Viaje Secret Sauce

Last year, Viaje introduced one of its most exclusive offerings to date, an event only cigar named Secret Sauce. The 5 1/4 x 56 box-pressed cigar is available only at events with Andre Farkas and is allegedly based off arguably the next most exclusive Viaje, Friends and Family.

Introduced first at a May event in North Carolina, Secret Sauce has shown up in a few other places as Andre Farkas sporadically attends events. It is sold to consumers in boxes of 15, which are rather similar to the Viaje Zombie.

Secret Sauce has its own special band which has “event only” accents. 

• Cigar Reviewed: Viaje Secret Sauce
• Country of Origin: Honduras
• Factory: Fábrica de Tabacos Raíces Cubanas S. de R.L.
• Wrapper: Nicaragua
• Binder: Nicaragua
• Filler: Nicaragua
• Size: 5 1/4 Inches
• Ring Gauge: 56
• Vitola: Robusto Extra
• Est. Price: $12.16 (Boxes of 15, $182.42)
• Date Released: May 17, 2012
• Number of Cigars Released: n/a
• Number of Cigars Smoked For Review: 5

The Secret Sauce is dark, slightly darker than I recall any Friends and Family being, but only slightly. The cigars are rolled very well with a nice box-press. There’s a sweet barnyard note from the wrapper. The foot is much more lively with chocolate overtaking the barnyard. From the cold draw I get some sweetness, chocolate, leather, espresso—a simple mixture.

It begins with toasty and sweet notes. it takes a few moments and then a barbecue note and Worcestershire note pair wonderfully together to present a very complex secondary note underneath a somewhat elementary harsh cedar and a generic sweetness. I have little to complain about the draw and smoke production, but the cigar is requiring a few touch-ups in the first two inches.

Into the second third and the Secret Sauce is picking up a lot of sweetness. While the complexities in the barbecue note disappear, the harshness also departs—which results in a welcome change. There’s still a lot of cedar, a minor amount of pepper, but its still a pretty full flavor. Strength is medium-full, quite static. The Viaje’s burn issues remain, but the draw and smoke production are still quite good.

The final third changes completely. There’s an incredible rich chocolate with some creaminess and a dose of saltiness on the finish of the retrohale. A candied raspberry develops midway through the last inch, which makes for a rich modern dessert feature. For those concerned about ti being too sweet, it’s not, the cedar is still very much present and the dessert notes are playing in different parts of the palate. It’s an incredible change from what was a somewhat mundane second third and a great way to end the Secret Sauce.

Final Notes:

• Previously, the Exclusivo Corona Gorda was Viaje’s event only cigar.
• I found very little similarities between this and the first two releases of the Friends and Family. I would say Secret Sauce is fuller, a bit more straightforward.
• Strength-wise, the cigar is medium-full.
• While I do like the boxes, I imagine they are probably prone to scratches and dings.
• Cigars for this review were purchased by halfwheel. We paid $182.42 at an Arizona event in December, the cigars have been at the halfwheel office ever since.
• Final smoking time was one hour and 35 minutes.

Leave a comment to win a three-pack of Viaje Secret Sauce. Contest ends Feb. 15, rules are here.