Viaje Brings Back Mexican-Wrapped Piña
It’s been a little more than five years, but the Viaje Piña is back for another run. Like the original release in 2017, it’s made in the Dominican Republic at Ernesto Perez-Carrillo’s La Alianza factory.
When the Piña came out, the collaboration was marketed under Viaje’s White Label series, but brand owner Andre Farkas tells Cigar Aficionado that Piña is now its own brand with updated packaging and a pineapple on the band. The word piña translates to “pineapple” in Spanish, and there’s a pineapple stamped onto the outer lid of each box as well.
Consisting of a Mexican San Andrés wrapper, Ecuadoran binder and Nicaraguan filler, the blend is the same as the original, but because the tobacco vintages are different, the flavor is slightly different as well.
“With vintages there is some variance,” Farkas says. “I find this run to have a sweeter profile than the first.”
The sizes are also the same: a toro called Makana that measures 6 inches by 52 ring gauge, and Nohea, a 5-by-54 robusto. They have suggested retail prices of $11 and $10.83, respectively, which is a relatively minor bump in price considering that they retailed for $9.25 upon release five years ago.
Both sizes come in 24-count boxes. Because the boxes have no clasps or hinges, each lid stays attached via magnetic insert. Only 350 boxes of each size are being produced.
First shipments are heading out to retailers next week on September 19.
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