Viaje cigars are often very hard to find.  If your local shop has them on-hand then you are a lucky cigar smoker.  Andre Farkas pulls out the stops with his cigars.  Killer concepts, fun packaging, and great tobaccos make Viaje one to love.  I haven't had many....basically because they are so hard to come by.  If you have seen my other Viaje reviews you will note that they are unique in character and high in quality.  The entry for today certainly falls into the unique category.  The Zombie Antidote.  Apparently the story goes like so....the Viaje WMD (cigar) explodes and creates Zombies (cigar), people arm themselves with the Zombie Super Shot (cigar), and then cure themselves with the Zombie Antidote (cigar).  Now if that isn't fun, what is?  I will take a second to recommend a series of books that would go well with Andre's Zombie series.  The Ex-Heros series from Peter Clines....zombies and superheros in one series.  Absolutely terrific read.  And on that note, let's get smoking....

Construction: The Zombie Antidote is a nifty perfecto corona with a tapered foot made to feel like a syringe.  The wrapper is a nice red hue with a few small veins and a dry toothy texture. 

Pre-light Aroma and Draw: Plenty of leather, some spice, and a nice barnyard fermented aroma hit the nose out of the cellophane.  The draw seemed okay until I lit it up...then things got very stiff...and then, after a few pulls, like a character from a zombie flick making a break from cover, the Antidote starts pumping loads of smoke and the draw flies open like the trap door to the fruit cellar in Evil Dead II.

Light and Burn: Starting off I had one tiny hot spot and then it evened out of its own accord.  From there on the burn was razor sharp with a mottled charcoal ash.  Solid performer.

Tasting: A set of spices and mineral notes open up the Zombie Antidote.  As the first third starts I get a huge blast of flavors.  Cinnamon, citrus, black cherry, cedar, red and black peppers at the core, raw nuts, coffee, and coffee beans.  Just a sick amount of flavor, folks.  The body is exceptionally full tilt.  I am forcing myself to smoke it slow...otherwise my vending machine-like constitution will be put to a heck of a test.  Eye rolling good so far.

Now, I must preface the second third by saying that if you can stand the agony of waiting, some age in the humidor would really calm them down a bit.  Tell you what...smoke one or two now....and then wait a few months for more.  I was lucky to snag a couple of these from Serious Cigars online and the second one will join the JV13's I have stashed away for a future smoke.

The second third starts off with a drop in the peppery core.  A nice mellow sweet tobacco note laced with more coffee and some vanilla and toffee.  The smoke has a very nice mineral aroma like stones around a creek.  Excellent.  Some more of that black cherry hits again with a nice toasty finish.  Fortunately the body has dropped a tad - considering that the first third hits like a truck, I am actually happy about that.

The final third leaves me wishing for a reset button.  What a great cigar.  Smoke output is still crazy and the aroma has shifted to a nice barbecue note that is very unique.  Flavors are a tad less complex but no less tasty.  Some smooth notes of coffee, cream, and toasty cedar play well together.  Overall, I knew this would be a good cigar, but it has exceeded my expectations by leaps and bounds.  As the Antidote nubs on me, it does go a tad soft and hot.  Strength plows back up and some final notes of coffee, roasted nuts and a syrupy sweetness all take a final bow.  I am cured!

Value: At a few cents shy of $9 this is a treat you must get your hands on.

Final Thoughts: I have only had a few Viaje cigars in my time.  In fact this makes number three only.  All of the ones I have had have been stellar.  This new Zombie release really shows what Andre Farkas is capable of.  With the killer packaging of these (a big plastic jar with whimsical medicinal label), I can see these flying off the shelves.  In fact I checked Serious Cigars site and they are already sold out.  You can tell that Andre has a lot of fun doing what he does and that is exactly what this Zombie release is, fun.  If you can...find them, smoke them, hoard them.  Highly recommended!

Wrapper: Unknown
Binder: Unknown
Filler: Unknown

Strength: Full

Size: I am thinking 6 x 42 on this smoke...couldn't find any specific specs.

The syringe....

Check the limited edition band.  Only the first shipment will have these.

So much fun!  Viaje pharmaceuticals?

The remnants.  I got a few more puffs and that was all she wrote.