Viaje Zombie (2012)
Saturday, July 7th, 2012Thanks 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.
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?
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.
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.
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.
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.