Last year, Viaje announced a brand new line of cigars based around the central concept of utilizing aged tobacco. Two sizes of the Private Bale Bird on a Branch were released back in August 2024, the 6×50 Pajaro and the 5×52 Pajarito. This review, my friends, is the story of the Pajaro. From Viaje we get this background on the blend:
“You never know when or where inspiration will strike. In the case of Private Bale, a simple drawing set the course for what would be an eight-year journey from start to finish. The tobacco selection process is different for this project. First, only the oldest tobaccos are chosen, but bales aren’t simply selected. Each Bale is pulled apart and inspected for quality. Leaves that don’t meet the criteria for Private Bale are set aside. This is a rigorous process, but necessary to produce a blend of superior quality. Once production has ended each cigar rests for nearly 9 months before review and packaging can begin. Private Bale’s anatomy is extremely complex, comprised of our best Nicaraguan secos, visos and ligeros grown in Esteli and Jalapa. Surrounding these aged fillers are two Corojo99 binders from Jalapa. Finishing the cigar, we selected a very special Habano cover leaf from Ecuador, chosen for its complex flavor and rich color. It is said that art is in the eye of the beholder. We hope you agree that we have assembled a masterpiece for you to enjoy.”
These sticks underwent a long nine-month rest prior to being boxed up? Man, my eternally-exhausted self is envious of the Bird on a Branch cigar as I slide it out of its cellophane sleeve. I have two young kids and, well, I’m so fucking tired right now that the vision of quietly hibernating for that amount of time like a warm baby in the womb sounds heavenly. But these expert cigar reviews aren’t going to write themselves! Believe me, I’ve tried everything but I can’t get them to write themselves. It’s simply impossible.
THE CIGAR – PRIVATE BALE BIRD ON A BRANCH by VIAJE
Size: 6 x 50 (Pajaro)
Wrapper: Ecuadorian habano
Binders (2): Nicaraguan corona 99
Filler: Nicaraguan (Estelí & Jalapa)
Price: $12.00 (the TNCC purchased this cigar from Smokers Abbey Austin and you can order directly from these fine folks HERE)
The mottled brown wrapper gives off aromas of cocoa powder backed by a faint cedar and there’s a raisin-like sweetness found when sniffing the foot of the cigar directly. The Bird on a Branch is slightly lumpy but no alarming soft spots are detected along the body… that sounds exactly like several of the one-star user “reviews” over on my OnlyFans page. I swear, everybody’s a critic nowadays! They’re just jealous… every single one of them.
After a quick punch, the cold draw reveals little flavor other than a generic grassiness. A sharp, bold pepper spice floods the retrohale immediately upon ignition. Once I’ve become acclimated to the not-unpleasant pepper, a muted leather note and a flavor that reminds me of a weak glass of chocolate milk present themselves via the draw. We’ve all been there, you pour yourself a giant glass of milk and when you go to squirt the chocolate syrup in… the bottle makes a sad fart sound as a tiny spray of Hershey’s dribbles into your glass. The kids used it all of course… yawn…
The draw is a bit tighter than I prefer, causing me to pull harder and puff more frequently in order to keep the Bird on a Branch lit. The ash is flakey and one side of the burn line is not wanting to stay in line with the rest. Finally around the 1” mark I’m forced to dump the ash, attempt a relight, and when that doesn’t do the trick I stab the cigar’s head with the sharpened spikes of my nub tool several times. I paid $12.49 for this cigar so I’ll do whatever I can to find a pulse. Flavorwise, a charred harshness has now mostly drowned out the draw’s flavors most likely from me puffing way too hard far too often. The retrohale’s pepper remains clearly defined, however, and there’s a new combination of salt and pencil shavings that’s joined the spice.
At the fifty yard line, some leather has finally returned through the draw but the only interesting action remains through the nose. The Bird on a Branch is requiring constant attention, like a bored little kid stuck at home for Spring Break, and I’m getting a bit tired of the effort required to be honest. At least when you’re sucking hard on a straw there’s the eventual reward of some thickass milkshake making its way into your mouth. With this cigar, the reward is some leather along with a growing harshness that is becoming harder and harder to ignore.
$12.49 is $12.49 so continue I shall! But if I wasn’t reviewing the Bird on a Branch I would consider giving up at this point.
Persistence, in this case, pays off as the cigar’s draw FINALLY opens up significantly in the last third. And with that improved airflow the overall strength of the Bird on a Branch increases exponentially. Holy shit, the cigar has finally come alive and it’s suddenly strong as hell. I guess, for scoring purposes, that qualifies as a transition? The retro is still the highlight of the smoking experience but the now rich, pronounced leather has given the draw a little personality. Is it a case of too little too late? Sadly, yes, because the burn line grows wavy on me once again and soon after the cigar goes out for good. I’m sorry, I just don’t have it in me to revive it again… I told you I’m fucking tired!
THE NUB
TNCC FINAL SCORE = 78
It’s a damn shame when construction issues prevent you from enjoying a cigar. As a result of its tight draw and the frequent relights needed, after spending 83 long minutes with the Bird on a Branch I really don’t have a clue as to what it is meant to be. It’s also unfortunate that sometimes we only have one cigar to review as it doesn’t allow us an opportunity to sample another one and compare experiences. But that’s just the way it goes every now and then. Cool packaging though, the cigar’s visual presentation is what compelled me to grab one off the shelf so, yeah, that’s something. I’ve enjoyed some of Viaje’s earlier releases over the years but, obviously, the $12 Bird on a Branch is not one that I’ll be revisiting again.
