Black Label Trading Co. has announced that its Viaticum line will be heading to stores before the end of the month. The line was first released in November 2019 as a limited edition that was available only to retailers who attended the 2019 IPCPR Convention & Trade Show. Now, it gets a wider release and is available to all of the company’s retailers after being shown off at the 2021 PCA Convention & Trade Show.
“Viaticum is an evolution of the Last Rites blend and a testament to what Black Label Trading Co is all about,” said James Brown, creator of BLTC and partner at Fabrica Oveja Negra, via a press release. “It uses most of the same tobaccos but in different proportions and primings. It’s the perfect balance between strength and complexity. This cigar is bold but also very refined. It’s all about balance. The dark fruit and earth flavors are wrapped in soft floral notes and elevated with a multitude of spice on the finish,” he aded.
The blend uses an Ecuadorian maduro wrapper, Honduran habano binder and a mix of Nicaraguan and Honduran fillers. It is made at Fabrica Oveja Negra in Estelí, Nicaragua and offered in three box-pressed sizes:
- Black Label Trading Co. Viaticum Robusto (5 x 54) — $15 (Box of 20, $300)
- Black Label Trading Co. Viaticum Toro (6 x 48) — $15.25 (Box of 20, $305)
- Black Label Trading Co. Viaticum Lancero (6 3/4 x 40) — $15 (Box of 20, $310)
Of note about the Viaticum’s connection to the Last Rites line, that blend was the the first cigar that James Brown blended on his own and one of the company’s original releases.
The company has not yet announced production numbers for the Viaticum line.
Patrick Lagreid
I strive to capture the essence of a cigar and the people behind them in my work – every cigar you light up is the culmination of the work of countless people and often represents generations of struggle and stories. For me, it’s about so much more than the cigar – it’s about the story behind it, the experience of enjoying the work of artisans and the way that a good cigar can bring people together. In addition to my work with halfwheel, I’m the public address announcer for the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks during spring training, as well as for the Salt River Rafters of the Arizona Fall League, the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury and the Arizona Rattlers of the Indoor Football League. I also work in a number of roles for MLB.com, plus I’m a voice over artist. I previously covered the Phoenix and national cigar scene for Examiner.com, and was an editor for Cigar Snob magazine.
