Viaje Holiday Blend Christmas Tree (2022)

In the 15-plus years that Viaje has been making cigars, the company has become known for releasing small batches of cigars throughout the year, with some cigars appearing sporadically and others appearing on a yearly basis. One of the most consistent releases from the company has been the Holiday Blend, which debuted in 2009 and was released annually until 2021, when the cigar didn’t get a release.

The hiatus proved to be only a one-year thing, as in December 2022, the company announced that the Viaje Holiday Blend would be returning and doing so in two different formats—the 5 x 54 Holiday Blend and the 4 x 60 Holiday Blend Christmas Tree—and returning with a new wrapper, a Nicaraguan corojo 99 maduro wrapper in place of the Nicaraguan criollo wrapper used for previous releases. Both cigars use Nicaraguan-grown tobacco for the binder and filler, though no varietals have been disclosed.

As for pricing, the Holiday Blend 2022 has an MSRP of $10.66 per cigar while the Christmas Tree 2022 will have an MSRP of $10 per cigar.

This marks the first time the Viaje Holiday Blend Christmas Tree has been released since 2017.

• Cigar Reviewed: Viaje Holiday Blend Christmas Tree (2022)
• Country of Origin: Undisclosed
• Factory: Undisclosed
• Wrapper: Nicaragua (Corojo 99 Maduro)
• Binder: Nicaragua
• Filler: Nicaragua
• Length: 4 Inches
• Ring Gauge: 60
• Vitola: Belicoso
• MSRP: $10 (Box of 20, $200)
• Release Date: December 2022
• Number of Cigars Released: Undisclosed
• Number of Cigars Smoked For Review: 3

I love the vibrance of the green on the wrapping paper, a point I bring up not only because of how it brings to life the holiday season but also because of how it contrasts with the olive green of the primary band, which I don’t really think of as a holiday color. The vitola is short and stout, with a flattened head that I find interesting to look at because of how it doesn’t look like a traditional belicoso with a more pointed head, as well as how it contrasts with the pointed top of the Christmas tree design on the secondary band. The wrapper has a notably waxy texture to it, not particularly oily or shiny, but unique in how it feels on my fingers. Beyond that, the wrappers look fairly typical with small veins, barely visible seams along the cylinder, and somewhat more visible seams on the heads of the three samples. The cigar is rolled quite firmly, almost hard, and in the case of one sample, I wonder if the filler might be pushing out on the binder and wrapper, causing stress to both. The aroma from the foot of the cigar reminds me a bit of cream soda with a touch of pepper and a finishing sensation that draws on grains and fills the nostrils. The cream aspect is quite interesting, combining both a bit of vanilla and an almost foamy texture. The way the head is shaped and constructed limits me to a small initial cut, which I doubt will be wide enough to produce an optimal amount of airflow. Where I get concerned is that I don’t want the cigar to start unraveling, so I’m careful in how much more I try and take off. Shape of the cigar aside, the airflow feels like it’s being slowed a bit in one sample as it makes its way from the foot to the head, while another sample is smooth and maybe even a touch open and the third is the best of the bunch. The flavor is a bit milder than the aroma and has a bit of a peppery tingle, but on the whole, feels a touch thin.

As I was expecting, the draw on the 2022 edition of the Viaje Holiday Blend Christmas Tree is a bit firm right out of the gate, though it’s not inherently problematic. A few more puffs make me think more favorably about the draw, though I’m not sure that it will get to my ideal spot without me cutting more of the cap off and running the risks of damaging the head of the cigar. The initial flavor isn’t immediately identifiable, as it has components of oily, mixed nuts, slightly damp lumber, a bit of pepper and what seems like dry earth, though the way they combine and intertwine makes it harder to identify the individual contributors. One cigar is a bit on the sharp side but manageable. On the whole, I’m not crazy about how the 2022 edition of the Viaje Holiday Blend Christmas Tree starts, as it hits my taste buds in a way that seems like the cigar might be young and the tobacco somewhat underfermented, but I’m optimistic things will improve. My first retrohale delivers a bit of pepper and dry wood in a smoke that feels a bit thinner in the nostrils than it did on the palate. The draw continues to improve, and before the half-inch mark, I’m much more confident in how the cigar will smoke the rest of the way. The flavor is still a bit wild, the burn rate isn’t very quick, and before the one-inch mark, I’m now curious to see just how things will progress. Flavor is medium-plus in intensity, body is medium and strength is medium-minus, just enough to have me thinking about it.

The second third starts off a bit mellower than what the first third offered, as the flavors have turned down the intensity knob a few clicks without completely muting the core flavors. This change allows a slightly oily nuttiness to emerge, a welcomed definition of a distinct flavor that the first third lacked, even if it is a touch singular. That nuttiness gets deeper, eventually picking up a bit of earthiness, though with that comes a bit more of the sharpness from earlier. Combustion begins to become an issue in the second third, as each cigar requires a touch-up, and while I didn’t want to think about having to dry box the cigars after the first cigar, by the second, I’m realizing I should have. By the midway point, the draw is no longer a concern, and if anything it has improved to a point where I’m enjoying how the cigar smokes. Smoke production is average or maybe a tick less, but that’s a minor detail. As this section comes to a close, I begin to feel a bit of nicotine strength from the cigar.

There are more struggles with combustion, as it feels like the tail end of the second third and the start of the final third requires a quicker puffing rate in order for the cigar to stay lit and burning. The flavor begins to pick up its intensity, sharpening up the overall profile which elicits a more pronounced physical reaction from the taste buds, though the flavor feels like it has a hard time showing off precise flavors. After three cigars, all my notes say is that the cigar has a crisp black pepper with little behind that. It’s a problem that is compounded by those relights and an increasingly lengthy smoking time, which has now surpassed two hours and there is still a decent amount of cigar to get through. One thing that has changed in the final third is the addition of a dry earthiness that really coats the palate. Smoke production seems to tick up in the final third, though combustion issues continue and the burn rate somehow slows even more. Flavor finishes around medium, body is medium and strength is medium-plus.

Final Notes

• I don’t think it’s the same shade or even close enough to be confused, but the color of the primary band reminds me a bit of the color used for plain packaging bands in certain countries.
• While the Viaje Holiday Blend returned after a hiatus in 2021, and the Christmas Tree returned after several years off the market, the company did not release the Holiday Blend Candy Cane, a barber pole version of the Holiday Blend.
• At the same time the company released the Holiday Blend cigars, Viaje also released a new vitola of its Honey & Hand Grenades line called The Katana. It is a 7 x 48 vitola that features a tapered foot.
• One of the caps had a distinct ridge, almost as if it was begging me to cut it off with my cigar scissors.
• I smoked the first cigar early in the morning with little in my stomach other than some espresso, and the nicotine was certainly noticeable.
• The cigars for this review were purchased by halfwheel.
• Final smoking time was two hours and 30 minutes on average.
• Site sponsor Atlantic Cigar Co. carries the Viaje Holiday Blend Christmas Tree (2022).