So a few days ago, I went to smoke one of these, and noticed what looked like a tuft of fabric sticking out the end. I pulled on it, and about .75 inches came out before it broke off.
I wrote to Small Batch Cigar, who refunded me, as well as Viaje customer service, who explained that mistakes happen, and apologized. I told the Viaje rep that I would do a dissection, and could send him pictures, but he said no thanks...
Well, I did the dissection, and it turns out that it was not cotton I pulled out of the cigar, but mold...
After I got through the wrapper and binder, and a few layers of filler, I found a leaf with white dry mold on it, the same color as what I had pulled out of the foot.
Upon further disassembly, the layers underneath that mold spot had a wet and sticky pocket of tobacco. The likely cause (or subsequent effect) of this mold.
Quite gross and unexpected. I think I'll go ahead and forward this to that Viaje rep who declined the offer...