TX Duo Review - Viaje Birthday CE Part I 2024

[Çnote]

@Capn_Jackson  deju vu? I forgot to take a pic.

I love Halfwheel 

https://halfwheel.com/viaje-birthday-blend-collectors-edition-maduro/43995

Big pepper pop to start, but slowly fades into ginger cake and molasses. Dark agave. A struggle to smoke slow for sure. Ashfall takes forever. Picks up a touch of creme and toasted nuts in the 2nd 3rd. Some rich coffee bitterness starts at about 1/2 and continues to ramp up to 11 at about the band where it's borderline unpleasant. It mellows out enough to smoke, but it's really too strong for me tonight. No rush to get to these, I have faith in those deep flavors.

[Capn_Jackson]

Viaje Birthday Blend, three words that excite Cody more than the Super Bowl, and for good reason.

Love the dark wrapper on here. Cold draw has some medium roast coffee and crème, cocoa,  nuts. Light-up is quite a bit of black pepper, hopefully dies down soon. Some funky forest floor as well. Good balance, even with the heat.

Going on, there’s lots of BBQ wood smoke, cocoa cereal, and maybe some peanut butter. Occasionally a berry note flits through, blackberry or blueberry. 

2nd third is more cocoa, thick mouthfeel, creamy in texture and flavor. The pepper has finally died down in the nose, and now it’s full of holiday baking spices. Some fruitcake with butter drizzle. Roasted walnut. Spiced peaches.

Last third is heavy espresso, still with a faint twinge of crème around the edges but mostly the coffee. Some slightly burnt marshmallow vibes. Nub becomes syrupy molasses. A little bitter, still tasty.

Great construction, absolutely no burn problems, and great smoke output the whole way. 88, due to some bitterness at the end. It’s got legs, I’m certain.

[Çnote]

Man, I wish i could regularly retro and pull those specific flavors to mind. Or, you're adding to my memories and I'll fail my Voight-Kampff exam. I think we both like this one!