November 1, 2011 Steve Valle Cigars,  Contests,  Honduras,  Limited Edition,  Previous,  Reviews,  Viaje

Viaje Skull and Bones M?stery Box-Pressed (2011)

Today we will be taking a look at an annual release from Viaje, the Skull and Bones M?stery. In May 2010, Viaje released the very first Skull and Bones cigar called the Daisy Cutter, a 4 x 54 Petit Robusto made with a Nicaraguan Sun Grown Criollo wrapper and a heavy leaf Nicaraguan blend, only 150 boxes of 25 cigars were released. We reviewed the cigar and were blown away, quite frankly I still think of it as one of my absolute favorite cigars.

Only a few months later in October 2010, we saw the second release of the Skull and Bones, coming in at 4 1/2 x 54, just a bit longer than the Daisy Cutter, with an unfinished foot, however, this one was being dubbed M?stery or “M?stery” for the fact that most everything about the cigar would be held as a surprise for retailers. You literally had no idea what size or shape this cigar would be until it hit the retailers hands and it would come bearing glow in the dark style bands. This was the first Skull and Bones release to have a secondary band showing the words Skull and Bones and this was also the first Skull and Bones to take on a Halloween style release as from here on out Skull and Bones M?stery would be released annually at Halloween. 150 boxes of 25 were officially released.

While we did not formally review last years Skull and Bones M?stery, I certainly smoked many of them and felt there was a drastic change between them and the original Daisy Cutter. The blend seemed to take on a much harsher tone and there was much less balance and overall flavor. If I had to guess I would say that while it bears the same Nicaraguan sun grown criollo wrapper as the Daisy Cutter, the blend is much different. I don’t see a half and inch in length altering the cigars profile that much, however, Viaje has told us that the Skull and Bones Daisy Cutter is the same blend as both of the Mystery releases. I am baffled by this information as they do not taste similar at all in my opinion.

Viaje Skull and Bones “?” Box-Pressed (2011) 2.jpg

Viaje Skull and Bones “?” Box-Pressed (2011) 3.jpg

Viaje Skull and Bones “?” Box-Pressed (2011) 4.jpg

This brings us to this years Skull and Bones M?stery 2011 release which officially hit stores around October 19th, a 4 ½ x 54 Torpedo with 250 boxes of 25 being released. Also included, for the first time, was a secondary release, the very same cigar only box-pressed with an unfinished foot. Viaje released 125 boxes of 25 the box-pressed version bringing the total release to 275 boxes of 25 making it not only the biggest Skull and Bones release, but the biggest Viaje limited release. I am told by Viaje that this years Skull and Bones M?stery is the same exact blend as last years Skull and Bones M?stery release.

Viaje Skull and Bones “?” Box-Pressed (2011) 1.jpg

In case you are wondering about the other, stronger red label Skull and Bones line please check out my review of the Skull and Bones Little Boy for more info as I felt it would be an overload of information for this one review.

Note: The following shows the various Viaje Skull and Bones vitolas. Some of these cigars may have been released after this post was originally published. This picture is not in the correct order. We are working to get an updated picture. The list was last updated on Feb. 7, 2024.

