I once was searching the Internet for something and found a link to a PHD dissertation about what to do in the event of a Zombie Apocalypse. It was at that very moment that I realized I had probably reached the end of the Internet, I didn't read the thing when I had the chance and now I regret it. The Zombie Apocalypse is now upon us and I don't know what to do about it. There are legions of slow walking, bug eyed and drooling fools descending upon the four stores in the country that have these cigars. Indeed, I saw some of them in my favorite B and M in New Orleans, it was a scary sight to behold and forced me to ask the question, what is it about this release every year that turns people into mindless drones? I decided I would have to smoke one for myself and find out. Hopefully I won't end up wandering aimlessly through dark corners of the city looking for human flesh to feed on, or whatever Zombies do.
The cigar itself has a somewhat rough appearance, much as I think an actual Zombie would, the wrapper is dark and mottled and the cigar itself has some lumps and bumps. A quick inspection of the cigar leads me to believe that it is well made and I can't find any issues in the bunch. The pre light aroma has a very earthy tone to it. The pre light draw smacks of dark wood and earth.
The cigar opens with a profile that is a touch thin for me, but still shows some nice flavors. The core profile shows some hints of earth and wood, but it is not fully developing in a way that shows any real depth to the flavor. At the back of the palate there are some developing hints of pepper and some slight raisin notes, but again they are not developed enough to provide any depth. The draw is very fluid and delivers plenty of smoke with every puff, this is exactly how I like a cigar to perform. The burn is a touch off from the start, but I don't think I need to do any touch ups as it looks like these issues will even out on their own.
The first half of the cigar is really not much to write home about. The core profile continues to be too thin. The main flavors are earth and dark wood, but they carry no depth and my palate struggles to find depth or nuance in the profile. The back of the palate and through the nose show some development as pepper, raisin and anise mingle to provide something that is at least close to a flavor experience. I am disappointed at this point in the cigar, and I am starting wonder what all the hype is. The burn has evened out nicely and the draw is still performing very well.
The final half of the cigar really does nothing for me either, this experience is mundane at best. The core profile continues to wallow in mediocrity as thin flavors of earth and wood continue to plod along in a uninteresting Zombie shuffle like you would see in a movie. The back of the palate is still pleasing, but it is not enough to carry the cigar at this point. The profile here continues to show nice pepper and anise flavors, but they just don't elevate the experience enough. The burn continues to be solid after some early issues and the draw stays excellent throughout.
The finish was short and had some ashy qualities that were not pleasant.
As with many Viaje's I have smoked I just don't see what all the hype is about. The name though is appropriate as they seem to turn otherwise intelligent people into brainless dolts with a genius marketing campaign.
Appearance- 88 a very plain looking smoke
Taste- 86 too thin in too many places
Construction- 90 early burn issues complicate the smoke, but the draw was a dream
Strength- 87 a reedy and thin full
Overall- 87.75 an average cigar at best
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