March 18, 2012 Brooks Whittington Cigars,  Honduras,  Main,  Reviews,  Viaje

Viaje Skull and Bones White FOAB

In mid March of this year, Viaje released yet another slew of new cigars all at once to retailers. There were five new releases in all, bringing the total number of new Viaje Cigars to nine in less than a month.

The FOAB, which stands for father of all bombs, and whose name’s origin is based on an actual bomb, is a brand new release in the Skull and Bones White series. At 4 1/2 x 56, the FOAB is the big brother to the MOAB, which is 4 1/2 x 52, both of which were released in 300 boxes of 25 cigars.

Included in the second wave of releases were:

Note: The following shows the various Viaje Skull and Bones vitolas. Some of these cigars may have been released after this post was originally published. This picture is not in the correct order. We are working to get an updated picture. The list was last updated on Feb. 7, 2024.

  1. Viaje Skull and Bones Daisy Cutter (4 x 54) — May 2010 — 150 Boxes of 25 Cigars (3,750 Total Cigars)
  2. Viaje Skull and Bones “?” (5 x 54) — October 2010 — 150 Boxes of 25 Cigars (3,750 Total Cigars)
  3. Viaje Skull and Bones MOAB (4 1/4 x 54) — March 2011 — 100 Boxes of 50 Cigars (5,000 Total Cigars)
  4. Viaje Skull and Bones WMD (3 3/4 x 54) — March 2011 — 250 Boxes of 25 Cigars (6,250 Total Cigars)
  5. Viaje Skull and Bones Fat Man (4 1/4 x 56) — August 2011 — 125 Boxes of 25 Cigars (3,125 Total Cigars)
  6. Viaje Skull and Bones Little Boy (4 1/4 x 52) — August 2011 — 125 Boxes of 25 Cigars (3,750 Total Cigars)
  7. Viaje Skull and Bones “?” Box-Pressed (4 1/2 x 54) — October 2011 — 125 Boxes of 25 Cigars (3,125 Total Cigars)
  8. Viaje Skull and Bones “?” (4 1/2 x 54) — October 2011 — 250 Boxes of 25 Cigars (6,250 Total Cigars)
  9. Viaje Skull and Bones WMD (2012) (3 3/4 x 54) — March 2012 —300 Boxes of 25 Cigars (7,500 Total Cigars)
  10. Viaje Skull and Bones MOAB (4 1/2 x 52) — March 2012— 300 Boxes of 25 Cigars (7,500 Total Cigars)
  11. Viaje Skull and Bones FOAB (4 1/2 x 56) — March 2012— 300 Boxes of 25 Cigars (7,500 Total Cigars)
  12. Viaje Skull and Bones M?stery (4 1/2 x 54) — October 2012 — Undisclosed
  13. Viaje Skull and Bones M?stery BP (4 1/2 x 54) — October 2012 — Undisclosed
  14. Viaje Skull and Bones M?stery Vintage (4 1/2 x 54) — October 2012 — Undisclosed
  15. Viaje Skull and Bones Fat Man (4 1/4 x 52) — February 2013 — Undisclosed
  16. Viaje Skull and Bones Little Boy (4 1/4 x 56) — February 2013 — Undisclosed
  17. Viaje Skull and Bones Big Ivan (5 x 60) — February 2013 — Undisclosed
  18. Viaje Skull and Bones M?stery (2013) (4 3/4 x 52) — October 2013 — 200 Boxes of 25 Cigars (5,000 Total Cigars)
  19. Viaje Skull and Bones WMD (2014) (3 3/4 x 54) — February 2014 — 300 Boxes of 25 Cigars (7,500 Total Cigars)
  20. Viaje Skull and Bones FOAB (2014) (4 1/2 x 56) — May 2014 — 300 Boxes of 25 Cigars (7,500 Total Cigars)
  21. Viaje Skull and Bones MOAB (2014) (4 1/2 x 52) — May 2014 — 300 Boxes of 25 Cigars (7,500 Total Cigars)
  22. Viaje Skull and Bones Cloudmaker (5 x 60) — May 2014 — Undisclosed
  23. Viaje Skull and Bones M?stery (2014) (4 3/4 x 54) — October 2014 — Undisclosed
  24. Viaje Skull and Bones Ten Ton Tess Collector’s Edition (6 x 54) — July 2015 — 1,000 Jars of 19 Cigars (19,000 Total Cigars)
  25. Viaje Skull and Bones Ten Ton Tess Gold Collector’s Edition (6 x 54) — July 2015 — 100 Jars of 19 Cigars (1,900 Total Cigars)
  26. Viaje Skull and Bones M?stery (4 1/2 x 58) — October 2015 — 300 Boxes of 25 Cigars (7,500 Total Cigars)
  27. Viaje Skull and Bones Red Little Boy (4 1/4 x 52) — February 2016 — Undisclosed