  1. Viaje Skull and Bones Daisy Cutter (4 x 54) — May 2010 — 150 Boxes of 25 Cigars (3,750 Total Cigars)
  2. Viaje Skull and Bones “?” (5 x 54) — October 2010 — 150 Boxes of 25 Cigars (3,750 Total Cigars)
  3. Viaje Skull and Bones MOAB (4 1/4 x 54) — March 2011 — 100 Boxes of 50 Cigars (5,000 Total Cigars)
  4. Viaje Skull and Bones WMD (3 3/4 x 54) — March 2011 — 250 Boxes of 25 Cigars (6,250 Total Cigars)
  5. Viaje Skull and Bones Fat Man (4 1/4 x 56) — August 2011 — 125 Boxes of 25 Cigars (3,125 Total Cigars)
  6. Viaje Skull and Bones Little Boy (4 1/4 x 52) — August 2011 — 125 Boxes of 25 Cigars (3,750 Total Cigars)
  7. Viaje Skull and Bones “?” Box-Pressed (4 1/2 x 54) — October 2011 — 125 Boxes of 25 Cigars (3,125 Total Cigars)
  8. Viaje Skull and Bones “?” (4 1/2 x 54) — October 2011 — 250 Boxes of 25 Cigars (6,250 Total Cigars)
  9. Viaje Skull and Bones WMD (2012) (3 3/4 x 54) — March 2012 —300 Boxes of 25 Cigars (7,500 Total Cigars)
  10. Viaje Skull and Bones MOAB (4 1/2 x 52) — March 2012— 300 Boxes of 25 Cigars (7,500 Total Cigars)
  11. Viaje Skull and Bones FOAB (4 1/2 x 56) — March 2012— 300 Boxes of 25 Cigars (7,500 Total Cigars)
  12. Viaje Skull and Bones M?stery (4 1/2 x 54) — October 2012 — Undisclosed
  13. Viaje Skull and Bones M?stery BP (4 1/2 x 54) — October 2012 — Undisclosed
  14. Viaje Skull and Bones M?stery Vintage (4 1/2 x 54) — October 2012 — Undisclosed
  15. Viaje Skull and Bones Fat Man (4 1/4 x 52) — February 2013 — Undisclosed
  16. Viaje Skull and Bones Little Boy (4 1/4 x 56) — February 2013 — Undisclosed
  17. Viaje Skull and Bones Big Ivan (5 x 60) — February 2013 — Undisclosed
  18. Viaje Skull and Bones M?stery (2013) (4 3/4 x 52) — October 2013 — 200 Boxes of 25 Cigars (5,000 Total Cigars)
  19. Viaje Skull and Bones WMD (2014) (3 3/4 x 54) — February 2014 — 300 Boxes of 25 Cigars (7,500 Total Cigars)
  20. Viaje Skull and Bones FOAB (2014) (4 1/2 x 56) — May 2014 — 300 Boxes of 25 Cigars (7,500 Total Cigars)
  21. Viaje Skull and Bones MOAB (2014) (4 1/2 x 52) — May 2014 — 300 Boxes of 25 Cigars (7,500 Total Cigars)
  22. Viaje Skull and Bones Cloudmaker (5 x 60) — May 2014 — Undisclosed
  23. Viaje Skull and Bones M?stery (2014) (4 3/4 x 54) — October 2014 — Undisclosed
  24. Viaje Skull and Bones Ten Ton Tess Collector’s Edition (6 x 54) — July 2015 — 1,000 Jars of 19 Cigars (19,000 Total Cigars)
  25. Viaje Skull and Bones Ten Ton Tess Gold Collector’s Edition (6 x 54) — July 2015 — 100 Jars of 19 Cigars (1,900 Total Cigars)
  26. Viaje Skull and Bones M?stery (4 1/2 x 58) — October 2015 — 300 Boxes of 25 Cigars (7,500 Total Cigars)
  27. Viaje Skull and Bones Red Little Boy (4 1/4 x 52) — February 2016 — Undisclosed
  28. Viaje Skull and Bones Red Fat Man (4 1/4 x 56) — February 2016 — Undisclosed
