It’s once again time for Viaje to celebrate company founder Andre Farkas’ birthday, and the company is doing it with a new Collector’s Edition version of its Birthday Blend line.
The Collector’s Edition designation, which has been used on several of Viaje’s releases, designates a cigar as a one-and-done release and indicates that there have been some changes made to the usual details of a cigar. In this case, the company has said that it has modified the blend and shape “ever so slightly to give it a special take on what has become an annual favorite.”
While the company has not yet replied to an e-mail asking about what those tweaks are, it did reply to a question on its Instagram post about the cigars being maduros with a simple “yes.” The company has previously released versions of the Birthday Blend using a Mexican San Andrés maduro wrapper.
Note: The following shows the various Viaje Birthday Blend releases. Some of these cigars may have been released after this post was originally published. The list was last updated on April 15, 2024.
- Viaje White Label Project Birthday Blend (2016) (6 x 52) — August 2016 — 300 Boxes of 38 Cigars (11,400 Cigars)
- Viaje White Label Project Birthday Blend 2017 (6 x 52) — June 2017 — 400 Boxes of 25 Cigars (10,000 Total Cigars)
- Viaje White Label Project Birthday Blend 2018 (6 x 52) — June 2018 — 200 Boxes of 25 Cigars (5,000 Total Cigars)
- Viaje Birthday Blend 2019 (6 x 52) — April 2019 — n/a
- Viaje Birthday Blend 2020 (6 x 52) — May 2020 — n/a
- Viaje Birthday Blend Gold 2022 (6 x 52) — June 2022 — n/a
- Viaje Birthday Blend 2022 (6 x 52) — June 2022 — n/a
- Viaje Birthday Blend 2023 (6 x 52) — May 2023 — n/a*
- Viaje Birthday Blend Collector’s Edition (Undisclosed) — April 2024 — n/a*
*Not pictured.
The Viaje Birthday Blend debuted in 2016 and all of the cigars to date have been released in a 6 x 52 torpedo vitola, a shape selected because it resembles a lit candle that would be found on a birthday cake. Based on an image of the cigars that the company released, it does appear that they are still a torpedo vitola. Additionally, each cigar has its lower half wrapped in birthday-themed wrapping paper, a change from last year’s release when the bundle of cigars inside the box was wrapped in such paper.
In 2023, the company released the cigars in a 45-count box that included “one for good luck,” coming wrapped in gold and using a Mexican San Andrés maduro wrapper. In 2022, the company released two versions, one being the “regular” version that used a Nicaraguan criollo 98 wrapper, and another called the Birthday Blend Gold, which used a San Andrés maduro wrapper. Both cigars used a Nicaraguan binder and filler.
The Viaje Birthday Blend Collector’s Edition is scheduled to begin shipping on April 22. The company has not yet announced pricing for the cigars.
Update (April 29, 2024) — Pricing is set at $322 for a box of 25 cigars, which works out to $12.88 per cigar.
I strive to capture the essence of a cigar and the people behind them in my work – every cigar you light up is the culmination of the work of countless people and often represents generations of struggle and stories. For me, it’s about so much more than the cigar – it’s about the story behind it, the experience of enjoying the work of artisans and the way that a good cigar can bring people together. In addition to my work with halfwheel, I’m the public address announcer for the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks during spring training, as well as for the Salt River Rafters of the Arizona Fall League, the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury and previously the Arizona Rattlers of the Indoor Football League. I also work in a number of roles for Major League Baseball, plus I'm a voice over artist. Prior to joining halfwheel, I covered the Phoenix and national cigar scene for Examiner.com, and was an editor for Cigar Snob magazine.
