke of that morning’s Sunday news shows. A couple hours into the debacle of human kindness, a biker from a different club decided to crash the party. He was met with flailing fists by the big kahuna in a display of instant gore. The cops weren’t called. This HA chief was a double agent with all the suave-ocity of a politician and the killer instinct of a rat fucker. He sat down with me and continued our conversation as if nothing had happened. Oh lord, we had 4 sets of music to play. Would I make it out alive? I was secretly armed but the only good it would do among a hundred outlaw bikers was to use it on myself and end it quickly.
An inch in, transitions begin. Creaminess leads the pack of subdued dogs. Doggie downers or puppy uppers? The peanuts move to second place. The baseline of mocha java is irrepressible. The spiciness of red peppers is joined by a toasty black pepper…but both lay just beneath the surface so as not to overwhelm. The balance is working its way back to me, babe. 5 months of naked solitude seems to have done the trick.
Can this Robusto last for two hours. Yes, it can.
Smoky bacon. What? Fried raisins. My palate has run amok. I hear from you guys, and I get it when you tell me your sense of taste isn’t about individual flavors, but rather a simple thumbs up or thumbs down. The only way I notice the flail abouts is when I write about them. Sitting on the stoop of my walk up, I either like it or I don’t…if you want to taste crazy shit, sit in front of your computer and put words to parchment. It’s a pain, but it works, and your palate will see daylight.
The second half begins. Transitions have no demarcations. The smooth attack is turning this blend into something special. Complexity is low key but steady. The depth of field is a stunning feature. So many cigars flip flop and fly in the second half. The worst is when a cigar is initially great but collapses in the last third, ruining everything.
Hours into the party, a hundred bikers and their partners were so drunk that they were crumpling on the floor like day old marmot sweat. More than a couple times, they tried to show their pals that they could sing by pulling the mic from our lead singer.
Normally, we would club the guy to death like an unsuspecting baby seal. In this crowd, that would be spell demise for the band.
The Bird will excel with 9 months of naked humi time. Only five months have seen the blend relax and expose its serious intent.
Strength started at medium. By the second half, it has become medium/full. At 3” burned, it becomes full tilt. My fingers don’t work too good. Lots of errors. Free Fallin’.
This cigar will be best suited if consumed on a full stomach, not an empty one like your reporter does first thing in the morning. I do extraordinary things for your pleasure.
It was over. It was time to get paid. Chasing a drunk biker for our pay was something from a 1933 Stooges short. I had no ride home. Charlotte had taken the truck. My bass gear was formidable. The boss man said he would get someone to lug my stuff home. I declined the offer and talked the restaurant manager in letting me pick up my rig the next day. I got a ride home from the drummer. Nothing beats the camaraderie of the rhythm section.
This isn’t a barn burner of a blend. There is nothing spectacular going on. But it’s a solid smoke and maintains the quality of what you expect from Viaje. This is not a blend for newbies. Only sophisticates need apply. Despite a good case of the swoons in play, I can’t help but puff away because it tastes so damn good.
After promo codes, the Bird is only a bit less than $12. I bought a box of 34 because there are no surprises. It is a dependable blend. For this price, I expect excellence. The Bird delivers.
You can purchase Viaje Private Bale Bird on a Branch from sponsor Small Batch Cigar. 10% off with promo code KATMAN.
RATING: 94
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Categories: CIGAR REVIEWS