  29. Viaje Skull and Bones Red Big Ivan (5 x 60) — February 2016 — Undisclosed
  30. Viaje Skull and Bones Daisy Cutter Edición Limitada (4 x 54) — February 2017 — Undisclosed
  31. Viaje Skull and Bones Green The Hulk 56 (5 1/4 x 56) — June 2017 — 50 Bundles of 25 Cigars (1,250 Cigars)
  32. Viaje Skull and Bones Green The Hulk 58 (5 1/4 x 58) — June 2017 — 50 Bundles of 25 Cigars (1,250 Cigars)
  33. Viaje Skull and Bones WMD (2017) (3 3/4 x 54) — June 2017 — Undisclosed*
  34. Viaje Skull and Bones M?stery (4 1/2 x 58) — October 2018 — Undisclosed
  35. Viaje Skull and Bones FOAB (2019) (4 1/2 x 56) — March 2019 — Undisclosed*
  36. Viaje Skull and Bones MOAB (2019) (4 1/4 x 54) — March 2019 — Undisclosed*
  37. Viaje Skull and Bones Cloudmaker (2019) (5 x 60) — March 2019 — Undisclosed*
  38. Viaje Skull and Bones Red Little Boy (2019) (4 1/4 x 52) — September 2019 — Undisclosed
  39. Viaje Skull and Bones Red Fat Man (2019) (4 1/4 x 56) — September 2019 — Undisclosed
  40. Viaje Skull and Bones Red Big Ivan (2019) (5 x 60) — September 2019 — Undisclosed
  41. Viaje Skull and Bones Johnny Blaze (6 x 56) — December 2019 — Undisclosed
  42. Viaje Skull and Bones Ghost Rider (6 x 56) — December 2019 — Undisclosed
  43. Viaje Skull and Bones Mephisto (6 1/2 x 56) — December 2019 — Undisclosed
  44. Viaje Skull and Bones The Hulk (2020) (5 1/4 x 60) — April 2020 — Undisclosed
  45. Viaje Skull and Bones Bruce Banner (5 1/4 x 56) — April 2020 — Undisclosed
  46. Viaje Skull and Bones Daisy Cutter (2020) (4 x 50) —August 2020 — Undisclosed
  47. Viaje Skull and Bones WMD (2020) (3 3/4 x 52) — August 2020 — Undisclosed
  48. Viaje Skull and Bones M?stery (6 1/4 x 56) — October 2020 — Undisclosed
  49. Viaje Skull and Bones Frank Castle (6 1/4 x 54) — April 2021 — Undisclosed
  50. Viaje Skull and Bones The Punisher (6 1/4 x 54) — April 2021 — Undisclosed
  51. Viaje Skull and Bones FOAB (2022) (4 1/2 x 56) — February 2022 — Undisclosed
  52. Viaje Skull and Bones MOAB (2022) (4 1/4 x 54) — February 2022 — Undisclosed
  53. Viaje Skull and Bones Cloudmaker (2022) (5 x 60) — February 2022 — Undisclosed
  54. Viaje Skull and Bones M?stery (2022) (5 x 56) — October 2022 — Undisclosed
  55. Viaje Skull and Bones Red Little Boy (2023) (4 1/4 x 52) — April 2023 — Undisclosed
  56. Viaje Skull and Bones Red Fat Man (2023) (4 1/4 x 56) — April 2023 — Undisclosed
  57. Viaje Skull and Bones Red Big Ivan (2023) (5 x 60) — April 2023 — Undisclosed
  58. Viaje Skull and Bones Tsar Bomba Camo Blue (6 x 56) — December 2023 — Undisclosed*
  59. Viaje Skull and Bones Tsar Bomba Camo Gray (6 x 56) — December 2023 — Undisclosed*
  60. Viaje Skull and Bones Tsar Bomba Camo Red (6 x 56) — December 2023 — Undisclosed*

