TX Duo Review - Viaje F&F Merci 2022

[Çnote]

@Capn_Jackson another stick of big red for ya.

Big bang of plummy gingerbread quickly revs into oak bbq and rich earth. Chugs along merrily strong until the band, where it opens into more a chocolate croissant vibe. Hopefully this will mellow out a little, it's entirely too much today.

I'll revisit these 2022 in a few years and try to find some older examples for Duo.

[Capn_Jackson]

Viaje Friends & Family

This one’s got a deep brown wrapper with a bit of that rusty hue in the sunlight, nice color variation if you look close. Mostly smooth, just a couple of veins, nothing distracting. Foot’s closed on this one. Gave it a V-cut. Off the wrapper I’m getting a faint cocoa note, and the closed foot has that darker, earthy sweetness tucked in there.

First light takes a second with the closed foot, but once it catches, we’re off to the races. Immediate richness. No warm up needed. First few draws bring dark chocolate, toasted wood, and a little pepper that shows up early but settles down pretty quickly. There’s a depth right away that tells you this one came to play ball.

Out on the back porch with the birds going, slight breeze, just a good Spring afternoon. Sparkling water alongside, and that mushroom quesadilla from earlier still hanging around a bit, honestly works with some of the savory undertones here.

This stick settles in fast. Dark cocoa, roasted coffee, and a steady molasses leaning sweetness. That early pepper is all but gone. Strength’s around medium plus, maybe creeping up, but balanced. Smoke output is solid, and the mouthfeel is the standout… thick, almost chewy, really coats everything. Very NC in that regard, but I’m enjoying it today.

Burn’s been easy and pretty straight the whole way, no fuss.

Somewhere in the middle it just tightens up and rounds out. Espresso, dark chocolate, that deeper sweetness holding steady. Right around the halfway mark, a really nice Cointreau note comes in, adds a little brightness without throwing anything off.

Strength ticks up a notch here, more presence but still controlled. No big shifts, just a slightly darker tone overall.

Video meetings in the background, camera off so I don’t make my colleagues jealous, while this thing keeps delivering.

Last third deepens a bit more. That molasses edges toward bittersweet cocoa, slight firmness on the finish but no real harshness.

Final inch stays clean. No harsh turn, just a gradual taper.

All in all, this is just a really satisfying cigar. It finds a rich profile early and sticks with it. I’m enjoying this even more than the Viaje 10th I had earlier, fuller, more engaging the whole way through. This is one of those that reminds you how good Viaje can be when it all lines up.

93! Excellent stick... thanks again @Çnote!

[Capn_Jackson]

Wow, did we smoke the same cigar?? Looks like I enjoyed this one more than you, mayhaps.