So the other day I wrote that in 2025 I hope to review less limited editions. But, here we are with another limited edition….
Last December (2023), Viaje releases a new Skull & Bones dubbed Tsar Bomba. These three blends were named after the bomb that had been called to large to use because it was 1,500 times more powerful than the Hiroshima & Nagaksaki bombs combined. Viaje released this secret project in red, blue and grey camo bands. Today, we review the gray.
Viaje Released the Grand Slam version of these cigars in December 2024 in Orange, Green and Yellow Camo.
Cigar Review: Viaje Skull & Bones Tsar Bomba Gray
Size: 6 x 56
Wrapper: Undisclosed
Binder: Undisclosed
Fillers: Undisclosed
Factory: Rumored to be AGANORSA Leaf
Release Date: December 2023
Box Count: 25
The Cigar: The grey camouflaged Viaje Skull & Bones Tsar Bomba Gray band is simplistic with no foil, embossing or anything of note to make it stand out but you can’t smoke the band. The undisclosed wrapper has a milk chocolate color to it with some noteworthy veins and and closed foot. In the hand the cigar is firm to the touch with no voids of tobacco.
The Taste: The cold draw is reminiscent of a hamster cage before the rodent moves in. There are notes of cedar and pine, however, cedar these days are considered to be toxic to the furry rodents. There goes another childhood memory destroyed by society. Anyway, the aroma from the closed foot serves up more of that memory.
Once the cigar is toasted and lit there is a strong cayenne pepper component to start before pulling back. As we smoked into the first third notes of damp cedar become dominant as the ash begins to form on this cigar that produces a lot of smoke. The cigar is slow smoking and it took 40 minutes to get through the first third that saw additional notes of caramel, butterscotch and red pepper. The red pepper is intensified to eye watering levels on the retrohale.
In the second third the red pepper begins to calm down on the palate but not on the retrohale. As the cigar gets smaller the spice is also easily identified on the aroma. The palate however, sees cedar and butterscotch bounce back and forth as the dominant flavor component. Around the halfway point some chocolate and caramel begin to emerge making this a delicious cigar with a nice balance of spicy and sweet. The retrohale continues to be eye watering though not as bad as in the first third.
The final third continues down a similar path with notes of cedar being the focal point with nuances of butterscotch and dark chocolate in the background. The finish is long and spicy with an abundance of red pepper and a burst of cayenne that is enhanced on the retrohale as well as on the resting aroma.
Conclusion: There are spicy cigars and then there are Viaje cigars. For my the brand has always been synonymous with pepper bombs that no other cigar company has come close to. There are times where it feels like the brand gives up balance and the cigars for flat. Then there are times where the company hits it out of the park like the Viaje Skull & Bones Tsar Bomba Gray. It also bring the strength of AGANORSA tobacco to the next level.
If your a fan of spicy cigars this one is for you and it is also a good entry to see what Viaje is all about.
Score: 93
Price: $17.00 (Before any local or state taxes)
The cigar comes as Red, Blue and Gray and Small Batch Cigars has a sampler of the three here -=> https://www.smallbatchcigar.com/viaje-skull-bones-tsar-bomba-sampler be sure to use the coupon code BARRELBURNER to save 10%
