Pre-light Experience

Aaron: Initially, you can’t see any of the Viaje Private Bale Bird on a Branch Pajaro, as there is a white and gold band that denotes the company and line names along with an image of a bird on a branch. From under the band, up to covering the head, is gold foil and from under the band, down to covering the foot is parchment style paper. After sliding off the two sleeves, the cigar is presented with a wrapper that is medium brown and has thick but well pressed veins. The seams are smooth and the caps well applied. The aroma from the wrapper is just a faint cedar while the foot brings stewed fruit with light amounts of cedar and earth. The pre-light draw brings a floral perfumey note along with some spice.
Seth: The Viaje Private Bale Bird on a Branch Pajaro is a nice looking cigar. When you remove the packaging, you are left with a solid Colorado colored wrapper with medium veins throughout. It is firm in hand with a nice aroma of cream, tobacco, spices and earth. Dark Natural coloring.
John: The Viaje Private Bale Bird on a Branch Pajaro came in cellophane and did not have a UPC sticker. There is a primary Viaje Private Bale band, and a tissue style of wrap that covers roughly two-thirds of the bottom of the cigar. Additionally, there is a gold foil covering the top of the cigar. I weighed the cigar at 17.4 grams and at 16.7 grams with the foil and tissue removed. The humidity was measured at 62.1% with the HumidiMeter Pro. Aromas from the wrapper were sweet tobacco, mild earth, wood and bread. From the foot, I was picking out strawberry sweetness, raisin, tobacco and faint hay.

Viaje Private Bale Bird on a Branch Pajaro

First Third

Aaron: The cigar begins with toasted oak and light amounts of earth and black pepper. At a half inch in, the earth is now right behind the toasted oak. The retrohale is toasted oak and earth with lightly zingy black pepper. At an inch and a quarter, a light meatiness joins the profile. At an inch and a half in, the toasted oak and earth are now even up front. As the third comes to a close, the toasted cedar and earth are even up front, with black pepper just behind the middle of the profile and some meatiness in the background. The strength was right at medium.
Seth: The first third begins with pepper spices, tobacco, cream and faint barnyard. It is medium in strength and body. Not overly complex, somewhat lacking, but a soft core flavor profile.
John: The cigar gets going with earthy tobacco, a mild spice center and wood on the finish. Through the retrohale, the spices are intensified to medium strength. As the first third continues, pepper joins the post draw and immediately starts building in strength from light-plus. It continues to evolve as sweet tobacco leads off with light-plus spices taking up the center and wood providing the finish.

Viaje Private Bale Bird on a Branch Pajaro

Second Third

Aaron: As the second third begins, the earth takes a slight lead and the overall profile has become a bit dry. At a half inch in, the earth has extended its lead a fair amount. The retrohale is now just earth and toasted oak. At an inch and a half in, a light mintiness joins the profile. As the third comes to a close, the earth is up front, with the toasted oak a bit behind. The black pepper is in the back half of the profile and there is some meatiness and mintiness in the background. The strength bumped up to slightly above medium.
Seth: The second third is right in line with the first. Pepper spices and tobacco with a finish of barnyard and soft cream. Some coffee notes. Medium in strength and body.
John: My second third experience opens with creamy earth that lingers to the finish and is joined by sweet tobacco. That profile remains stable until the halfway point where post draw earth moves up to medium strength.

Viaje Private Bale Bird on a Branch Pajaro

Final Third

Aaron: As the final third begins, the toast level picks up a bit. The retrohale remains just earth and toasted oak. At an inch in, a light vegetal note joins the profile. At an inch and a quarter, the vegetal note increases a bit as the black pepper mellows a bit. As the cigar wraps up, the earth is ahead of the toasted oak, with black pepper and vegetal notes in the back half of the profile and light mintiness and meatiness in the background. The strength remained at slightly above medium.
Seth: The final third is in line with the first. Some mineral and pepper notes. Faint cream and barnyard with tobacco. Medium in strength and body.
John: The last third starts being driven largely by earth as a heavy medium to medium-full earth defines the post draw. There are no flavor changes or new components to remark on until the halfway point where a minor acrid accent joins the earth on the finish.

Viaje Private Bale Bird on a Branch Pajaro

Burn

Aaron: The burn was a bit wavy at times, but never needed any intervention. The ash held on in inch and a half increments.
Seth: Burn was solid throughout. Not perfect, but no problems.
John: The cigar went out roughly 15 minutes in, requiring a re-light. The burn became uneven through the second third and then went out, requiring a second re-light.

Viaje Private Bale Bird on a Branch Pajaro

Draw

Aaron: The draw was slightly tighter than I prefer, but didn’t cause any issues with the smoking experience.
Seth: Draw was good from beginning to end.
John: The draw had significant resistance to it, roughly 3-1/2 to 4 notches into the resistant spectrum.

Overall

Aaron: The cigar began with toasted oak and light amounts of earth and black pepper. A light meatiness joined a bit later. The second third saw the earth take a slight lead in the profile and then increased that lead. A light mintiness joined a bit later. The final third saw a vegetal note join in and then increase a bit. The Viaje Private Bale Bird on a Branch Pajaro had an average flavor profile throughout, focused around the earth and toasted cedar. The supporting notes moved around a bit, but didn’t elevate the profile at all. Not a real fan of this earth forward blend, but if that’s what you like, it is worth a try. Not something I see myself coming back to.
Seth: The Viaje Private Bale Bird on a Branch Pajaro is an average cigar. It has a flavor profile that doesn’t really take off, but is solid and consistent from beginning to end. The draw and burn were decent, but that doesn’t do anything for the entire smoking experience. Viaje does not really take me on the journey that they once did.
John: My overall experience on the Viaje Private Bale Bird on a Branch Pajaro was pleasant flavors through the first third with the profile becoming linear as it continued. The burn required two re-lights through the review and the draw had significant resistance to it. I think the price point on the Private Bale Bird is attractive for the current 2024 market, but the flavor profile didn’t make this release stand out from a sea of other cigars in the market. The construction issues are a bit concerning, but even if it was flawless I couldn’t see this being something I’d seek out to smoke in the future. Total smoking time was 2 hours and 14 minutes.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

5.50

Cost/Point

$2.18

Scoring System

Seth Geise

SCORE

5.15

Cost/Point

$2.33

Scoring System

John McTavish

SCORE

5.00

Cost/Point

$2.40

Scoring System

Team Cigar Review: Viaje Private Bale Bird on a Branch Pajaro