Viaje cigars

[Devanmc]

Im curious, So far i have a love affair with Viaje. Every cigar ive had has been amazing and they are not hard on the wallet compared to alot of others out there. Besides being pretty limited, with small batch releases.

Does anyone have any hate toward viaje? Seems kinda strange to ask, but i cant come up with anything to put in the negative side about viaje

[RevSmoke]

Im curious, So far i have a love affair with Viaje. Every cigar ive had has been amazing and they are not hard on the wallet compared to alot of others out there. Besides being pretty limited, with small batch releases.

Does anyone have any hate toward viaje? Seems kinda strange to ask, but i cant come up with anything to put in the negative side about viaje

Had a 50/50 and a platinum. Didn't impress me much at all.

Got one holiday blend, will see what that does. I have hope from all I've heard.

[akumushi]

Smoked a 50/50 Red tonight and it was tasty. I had a DES a while back that was too harsh for my taste, but I smoked it right before coming down with a bug so I may have been getting sick and not realized it yet, thus coloring my experience. So far my impression has been that Viajes are a touch harsh for my tastes, but they have good earthy flavors and are quality smokes. If you like full bodied Nicaraguans they are certainly worth a try, and they definitely have a distinctive character as a brand.

[auburnfan1980]

Devan, I'm curious about your question as well as other cigars that seem to be a hot commodity on this board. At my local shop, I'm the only person who has smoked a Viaje, let alone heard about it. Yet if you logged onto this website as a brand-new cigar smoker, you'd think it was one of the most highly sought after cigars on the market- but in Florence, Birmingham, Huntsville, and Nashville, I have rarely heard any BOTL at B&Ms mention it at all.

There are several other cigars that it seems everyone will jump on the bandwagon with here and it makes me curious as to why. Perhaps it's due to the fact that because of the generosity of the friends we have on here, some have been bombed back and forth with this stick until everyone has tried it and generally enjoyed it. Perhaps this is a case where we may not want to admit it, but our palate for cigars can often be heavily influenced psychologically through the praise of BOTL/SOTLs we sometimes hold in high regard.

In any instance, I thoroughly enjoyed the two I smoked earlier this year and would like it if my local shop carried the line. However...like many other cigars, it's hard to add it to my lineup when I have my standard faves as well as so many other new blends I've yet to try that I have to make time for as well.

I say all that to say this: I don't have anything negative to say about the line, but I sometimes think brands can be fallen in love with or written off based on the consensus of the inmates and how many hundred times you see it appear in the WTB thread. :r

That's just my :2 and i'm getting so sick of hearing how good Gurkhas are, too! If Tom doesn't stop with his love-affair with Kaisad, I'm gonna swear he's working for them! :r :r

[Bill86]

Smoked a 50/50 Red tonight and it was tasty. I had a DES a while back that was too harsh for my taste, but I smoked it right before coming down with a bug so I may have been getting sick and not realized it yet, thus coloring my experience. So far my impression has been that Viajes are a touch harsh for my tastes, but they have good earthy flavors and are quality smokes. If you like full bodied Nicaraguans they are certainly worth a try, and they definitely have a distinctive character as a brand.

No you're right Clayton the DES is a bit harsh. Probably the only Viaje I've had that was harsh IMO. I still enjoyed it a great deal, nubbed it. Then and again I've only recently hopped over on the CC boat. So far I can say it's been a lot mellower. So I can see why it might effect you a bit more.

Me and Devan we're talking about Viajes, and honestly for the $$ (IMO) it's hard to find better consistency and quality smokes. All of the Viaje's I've had have been burning perfect no touch ups, draw was always perfect got a good amount of smoke. They never went out. (I've found this problem in a few CC"s it's frustrating no doubt) I really cannot say that about any other cigars. I have also never put a Viaje down before reaching 1.5 inches left, think I got rained out once but that's about it. Also it's nice to see that most Viaje's can be had at $5-$10 a piece. :2

[maninblack]

I have no hate for Viaje. I like to see these small companies get some rep. But before long we'll jump on some other brand I'm sure and ride that bandwagon off into the sunset. Happens every few months. Thats the great thing about cigars. Variety.

