Redux: Viaje Friends and Family

Posted by on Monday, October 8, 2012 · 11 Comments 


In February of 2012, Viaje released one of their most secretive blends with almost no fanfare or foreknowledge. Said to be produced select retailers started getting single boxes of the box-pressed Churchill out of the blue. At over $15.00 per cigar, the Friends and Family was the most expensive Viaje up to that point and is still in possession of that title currently. Interestingly, we still do not have direct confirmation of the specifics of the blend, or the country of origin, as Andre refuses to talk about specifics in regards to this release.

Here is what I said in my original review back in February of 2012:

Everything about this release seemed to click with me. I love the vitola (although I do wish it was a Lonsdale instead of a Churchill), the box press, the dark, earthy and gritty profile, and the sweetness that is prevalent throughout the smoke which makes the whole profile that much more complex. In addition, construction was amazing with absolutely no issues at all for the entire smoke. While the strength hovered around the full mark, it never pushed over, giving it just enough kick to enjoy without feeling like you were hit with a sledgehammer after finishing it. The main problem with this release is the same with most of Viaje’s releases, only magnified. It seems likely that at most, each Viaje account got a box, which means there’s a little over 1,500 cigars released. Yet unlike a normal Viaje limited edition, it seems like some retailers are never going to even offer these for sale. Having said that, the Viaje Friends and Family is an all around great cigar, easily one of Viaje’s best, and I feel lucky to have tried it and I wish I had more.


_______________________________________________________________________


But enough of that, lets get down to business, shall we?

  • Cigar Reviewed: Viaje Friends and Family
  • Country of Origin: n/a
  • Factory: n/a
  • Wrapper: n/a
  • Binder: n/a
  • Filler: n/a
  • Size: 7 Inches
  • Ring Gauge: 48
  • Vitola: Churchill (Box-Pressed)
  • MSRP: $15.33 (Boxes of 15, $230.00)
  • Date Released: February 23, 2012
  • Number of Cigars Released: n/a
  • Number of Cigars Smoked For Redux: 1

Like the first samples I smoked, the Viaje Friends and Family is a solid looking cigar with a dark espresso brown wrapper that glistens with oil. It is silky smooth to the touch and is quite hard when squeezed. There is a slight box-press and the aroma off the wrapper is strong barnyard, hay, coffee beans and black pepper.


_______________________________________________________________________


The Viaje Friends and Family starts out with strong and biting black pepper, both in the mouth and on the retrohale, along with some dark chocolate, bitter espresso, and some slight sweet caramel. The profile is extremely rich, almost too rich, like a chocolate cake that you can only eat so much of before feeling sick. This continued until right before the halfway point, where the flavors started to slowly evaporate one by one, until there was almost nothing left other than bitterness, harshness and overwhelming strength. I was able to finish it barely, but it was a struggle.
 

Viaje Friends and Family

On the construction side, the burn and draw were perfect for the entire cigar. While the Friends and Family started out at a solid medium — it was a strong full by the end of the smoke — age has not seemed to calmed that part of the cigar down much.


_______________________________________________________________________


The Bottom Line: Knowing that most Viaje cigars get quite a bit better after some age, I was honestly shocked at how far this specific blend had fallen, after only eight months of rest. While it started out well enough and much like the first samples I had for the original review, by the halfway point the Friends and Family just fell apart. Mushy, indistinct and just plain harsh, the profile ended quite a bit differently than it started and had very little in common with the cigar I rated so highly earlier in the year. While still enjoyable for about half of the smoke, the Friends and Family seemed to lose complexity and richness as the cigar burned down, forcing the almost overwhelming strength to the forefront, until it was really the only thing that was present. While I am still hopeful these will turn around, at this point I have to chalk it up to one of the few Viajes that gets worse with age.



Original Score: 92
Redux Score: 78

Filed under Cigars, Featured, Main, Redux, Reviews, Viaje · Tagged with , , ,

9 comments
  Livefyre
Newest | Oldest
thejavaman
thejavaman

I'm smoking the one I was gifted right now & I have to say that I really like it. One of, if not the, best Viaje I've ever had. I don't get any bitterness or harshness at all - just a really enjoyable, decadently full, delicious cigar.

cigartruth
cigartruth

I wouldn't give this to my friends let alone my family based on this score and having tried it.

cigartruth
cigartruth

Another Viaje letdown, really surprising right? Wrong! Let's keep smoking these overpriced, disappointing blends that are rushed to market quicker than you can utter "Raices Cubanas"

njp70to70cigars
njp70to70cigars

I meant to say subjective in that last post by the way.

njp70to70cigars
njp70to70cigars like.author.displayName 1 Like

This review proves that the only great cigars out there are the ones that smoke good box after box.  How can you give a number rating to a single stick?  There are many times when your moods can affect the way you taste a cigar.  I go back to old favorites all the time, and sometimes I need to smoke a few of them to be able to recognize the flavors that I enjoy so much.  It's also extremely objective when it comes to tobacco. Sorry, I just don't understand what your trying to do with scoring a smoke two completely different ways on the basis of smoking only one cigar each time.

Charlie Minato
Charlie Minato moderator

@njp70to70cigars The whole point of the reduxes is to go back and see how cigars we previously smoked are doing a certain time period after the initial review. To measure aging, and I suppose to some degree consistency. I'd argue to some degree looking for the latter in the reduxes would be a mistake, but that's me.

cigartruth
cigartruth

@njp70to70cigars I agree with the consistency remark. You have to be proven time and time again to be worthy. One hit wonders do not a great cigar company make. TRUTH!

njstone
njstone

With only 1 cigar smoked for the Redux, it could have been a fluke.  Or maybe more rest will turn them back around, you never know.  (I don't have any myself)

thejavaman
thejavaman

Just got one of these from a good BOTL in a trade.  Maybe I should keep letting it rest after this review!