Review of Viaje Honey and Hand Grenades Cigar

Viaje is boutique cigar company specializing in producing small batch cigars (in lieu of maintaining regular core lines). Honey & Hand Grenades is a 2019 limited-release Nicaraguan puro available in three sizes, all named after weapons, and individually packaged in blood-red colored foil. Small batches of Honey and Hand Grenades cigars were previously released during 2012 and 2016.

These cigars are shaped something like a half-perfecto or inverted torpedo, having a tapered but open foot, and a round capped head. The size sampled is called The Shiv (6.25 x 50), but the length of the cigar without the foil was only six inches. Price at this writing was $10.16 per stick.

There is more to the story behind the names, shapes and packaging of these cigars, which gives bloggers something to write about besides a review of the cigar itself. Sometimes these back stories can come off as gimmicks or marketing contrivances, as opposed to the dissemination of relevant information. However, the name “Honey and Hand Grenades” coupled with the image on the band suggests a sweet smoke having a bit of a kick. So on that note, let's get to my short and “sweet” review.

The Shiv Honey and Hand Grenades cigar that I sampled had a predominately earthy and woodsy flavor that was medium-to-full bodied. The cigar was neither overpowering (which is a good thing), nor was it sweet. The flavors of earth and wood were pretty consistent throughout, and the cigar was not very complex. I do like the tapered foot, which made the cigar easy to light. The construction was very good, and the draw provided a nice volume of smoke. The cigar held a medium-to-long ash, and the burn was mostly even, although I did apply a couple of minor touch-ups during the one hour that it took me to smoke the cigar down to two inches remaining. Honey and Hand Grenades is a decent and enjoyable smoke, but nothing special. I rate it with 3.75 points on a 5-point scale.