Archive for the ‘viaje’ Category

Viaje Zombie (2012)

Saturday, July 7th, 2012

Thanks goes out to my friends, Todd and Julia from JuliaLightsUp. Included in my unprovoked cigar bomb was three Viaje Zombies.

This cigar is of very limited production and distribution. Should you require more information, the Google machine can help you. A unique feature with this cigar is, the head and foot are triple capped, with a only a pin hole at the foot. I’m not sure what that’s about, but it worked, so why not. As always, I paired this cigar with water. Let’s see how it went.

Here is a picture of the foot.

Cap Viaje_Zombie cigars

Wrapper: Nicaragua

Binder & Filler: Nicaragua

Size: 4 3/4 x 52

Price: $10.50

 

Pre-Smoke & Construction:

A visual inspection of the wrapper revealed a nice, oily sheen, and no flaws. The smell of the wrapper was earth and barnyard. Overall, the cigar was solidly packed, with only minor variances in consistency. The draw was on the tight side, which opened up shortly after lighting. The pre-light flavor had cedar, earth, and a note of sweetness.

The burn required some small corrections, and the ash held for around an inch. I have heard that these have notoriously bad burns, but the three I smoked were fine. I “Dry boxed” them for a bit, so maybe that helped?

1 Viaje_Zombie cigars

Flavor:

The first third came out of the gate with a blast of pepper and earthiness. It didn’t take long for a fairly strong espresso to join in, and it overtook the earthy flavor. After about 3/4 of an inch, the flavor profile settled into peppery spice, espresso, cedar, and bitter cocoa. The aftertaste was clean and easy on the palate.

2 Viaje_Zombie cigars

Things smoothed out in the second third. Espresso and bitter chocolate mixed together nicely. Think of cooking, or dark chocolate. The dominant flavor switched between espresso and chocolate. The spicy pepper didn’t go anywhere, and packed some punch.

3 Viaje_Zombie cigars

The last third kept its smoothness, but increased in strength. I found myself with a decent nicotine buzz, but it wasn’t over the top. Like before, flavor profile flip flopped between dominant flavors. The peppery spice demanded my attention, and a sweet tingle was left on the lips and tongue.

4 Viaje_Zombie cigars

Conclusion:

This was a good, satisfying, full bodied cigar. Gimmicks aside, the Zombie held its own. This slow burner hit the spot for me, and I can see it appealing to the full bodied smoker. My flavor descriptions may lean towards bitter, but everything was balanced and pleasant. As for the price, I’m on the fence. It may be a little high, but it’s worth trying.

Viaje Oro (First Impression)

Thursday, August 26th, 2010

My pals over at the Bonita Smoke Shop gave this to me when I paid them a visit not too long ago. This cigar sat among several other smokes I need to review. Viaje is a boutique cigar company, with very limited distribution and manufacturing. That’s about all I know about the brand. I paired this cigar with water, and here is my first impression of the Viaje Oro.

 

Wrapper: Nicaraguan Corojo 99 Cafe

Binder: Nicaragua

Filler: Nicaragua

Size: Delicado 6 x 50

Price: Around $8.00

 

Pre-Smoke & Construction:

The wrapper looked nice, with medium sized veins and no real flaws. I’d say it had an odor of earth or a dark rich soil. The tobacco was packed solid and fairly even. This brings me to the pre-light draw. It was a little snug, but well within my tolerances. It had a nice dark natural tobacco taste with earthy undertones. Overall construction and appearance was very nice.

The ash held for about an inch, and the burn required a few minor corrections.

1ViajeOro

Flavor:

The first third started with very smooth earthy notes with a nice easy peppery spice. Coffee was up next, and it had an interesting floral tinge to it. The smoke feel was crisp with an espresso finish.

2ViajeOro

The second third kept that nice peppery zing when passing smoke through the nose. The earthy flavors took a back seat and were hard to detect at times. At about the half way point I started to pick up sweet mocha notes. At that point, the pepper became more of a sweet spice. All the while a coffee/espresso flavor was always present. As this third came to a close, the mocha increased in strength, and the smoke feel became a little creamy and very sweet.

3ViajeOro

Last third: Picking up from where we left off… The sweet spice remained and left a tingle on the lips and tongue. At times espresso was the main flavor, but on other draws it was pure mocha. All earthy flavors were gone at this point. The smoke was thick and coated the inside of the mouth.

4ViajeOro

Conclusion:

This was a very good medium to full bodied cigar. It had a nice simple start and built into a rich flavor profile. I’m glad Jackie over at the Bonita Smoke Shop gave this to me to enjoy. If you have a chance, pick a few up. I will try more if I get the chance.

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