Viaje Skull & Bones Ten Ton Tess Gold Collectors Edition is a unicorn from Viaje’s 2015 IPCPR portfolio—a 6 × 54 toro once sold only inside artillery-shell jars. Each glossy black-and-gold ceramic jar held nineteen cigars; just 1,000 jars left Honduras. Today the jars fetch museum prices, making loose singles virtually extinct. Regency’s auction places one untouched Gold Tess in your humidor—no ceramic jar, no filler sticks, only pure legend.
Craft behind the Gold “Secret Blend”
André Farkas wanted a Skull & Bones that hit harder than any prior release. First, high-priming ligero from the Dominican Republic, Brazil and the U.S. was selected for raw horsepower. Next, an oscuro wrapper—rumoured San Andrés—underwent extra fermentation, darkening to ebony espresso. Then, PDR Cigars’ rollers in Tamboril shaped a stout toro, finished it with a tight pigtail and a closed foot, and tucked it into cedar for six more months. Because of that patience, every Ten Ton Tess Gold lights on one match and burns arrow-straight despite its dense fill.
Flavour journey
At spark, sweet cedar and black pepper fire like a fuse. Soon, dark cocoa and charred oak billow through thick smoke, while molasses softens the edges. Mid-stick, espresso, leather and baking spice drive body to full without harshness. Final draws reveal earthy mineral and lingering dark-chocolate bark—a forty-five-minute mission that ends with a clean palate and a smug grin.
Why this single matters
Firstly, Gold Tess was classed a “Secret Blend” and released only once, in 2015. Secondly, most cigars remain hostage inside collectors’ jars; orphan singles rarely surface. Thirdly, winning bidders skip jar premiums and taste history for the cost of one hammer fall.
Pairings & perfect moments
Cask-strength bourbon mirrors charred oak; cold-brew coffee sharpens cocoa; peaty Islay Scotch heightens pepper thrust. Whether you crown a record bid, toast a promotion, or stage a head-to-head with a Padrón 1964, the Viaje Ten Ton Tess Gold turns any lighting ritual into folklore.