  28. Viaje Skull and Bones Red Fat Man (4 1/4 x 56) — February 2016 — Undisclosed
  29. Viaje Skull and Bones Red Big Ivan (5 x 60) — February 2016 — Undisclosed
  30. Viaje Skull and Bones Daisy Cutter Edición Limitada (4 x 54) — February 2017 — Undisclosed
  31. Viaje Skull and Bones Green The Hulk 56 (5 1/4 x 56) — June 2017 — 50 Bundles of 25 Cigars (1,250 Cigars)
  32. Viaje Skull and Bones Green The Hulk 58 (5 1/4 x 58) — June 2017 — 50 Bundles of 25 Cigars (1,250 Cigars)
  33. Viaje Skull and Bones WMD (2017) (3 3/4 x 54) — June 2017 — Undisclosed*
  34. Viaje Skull and Bones M?stery (4 1/2 x 58) — October 2018 — Undisclosed
  35. Viaje Skull and Bones FOAB (2019) (4 1/2 x 56) — March 2019 — Undisclosed*
  36. Viaje Skull and Bones MOAB (2019) (4 1/4 x 54) — March 2019 — Undisclosed*
  37. Viaje Skull and Bones Cloudmaker (2019) (5 x 60) — March 2019 — Undisclosed*
  38. Viaje Skull and Bones Red Little Boy (2019) (4 1/4 x 52) — September 2019 — Undisclosed
  39. Viaje Skull and Bones Red Fat Man (2019) (4 1/4 x 56) — September 2019 — Undisclosed
  40. Viaje Skull and Bones Red Big Ivan (2019) (5 x 60) — September 2019 — Undisclosed
  41. Viaje Skull and Bones Johnny Blaze (6 x 56) — December 2019 — Undisclosed
  42. Viaje Skull and Bones Ghost Rider (6 x 56) — December 2019 — Undisclosed
  43. Viaje Skull and Bones Mephisto (6 1/2 x 56) — December 2019 — Undisclosed
  44. Viaje Skull and Bones The Hulk (2020) (5 1/4 x 60) — April 2020 — Undisclosed
  45. Viaje Skull and Bones Bruce Banner (5 1/4 x 56) — April 2020 — Undisclosed
  46. Viaje Skull and Bones Daisy Cutter (2020) (4 x 50) —August 2020 — Undisclosed
  47. Viaje Skull and Bones WMD (2020) (3 3/4 x 52) — August 2020 — Undisclosed
  48. Viaje Skull and Bones M?stery (6 1/4 x 56) — October 2020 — Undisclosed
  49. Viaje Skull and Bones Frank Castle (6 1/4 x 54) — April 2021 — Undisclosed
  50. Viaje Skull and Bones The Punisher (6 1/4 x 54) — April 2021 — Undisclosed
  51. Viaje Skull and Bones FOAB (2022) (4 1/2 x 56) — February 2022 — Undisclosed
  52. Viaje Skull and Bones MOAB (2022) (4 1/4 x 54) — February 2022 — Undisclosed
  53. Viaje Skull and Bones Cloudmaker (2022) (5 x 60) — February 2022 — Undisclosed
  54. Viaje Skull and Bones M?stery (2022) (5 x 56) — October 2022 — Undisclosed
  55. Viaje Skull and Bones Red Little Boy (2023) (4 1/4 x 52) — April 2023 — Undisclosed
  56. Viaje Skull and Bones Red Fat Man (2023) (4 1/4 x 56) — April 2023 — Undisclosed
  57. Viaje Skull and Bones Red Big Ivan (2023) (5 x 60) — April 2023 — Undisclosed
  58. Viaje Skull and Bones Tsar Bomba Camo Blue (6 x 56) — December 2023 — Undisclosed*
  59. Viaje Skull and Bones Tsar Bomba Camo Gray (6 x 56) — December 2023 — Undisclosed*
  60. Viaje Skull and Bones Tsar Bomba Camo Red (6 x 56) — December 2023 — Undisclosed*

*Not pictured.

Viaje Skull and Bones White FOAB 1

  • Name: Viaje Skull and Bones White FOAB
  • Country of Origin: Honduras
  • Factory: Fábrica de Tabacos Raíces Cubanas S. de R.L. (Raíces Cubanas)
  • Wrapper: Nicaraguan Sun Grown Criollo
  • Binder: Nicaraguan
  • Filler: Nicaraguan
  • Size: 4 1/2 Inches
  • Ring Gauge: 56
  • Vitola: Petit Robusto
  • MSRP: $9.20 (Boxes of 25, $230.00)
  • Release Date: March 12, 2012
  • Number of Cigars Released: 300 Boxes of 25 Cigars (7.500 Total Cigars)
  • Number of Cigars Smoked for Review: 2

The Viaje FOAB has a dark espresso brown wrapper that looks like it would feel rough, but actually is quite smooth to the touch. While the FOAB feels nice in the hand, the cap could be applied better. The wrapper has a bit of oil on it and smells strongly of manure, espresso and chocolate. When squeezed, the FOAB displays the perfect amount of give.