*Not pictured.

78 Overall Score

Unfortunately, this cigar has to be filed under the maybe it will be good in a year category and I feel that lately I have been getting this result from a lot of Viajes and specifically the Skull and Bones. I know what you’re thinking; perhaps this cigar is just too strong for my tastes. Well, that is not that case because it’s not just about strength. This cigar is without a doubt very strong, but it’s very unbalanced in its strength, it hits you with strength and a harsh sensation but leaves no room for any real flavor to get through, so what you end up with is a boring cigar that isn’t even that easy on the palate. It’s far from a bad cigar but it’s not that close to being a good one either.

Viaje Skull and Bones “?” Box-Pressed (2011) 5.jpg

  • Cigar Reviewed: Viaje Skull and Bones M?stery Box-Pressed (2011)
  • Country of Origin: Honduras
  • Factory: Fábrica de Tabacos Raíces Cubanas S. de R.L.
  • Wrapper: Nicaraguan Sun Grown Criollo
  • Binder: Nicaragua
  • Filler: Nicaragua
  • Size: 4 1/2 Inches
  • Ring Gauge: 54
  • Vitola: Petit Robusto
  • MSRP: $10.70 ($267.50)
  • Date Released: October 2011
  • Number of Cigars Released: 125 Boxes of 25 Cigars (3,750 Total Cigars)
  • Number of Cigars Smoked For Review: 4

The cigar itself is quite a treat to look at. It has a very oily dark shade wrapper with minimal veins and a slight tooth. When I line up the two versions side by side I can immediately tell that the box-pressed version seems slightly darker with more of a reddish hue. The cigar feels extremely heavy with a really tight pack. I am already worried about the draw because you can just tell by the density and weight of it that it’s going to be packed extremely tight. The pre-light aroma is heavy with a lot of dark chocolate, coffee, wood, tobacco and pepper. The pre-light draw is as I guessed very tight with wood, tobacco and pepper coming through.

Starting off in the first third the cigar opens up with insanely dark tones and sensations, there is immediately an almost burnt coffee and dark semi bitter dark chocolate profile taking shape. There is a rush of pepper on the draw and also on the finish along with lots of dark bitter flavors. The finish is unfortunately long too. About an inch into the cigar it really takes on a huge change, it slowly progresses to a much more balanced profile with much less bitterness showing, although it’s still present. It becomes a leather bomb with a lot of wood, coffee and dark chocolate. There is a slight creaminess to the smoke as well which is pleasant, the pepper subsides a touch as well.

Viaje Skull and Bones “?” Box-Pressed (2011) 6.jpg

Coming into the second third the cigar holds steady with a pretty dark profile with a few changes, I start to notice a slight licorice flavor as well as a more cedar like tone compared to the darker wood that I was getting in the first third. The cigar starts to show more creamy flavors, but make no mistake this is a strong cigar with the core mainly being dark chocolate, coffee, leather and wood tones.

Viaje Skull and Bones “?” Box-Pressed (2011) 7.jpg

Finishing up in the final third the cigar continues on a normal pace with a few different flavors coming into the picture, one being a real meaty flavor. All I can relate it to is the burnt, over cooked parts of a steak that lay on the edges. It mixes quite well with all the other flavors like wood, leather and coffee. Surprisingly, there isn’t much spice to this cigar, quite a bit of pepper, but not a lot of your typical cigar spice, just more of a pepper flavor.

Viaje Skull and Bones “?” Box-Pressed (2011) 8.jpg

Final Notes

  • As I stated in the notes, this cigar bears no resemblance to the original Skull and Bones Daisy Cutter, this cigar is a complete, heavy, slightly bitter, leather bomb with not a whole lot of complexity throughout the cigar. The Daisy Cutter was beautiful in that it showed great flavor, balance of spices and it didn’t overpower the palate. This cigar assaults you from the beginning and starts to let up a touch but just not enough, its mostly bitter the whole way.
  • The cigar itself is just packed way too tight, I smoked four of these cigars and every single one had a really tough draw, it also burns very hot, which leads me to believe these cigars just might need a lot of rest and the overheating might very well be contributing to the bitter flavors more than I think.
  • Surprisingly I enjoyed the regular one a little bit better. According to the info I got from Viaje these are both the same blend, however, the regular one offered less bitterness for sure.
  • Final Smoking time was just over one hour.
78 Overall Score

Unfortunately, this cigar has to be filed under the maybe it will be good in a year category and I feel that lately I have been getting this result from a lot of Viajes and specifically the Skull and Bones. I know what you’re thinking; perhaps this cigar is just too strong for my tastes. Well, that is not that case because it’s not just about strength. This cigar is without a doubt very strong, but it’s very unbalanced in its strength, it hits you with strength and a harsh sensation but leaves no room for any real flavor to get through, so what you end up with is a boring cigar that isn’t even that easy on the palate. It’s far from a bad cigar but it’s not that close to being a good one either.

Andre Farkas Fábrica de Tabacos Raíces Cubanas S. de R.L. Honduras Viaje Viaje Skull and Bones Viaje Skull and Bones "?" 2011

Steve Valle

Steve Valle wrote for Smoking Stogie, a precursor to halfwheel, from 2010-2011.

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