[auburnfan1980]

I have no hate for Viaje. I like to see these small companies get some rep. But before long we'll jump on some other brand I'm sure and ride that bandwagon off into the sunset. Happens every few months. Thats the great thing about cigars. Variety.

So true, brother.....and never have we been blessed as we are now with so many blends in the market that are actually really really good, allowing some competition and opportunities for start-up companies to make a splash.

[maninblack]

So true, brother.....and never have we been blessed as we are now with so many blends in the market that are actually really really good, allowing some competition and opportunities for start-up companies to make a splash.

Damn straight! :tu

[akumushi]

Devan, I'm curious about your question as well as other cigars that seem to be a hot commodity on this board. At my local shop, I'm the only person who has smoked a Viaje, let alone heard about it. Yet if you logged onto this website as a brand-new cigar smoker, you'd think it was one of the most highly sought after cigars on the market- but in Florence, Birmingham, Huntsville, and Nashville, I have rarely heard any BOTL at B&Ms mention it at all.

There are several other cigars that it seems everyone will jump on the bandwagon with here and it makes me curious as to why. Perhaps it's due to the fact that because of the generosity of the friends we have on here, some have been bombed back and forth with this stick until everyone has tried it and generally enjoyed it. Perhaps this is a case where we may not want to admit it, but our palate for cigars can often be heavily influenced psychologically through the praise of BOTL/SOTLs we sometimes hold in high regard.

In any instance, I thoroughly enjoyed the two I smoked earlier this year and would like it if my local shop carried the line. However...like many other cigars, it's hard to add it to my lineup when I have my standard faves as well as so many other new blends I've yet to try that I have to make time for as well.

I say all that to say this: I don't have anything negative to say about the line, but I sometimes think brands can be fallen in love with or written off based on the consensus of the inmates and how many hundred times you see it appear in the WTB thread. :r

That's just my :2 and i'm getting so sick of hearing how good Gurkhas are, too! If Tom doesn't stop with his love-affair with Kaisad, I'm gonna swear he's working for them! :r :r

If you log onto a specialty forum of any kind you're not going to find the average, run of the mill consumer, you're going to find the die-hard fans, enthusiasts and connaisseurs, who are going to have a very different take on what is good vs. the average Joe off the street. Perhaps there is a little bit of the hype going on here when something new and good comes out, but in the end if the product sucked I think there would be enough of us that would come out and say, I had it and it sucked. Take any type of product with a vast array of selections like cigars, wine or beer and there are going to be the mass produced popular items that take the lion's share of the market, and then there will be any number of small scale, boutique producers that are lauded and sought after by those in the know.

[Adriftpanda]

Steve (Ratters) loves Viaje. If you guys don't want yours send them to him. Stickers, apparel, cigars, he will take it all.

I actually really do enjoy them. My buddy Mark (NorCalMark) was probably one of the first shops to carry Viaje, so I have been very fortunate to try almost all the new stuff that comes out. They make a good stick, what can I say.

[Dunkel]

I have smoked almost all the Viaje's out there including the limiteds. IMHO DES and TNT were pretty bad. I loved everything else which includes Satori, Holiday Blend (both releases), Skull & Bones 2010 release, 50/50 Black, Platino, and Oro.

[Superbad]

I enjoy Viaje very much. I do get frustrated by the hype around the limited releases. That does not mean I won't try and buy a few limiteds. I just won't go nuts trying to get them.

[longknocker]

Oro Is My Favorite So Far, Waiting To Try The 50/50 & Holiday Blends I Have Resting. Platinum Is My Least Fav. DES Tasted Fine To Me, But I Mostly Smoke Strong, Full Bodied Sticks.:)

[quantim0]

Have not tried one yet because no one around me carries them. Once I come across a shop (or order from NHC again) I'll probably grab a couple of the standard lines. I agree with Bobby about the LEs. I think that their LEs are way to limited and I have given up on trying to get a hold of them online.