The first third of the FOAB starts out right off the bat with a very strong bitter espresso flavor that is really quite nice, along with notes of cedar, leather and earth. There is no spice at all, but there is some black pepper that comes and goes. The draw is a bit loose, although not bad enough to really worry me, but the burn is wonderful so far. Surprisingly, there is a little bit of sweetness underneath the other flavors that really helps the profile along. Strength is a solid medium, but getting stronger, which is what I expected.

Viaje Skull and Bones White FOAB 2

Into the second third, the Viaje begins to mellows out quite a bit flavor wise, but the strength continues to increase. The flavors are the same profile-wise for the most part, but the sweetness that was a background note in the first third is increasing until it becomes more of a player in the flavors. The black pepper is still noticeable, but there is still almost no spice to speak of. The burn is wonderful, but the draw is still just a bit loose for my tastes, although it is still well within normal range. Strength continues to increase and it ends the second third at a full-like medium.

Viaje Skull and Bones White FOAB 3

Sadly, the final third of the FOAB remains much the same as the second third, both in flavors and strength. It does not get hot at the end, but the strength pretty much stays in the full medium category, never going above that.

Viaje Skull and Bones White FOAB 4

Final Notes

  • The two new releases in the Skull and Bones White series are virtually identical. Same blend, same bands, same length, same number of cigars released. In fact, the only two differences between the 2012 release of the FOAB and the MOAB is the price, and exactly two ring gauges.
  • The FOAB has the largest ring gauge of any of the Skull and Bone White releases thus far, which makes sense given the name.
  • Much like the Viaje MOAB—mother of all bombs—release, the FOAB is the nickname for a specific bomb. In in this case, it is the Aviation Thermobaric Bomb of Increased Power, a Russian made thermobaric weapon, i.e. a “fuel-air bomb. Wikipedia explains it in more detail here.
  • Farkas indicated on his Facebook page that MOAB is now no longer a part of Skull and Bones Red, but instead is now a permanent member of Skull and Bones White, because, “Skull and Bones Red is nuclear and Skull and Bones White is non Nuclear.” This makes sense when you read the above, as both the real life MOAB and FOAB are conventional, i.e. non-nuclear weapons. Of course, an argument could be made that the FOAB and MOAB could be considered a WMD (Weapon of Mass Destruction) considering their potential for destruction on a large scale, but really that is just a matter of semantics, as the term WMD has recently come to mean mostly nuclear, chemical or biological weapons for the most part. As an interesting side note, the first use of the term “weapon of mass destruction” on record is by Cosmo Gordon Lang, Archbishop of Canterbury, in 1937 in reference to the aerial bombardment of Guernica, Spain with convention weapons.
  • As with most Viaje cigars, I think this is about $1.50-$2.00 more expensive than it should be considering the size and vitola.
  • In general, I seem to enjoy the Skull and Bones White a bit more than the Skull and Bones Red.
  • The ash is a salt and pepper gray, and holds on for quite a while, but that is not unexpected for a cigar of this RG.
  • The construction, draw and burn were wonderful for the entire smoke on one of the samples, but the draw on the other was quite loose. Still smokable, but very loose.
  • The ring gauge on this specific release was just a tad too big for me to hold comfortably in my mouth without thinking every time I took a puff, wow, this is a big cigar.
  • Unlike the majority of Viajes, these do not seem to be overly wet fresh, which is probably why I did not think it sucked.
  • The final smoking time for both samples was right around one hour and 15 minutes.
  • If you are looking to purchase the Viaje WLP St. Patrick’s, site sponsors Atlantic Cigar, Casa de Montecristo (630.993.1234) and Tobacco Grove are all authorized Viaje dealers.
Andre Farkas Fábrica de Tabacos Raíces Cubanas S. de R.L. Petit Robusto Viaje Viaje Skull and Bones Viaje Skull and Bones White Viaje Skull and Bones White FOAB
Avatar photo

Brooks Whittington

I have worn many hats in my life up to this point: I started out as a photojournalist for the Dallas Morning News and the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, then transitioned to photographing weddings—both internationally and in the U.S.—for more than a decade. After realizing that there was a need for a cigar website containing better photographs and more in-depth information about each release, I founded my first cigar blog, SmokingStogie, in 2008. SmokingStogie quickly became one of the more influential cigar blogs on the internet, known for reviewing preproduction, prerelease, rare, extremely hard-to-find and expensive cigars, and it was one of the predecessors to halfwheel, which I co-founded.

Related Posts