“Viaje” is Spanish for “journey,” and this one started in 2008 when a cigar retailer and talent agent from Los Angeles decided that it was time to get into the cigar game for real. Starting off at the Joya de Nicaragua factory, then moving to Raices Cubanas in Honduras, he worked to create a first blend that would make a splash. As with any industry newcomer, Nicaraguan tobacco was a promising place to start.
Viaje cigars caught fire soon after when the Oro Reserva VOR earned 95 points and was Cigar Aficionado’s #2 cigar of 2010. It was a Nicaraguan puro that tasted of leather, sweet spice, and “a cocoa-powder finish that walks a perfectly fine line between bitter and sweet.”
Another hit boutique cigar maker was born.
With the kingmaker’s stamp from Cigar Aficionado, Farkas had a firm foot in the door of a notoriously tough and saturated industry. It’s not easy to stand out, but Viaje cigars immediately meant something to smokers: fine small-batch stogies that could go toe to toe with the best of them.
This is by design, Viaje cigars are focused on small batch production because it allows the company to consistently maintain high-quality standards and to leave room for inspiration year after year. If the team tries out a special leaf, it can make it into production quickly. This is a marked contrast with other cigar companies that are married to core lines and maybe more like cruise ships that can’t turn so fast into the waves of market competition.
According to Farkas, “Viaje represents the boutique in every sense of the word. This is what I enjoy, this is what I provide, and this is my promise.” He adds a mission statement and a challenge to that: “Join us in the revolution against mediocrity.”
In truth, there is no shortage of premium cigars out there. We’re spoiled with a variety of world-class choices, especially if we’ve got a good amount of money to spend. But even if our cigar budget is limited, there are so many high-quality, high-value cigars out there. Still, we get the point of Viaje cigars. There’s always room for another team that knows how to sniff out the great leaf, compose a fine blend, and ensure that it’s rolled to perfection.
If that’s the journey, we’re on board and hope you will be too.
Please browse our selection of Viaje cigars at your leisure.
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