TX Duo Review - Viaje Secret Sauce (2014)

[Çnote]

Ghosts, @Capn_Jackson

I had planned to smoke this for my birthday, but never got around to it. I didnt even get a photo, so it may not have even happened. It's the best cigar I've had this year. Thunderous transitions, mellow as sin. Retros like a dream. Terrible burn, but great flavors. Gone too soon. Unfortunately, I was thinking of other things and didn't really take notes. Lots of cake thoughts. 

Great experience. Hopefully you run across these in your searches.

[Capn_Jackson]

Viaje Secret Sauce

This lovely stick has a deep brown wrapper that sits just shy of maduro, rich but not oily. A little tooth on the wrapper, with some veins, but mostly smooth. There’s a faint cocoa note off the wrapper, with maybe a little earth underneath it.

Gave it a V-cut and right away noticed the draw was very open… honestly a touch more than I prefer. Not a dealbreaker, but hoping it smokes well. Cold draw has an interesting mix. A mineral edge, coffee, and something like dry cereal grains. Not sweet, more on the oats side.

Light-up brings a quick flash of pepper through the nose, not too aggressive, and it fades almost as quickly as it shows up. After a couple puffs, it settles in.

First third has a lot going on, but it doesn’t feel scattered. Age has served it well. Cocoa powder right up front, and it keeps shifting. It’s sometimes leaning toward a milky chocolate, then drifting back into a darker, more bittersweet profile. There’s a medium-roast coffee note along for the ride, and several times I get this crispy meringue edge that softens things. This is complemented with a dark citrus note, something like blood orange, just enough brightness to keep it from getting heavy. Maple syrup comes and goes in the background, along with a bit of umami and some dark raisin that adds depth. Strength here is just a touch above medium. Smoke’s coming through easily, no surprise given the draw.

Second third settles things down a bit. The transitions smooth out, and it leans more into soft leather, sweet prune, and baker’s chocolate. That earlier sweetness deepens into something closer to molasses now. Less about contrast, more about cohesion at this point. Somewhere in here it starts to feel more composed, less busy.

In our neighbor’s backyard, I can hear the Easter story being told. Not the one about a stone rolled away… the one with kids yelling, plastic eggs getting stepped on, somebody definitely crying over lost candy. I’m pretty sure they’ve got even more kids over than we did this morning, which I didn’t think was possible.

Transitioning into the last third is where the texture really changes. The smoke becomes more palate-coating, thicker, almost chewy. Flavors tighten up too. Bright medium-roast coffee takes the lead, with that leather sticking around. More of a tacky, dry leather note now. There’s a lot of oatmeal stout character here, and something savory that’s hard to miss. Beef tallow, no other way to put it. Sounds odd, but definitely rich tallow. Last inch or so brings more umami, and maybe even some campfire-roasted marshmallow. Dark, heavy on the palate, but no stronger. Right around the band, I get a bright pop of cinnamon and nutmeg, bringing a great balance to the earthier notes. The draw is still wide open, so I have to pace it a bit to keep from getting hot/bitter, make it behave.

I didn’t push it all the way down, but it held together well into the final stretch. Never turned harsh, never bitter. Overall, this is another great stick from @Çnote. It’s got that mix of sweetness and depth that keeps it interesting, and while the draw was a bit more open than I’d like, the flavor profile was superb. One of those cigars that rewards a slower pace and a little attention.

I’ve enjoyed all these Viaje we’ve been reviewing, and this was another great one. 92 from me!