In 2014, Viaje announced a brand new annual release that would be comprised of a different cigar blend produced with a unique manufacturer every year. Appropriately named Viaje Collaboration, the first two releases were with Casa Fernández and PDR Cigars in 2014 and 2015 respectively.

This year brought a couple of different changes to the series, with perhaps the most significant change being a new name. Now dubbed Viaje Juntos, the series added not one but two different vitolas in the same packaging, both of which carry the same blend and both of which are produced in conjunction with Quesada Cigars at that company’s factory in the Dominican Republic. Each can holds both cigars, 10 on top and 10 on bottom: a 6 x 54 toro extra and a 6 x 54 belicoso.

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Blend-wise, both cigars are composed of a Dominican negrito wrapper covering a Dominican criollo binder and Dominican filler tobaccos. In addition, only 1,000 jars were produced, and each cigar carries an MSRP of $14, regardless of vitola.

There have now been four different releases in the Viaje Collaboration/Juntos line.

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  • Viaje Collaboration 2014 (6 x 52)— 1,000 Boxes of 20 Cigars (20,000 Total Cigars) — $11.50 (Boxes of 20, $230)
  • Viaje Collaboration 2015 (6 x 52) — 600 Boxes of 20 Cigars (12,000 Total Cigars — $12.80 (Boxes of 20, $256)
  • Viaje Juntos Belicoso (6 x 54) — 1,000 Jars of 10 Cigars (10,000 Total Cigars) — $14 (Jars of 20, $280)
  • Viaje Juntos Toro Extra (6 x 54) — 1,000 Jars of 10 Cigars (10,000 Total Cigars) — $14 (Jars of 20, $280)

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  • Cigar Reviewed: Viaje Juntos Torpedo
  • Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
  • Factory: Quesada Cigars
  • Wrapper: Dominican Negrito
  • Binder: Dominican Criollo
  • Filler: Dominican Republic
  • Length: 6 Inches
  • Ring Gauge: 54
  • Vitola: Torpedo
  • MSRP: $14 (Jars of 20, $280)
  • Release Date: August 2016
  • Number of Cigars Released: 1,000 Jars of 10 Cigars (10,000 Total Cigars)
  • Number of Cigars Smoked For Review: 3

The Viaje Juntos Torpedo is visually striking with a combination of an ornate white on black band and a dark espresso brown wrapper that is a tiny bit rough when felt. In addition, the cigar is has some fairly significant veins running up and down the length, and is absolutely rock hard when squeezed. Aroma from the wrapper is a combination of hay, manure, leather, dark chocolate and slight mint, while the cold draw brings flavors of strong leather, gritty earth, baker’s spices, espresso beans and an abundence of black pepper.

The Viaje Juntos Torpedo starts out the first third with a dominant creamy oak note that was noticeably stronger than the other flavors that are present, including leather tack, dark chocolate, earth, peanuts and popcorn. There are some black pepper and slight green pepper notes on the finish that come and go, as well as some indeterminate sweetness that seems to be getting a bit stronger as the first third burns down, but none of them are strong enough to make much of an impact on the overall profile as of yet. The draw is wonderful after I took just a little off the the top of the torpedo cap, and the burn is decent enough so far, wavy but not bad enough to cause issues. The smoke production is quite high off of the foot, and the overall strength ramps up quickly from the first puff, easily getting close to the medium mark by the time the first third comes to an end.

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Coming into the second third of the Juntos Torpedo, and while the creamy oak from the first third is still the dominant flavor, the leather note in the profile continues to increase noticeably. Other flavors of earth, hay, wood, dark chocolate, coffee beans and a touch of popcorn flit in and out, and I actually pick up a floral note right after the halfway point. The draw continues to impress and the burn has evened up nicely, not needing a touch-up for the entire second third. Strength-wise, the cigar struggles to hit the medium mark, but almost makes it before the start of the final third.

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The final third of the Juntos Torpedo features the same creamy oak that has become so familiar by now, as well as an increasing amount of white pepper on the retrohale. The other flavors in the profile remain pretty close to the second third: leather, hay, wood, dark chocolate, espresso and creamy milk, along with that same floral note from the second third that comes and goes. While the burn remains excellent until the end of the cigar, it becomes wavy enough that I am forced to correct it. The strength does finally reach the medium mark by the time I put the nub down with a bit more than an inch left.

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Final Notes

  • The word Juntos translates from Spanish to together.
  • Fairmont Holdings, Inc., the holding company for Alec Bradley, owns a trademark on the Collaboration name, which is presumably why the name of the series was changed to Juntos this year.
  • This marks the first time Viaje has collaborated with a factory that has not produced any other Viaje cigars.
  • The packaging for this can is fantastic, and I would not be surprised if it wound up on our packaging awards list this year.
  • Along with the above, Viaje seems to have learned its lesson from its Exclusivo Double Edged Sword II release, as all of the bundles of cigars inside both parts of the tin were packed nice and tight. As a result, there was not a single damaged in our tube.
  • When I say the cigar is rock hard when squeezed, I mean it. In fact, all three samples had no give whatsoever, almost like they were frozen solid right before I smoked them. Interestingly, this fact did not seem to have a negative impact on the construction, which—while not amazing by any means—was decent enough.
  • Quesada Cigars advertises on halfwheel.
  • The cigars smoked for this review were purchased by halfwheel.
  • The final smoking time for all three samples averaged one hour and 35 minutes.
  • If you would like to purchase any of the CIGARS, site sponsors Atlantic Cigar and Cigar Hustler have them in stock.
84 Overall Score

While I was expecting a much different result after the amount of black pepper I registered on the cold draw, the profile of the Viaje Juntos Torpedo is actually quite smooth, albeit not very well balanced, mostly due to some odd flavors at different points. In addition, the profile could be a bit more complex during the final two thirds, and I would have liked a bit more sweetness overall. Having said that, the construction was decent enough, and the strength never became a major issue. In the end, the Viaje Juntos Torpedo is a bit of mixed bag, and while I enjoyed it for what it was, there is no doubt that the price point might keep people from trying it.

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Brooks Whittington

I have been smoking cigars for over eight years. A documentary wedding photographer by trade, I spent seven years as a photojournalist for the Dallas Morning News and the Fort Worth Star Telegram. I started the cigar blog SmokingStogie in 2008 after realizing that there was a need for a cigar blog with better photographs and more in-depth information about each release. SmokingStogie quickly became one of the more influential cigar blogs on the internet, known for reviewing preproduction, prerelease, rare, extremely hard-to-find and expensive cigars. I am a co-founder of halfwheel and now serve as an editor for halfwheel.