Black Label Trading Company: Viaticum 2021 Lancero Cigars

Black Label Trading Company's Viaticum cigar debuted at the 2019 IPCPR Convention and Trade Show as a special, limited-edition reinterpretation of the brand's Last Rites cigar, which is one of BLTC's original blends and part of their core lineup (joined by Royalty, Salvation, and Lawless). Fitting with the Last Rites' overall theme, "Viaticum" is a Latin term within the Catholic church referring to the Eucharist, but specifically as it's given to a person near death. Like the Last Rites, the Viaticum comprises an Ecuadorian Maduro wrapper, Honduran binder, and fillers from Nicaragua and Honduras, but in different proportions and from different primings for a perfectly balanced blend of strength and complexity. In its first release, the Viaticum was available only in a singular vitola as an expansion to the Last Rites line, but in 2021, BLTC released three vitolas all in a distinct Viaticum line. It's a bold yet refined cigar, offering subtle fruit, floral, and earthy notes wrapped in a finish of rich spice.