[MiamiE]

I love most Viaje LE's. Their regular blends are OK.

[Devanmc]

Quiet the response to this, and thank you everyone. This does explain why we all "love" them so much. I guess it didnt realize it might partly be because of the bandwagon affect.

Being a relative new comer to this, im glad to be blessed with such a wealth of good people around this board to learn from. Which has helped me very much picking up good stick and discovering great ones. Things i would have never heard of before. Thanks inmates!

[T.G]

Does anyone have any hate toward viaje? Seems kinda strange to ask, but i cant come up with anything to put in the negative side about viaje

Quiet the response to this, and thank you everyone. This does explain why we all "love" them so much. I guess it didnt realize it might partly be because of the bandwagon affect.



There's a saying...

"If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all."

I know a number of BOTLs who are less than impressed with and don't care much for the Viaje cigars.

:2

[auburnfan1980]

If you log onto a specialty forum of any kind you're not going to find the average, run of the mill consumer, you're going to find the die-hard fans, enthusiasts and connaisseurs, who are going to have a very different take on what is good vs. the average Joe off the street. Perhaps there is a little bit of the hype going on here when something new and good comes out, but in the end if the product sucked I think there would be enough of us that would come out and say, I had it and it sucked. Take any type of product with a vast array of selections like cigars, wine or beer and there are going to be the mass produced popular items that take the lion's share of the market, and then there will be any number of small scale, boutique producers that are lauded and sought after by those in the know.

I don't know, Clayton...I ain't no connoisseur, I'm just an average run of the mill consumer from Alabammer who think the finer things in life are buffets and a good bowel movement afterwards. We ain't got much appreciation fer things of this nature in general....I just like them ceegars! :ss

[shilala]

Sofaman and I smoked an OR Viaje a good while back, or at least I was under the impression it was original release. We both agreed they sucked. The fervor surrounding Viaje is a mystery to me, but it's like a wise man once said; "Smoke what you like, like what you smoke."

[kelmac07]

I've torched almost all of the Viajes (LEs included). The Holiday Blend is my hands-down favorite (hell it is even in my top three all time sticks). Also really enjoy the Oro Reserva. Not a huge fan of the limited release and the whole "hunting" them down thing. I have only been disappointed by one stick the original release Exclusivo (from the pickle jar). But Scott said it best...smoke what you like, like what you smoke. :D

[shilala]

Perhaps this is a case where we may not want to admit it, but our palate for cigars can often be heavily influenced psychologically through the praise of BOTL/SOTLs we sometimes hold in high regard...

That's just my :2 and i'm getting so sick of hearing how good Gurkhas are, too! If Tom doesn't stop with his love-affair with Kaisad, I'm gonna swear he's working for them! :r :r
I think that first statement is absolutely true, to a point. It's a "first impression" phenomena. I know that personally, even packaging and/or a cigar band makes a big impression on me when I'm looking for something new. An esteemed BOTL's word is definitely going to put me in the right mind to try a new smoke, from a favorable, slightly swayed standpoint. If nothing else, I'll give a cigar a lot more time to develop before I chuck it, just out of respect for my brother's opinion.
Ultimately, a cigar has to stand on it's own two feet. That's why I left the
Gurkha comment in there. All the bling in the world isn't going to save Gurkha, but they have their niche. That niche might be fancy packaging on a lousy cigar sold to guys who haven't had the good fortune to be exposed to something they like better, but it works for Gurkha. Plus their cigars are damned near free on cbid. Plus Bobby likes them, so at least we know one guy smokes them. :r

[Chainsaw13]

I have only been disappointed by one stick the original release Exclusivo (from the pickle jar).

See, that's been my favorite so far. Now the DES to me has been a big dissappointment. I've yet to have one that justified the cost.

For me the Viaje line has been hit or miss. The first Oro line I had blew me away. The 2nd one was meh. Some of the LE stuff has been stellar, others not so much.

