Viaje Hamaki Omakase Returning in July
Viaje has announced that its Hamaki Omakase will be returning to retailers in July.
The 2022 version will be a 5 x 52 box pressed robusto that is made in Nicaragua, and will come with an MSRP of $11 per cigar and $198 for a box of 18 cigars. The company has not revealed any blend details about the cigar, though this is not surprising as the company has not released details of either of the cigar’s previous releases, due to the meaning of the cigar’s name.
The Viaje Hamaki Omakase debuted in 2017 as part of the company’s White Label Project, and gets its name from the Japanese word for cigar, hamaki, and the term omakase, which is best known as being a dining term that translates as I will leave it to you. Diners use the term when ordering to allow the chef to choose their meal for them. Viaje is adapting this practice to cigars, saying that “as the name suggests, you’re just going to have to trust us.”
In social media posts, the company acknowledged that there has been some “tinkering” which resulted in “this box pressed version to be a tasty twist on the original.” That first release, as well as the second release in 2019, were both 6 x 52 toros, making this the first time the Viaje Hamaki Omakase will be released in the 5 x 52 box pressed robusto vitola. AGANORSA Leaf is once again producing the cigar for Viaje.
This would seemingly indicate why this year’s release wears an Edición Limitada blend, as the company has used it to note when a cigar is using a modified blend, a different wrapper, or has a notably smaller production.
The company has not yet indicated a specific shipping date for the cigar or how many are being released.
Update — Viaje confirmed that AGANORSA Leaf’s Agricola Ganadera Norteña S.A. factory is producing the cigar.
Patrick Lagreid
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.
Related Posts
-
May 2, 2019 -
October 9, 2017