[Chainsaw13]

I think that first statement is absolutely true, to a point. It's a "first impression" phenomena. I know that personally, even packaging and/or a cigar band makes a big impression on me when I'm looking for something new. An esteemed BOTL's word is definitely going to put me in the right mind to try a new smoke, from a favorable, slightly swayed standpoint. If nothing else, I'll give a cigar a lot more time to develop before I chuck it, just out of respect for my brother's opinion.
Ultimately, a cigar has to stand on it's own two feet. That's why I left the
Gurkha comment in there. All the bling in the world isn't going to save Gurkha, but they have their niche. That niche might be fancy packaging on a lousy cigar sold to guys who haven't had the good fortune to be exposed to something they like better, but it works for Gurkha. Plus their cigars are damned near free on cbid. Plus Bobby likes them, so at least we know one guy smokes them. :r

Couldn't have said it better. :tpd:

[rizzle]

I don't know, Clayton...I ain't no connoisseur, I'm just an average run of the mill Auburn fan from Alabammer who think the finer things in life are buffets and a good bowel movement afterwards. We ain't got much appreciation fer things of this nature in general....I just like them ceegars! :ss
Fixed that for ya. :r:r

[jimmyk26]

I love most Viaje LE's. Their regular blends are OK.
I am with you on this. I find that I really like the limited stuff that Viaje puts out, but I only try so hard to get them. If I do then great, I have cigars that I enjoy. If I don't, no big deal. I do find it odd though that the LEs, in my opinion, are way better than the regular blends. I would probably smoke more if I really liked one of the regular product lines.

[Devanmc]

i feel like they might do this on purpose...

As for there LE im extremely persistent and when i want something i dont usually give up. So once i decide to get something it usually happens.

[akumushi]

Ok, so I agree that it gets irritating when every LE is like a feeding frenzy and the prices soar and the cigars are near impossible to get your hands on unless you jump on every release when it comes out and you have to risk ending up with an untried cigar that you hate or missing out on one that ends up being stellar. The good thing is that we're part of a community that really shares the love and a lot of us get to try these otherwise unattainable cigars thanks to our generous BOTL.
BUT...
In defense of the whole concept of LE cigars. Big companies like General will not even consider making a cigar unless they have enough tobacco to make it consistent over tens of thousands of boxes of cigars, even if that cigar would be really great and tasty. Small boutique companies have much smaller batches of tobacco to work from and sometimes they have a great idea for a cigar but can only make 500-1000 boxes. And maybe the cigar is so unique and specialized that even if they could make more, they're not sure they would be able to sell all of it. In comes the concept of the limited run; use that small batch of superior tobacco in creative and unique ways, put it out and see how it does. That way you don't get a cigar that is awesome upon release but starts to decline and then is completely different and inferior a few years later when the original tobaccos run out and the producer is forced to substitute some of the leaf, unintentionally dilluting or changing the blend, and you don't get a novel idea that is quickly forgotten and ends up losing money for the producer who has sunk whole crops of tobacco into a failed product.
I actually think it is a miracle that brands like Fuente and Padron keep any consistency at all in their lines, and that is only possible because they own huge farms, have HUMONGOUS stockpiles of their own tobacco stored up to ensure consistency and are fully integrated topdown operations where they control everything. Small boutique operators that have to procure their tobacco from other companies cannot guarantee consistency in the long run, and thus in order to get more variety and to maximize their profits they resort to limited runs. It may hurt our wallets and be frustrating at times, but a lot of the cigars we love simply would not be possible to produce as anything but limited releases, so in the end, for those of us that love variety and like to try new, different and experimental cigars, limited releases are actually a great innovation in the market and benefit the community as a whole.
Do some producers carry it too far and just gouge our wallets over specially packaged garbage? Yes, but there are also PHENOMINAL cigars that would not have existed at all if they weren't made as part of a very limited release. I think that the concept of LEs, at least in theory if not always in practice, makes complete sense and is good for both the consumer and the producer:2

[Adriftpanda]

Clayton, I love you man.

Whatever he said, I'm with him. Couldn't have said it any better.

[longknocker]

Clayton, I love you man.

Whatever he said, I'm with him. Couldn't have said it any better.

So True!:tu

[Devanmc]

:tpd: