As the title says, this is a first impression review. I bought the last tubo that Ed had in stock. He strongly suggested I try it, so I did. The only thing I know about this cigar is that Don Pepin Garcia blended it, and that there will be no more tubo’s for Tatuaje. You may want to pick a few up before it is too late! As usual, I paired this cigar with water.
Wrapper: Nicaragua Sun Grown Criollo Esteli
Binder/Filler: Nicaragua
Size: Torpedo 6 1/8 x 52
Price: $15.00
Pre-Smoke & Construction:
The wrapper had a few good sized veins along with a rugged look (this isn’t a bad thing). Considering the tubo is cedar lined, it made sense that the wrapper and foot had that same smell. When I squeezed the cigar’s length, I found a few tight and soft spots, but nothing that concerned me. The pre-light draw had a little resistance, and had a dark sweet taste that I can’t describe.
I did several burn corrections, and the ash held for around one inch.
Flavor:
The first third opened up with an “In your face” pepper. But something was a little different then what I would except from a Don Pepin Garcia blend. This wasn’t the normal pepper I’m used to. It had a nice zing but had a unique flavor that I can’t describe. It didn’t take long for the pepper to calm and nice woody flavors to kick in.
The second third was very mellow with dominant woody and spicy flavors. The smoke feel became very smooth with a touch of creaminess. I detected wisps of earthiness from time to time. A coco-ish sweetness wrapped itself around the entire flavor profile, if that makes sense. Everything just leveled out and became well balanced.
The peppery spice, while very smooth and sweet, kicked up a notch in terms of strength in the last third. Sweet cocoa flavors melded perfectly with cedar and hints of coffee for a perfect mixture. Like before, the smoke feel was smooth and almost creamy. The flavors were common but had exceptionally balanced.
Conclusion:
Wow Ed was right, this was a great cigar. It started as medium, but crept in to the full bodied range. The more I smoked it the better it got. If I were to complain, it would be about the price and several touch-up’s I had to do to the burn. I would keep a couple of these around for a special occasion if I could find them. You’ve got to try this cigar!
This past weekend, the northeastern part of the United States was unmercifully pummeled by a nasty nor easter causing damage and flooding that is mind boggling to say the least. A couple weeks before we got hit with several feet of snow. And before that we had snow on top of more snow. The potholes on the roads in my area could be the worst I’ve ever seen and I blew out a tire this weekend slamming into one. My son made the freshman baseball team last week, but god knows when the fields will dry out for them to practice outside. Holy crap, this is getting out of hand. The skies are gray, the air is dank, and god dammit, I want my mommy.
This kind of thing takes a mental toll on people and all I really want to do is sleep… and eat… and smoke cigars… and drink scotch. All right, sorry I’m in uber-bitch mode, but I figured nobody wants to listen to my voice, so if I posted it up for public display, maybe some of you saps may commiserate with my sorry ass.
On top of this, Toyotas keep careening out of control, a coitus-crazed golfer 
can’t stay of the news, and Obama actually believes he’s going to get his healthcare bill passed. And now I’ve gotta listen to Yankee fans incessant bullshit until somebody takes them down a peg or two before October. I’m telling you, I can’t take a whole lot more of this.
Thank the Lord I bought a decent heater so I can have a smoke and a snort in the garage after hours. I tell my kids that its “Daddy’s medicine” and they fully understand. They know the unrelenting stress factor related to being a blogger. They’ve witnessed the ravaging effects that it has taken on their old man and they let me enjoy my “daddy time” in peace. Of course the wife is a different story. She continuously bitches and moans how I smell like a garbage fire and demands that I shower before coming to bed. The nerve. But it’s been that way for quite sometime and if I want to enjoy cigars along with the 3 minutes of off-the-wall pleasure my wife brings me every few weeks, well, I guess I had better tow the line.
Okay, so a C-rate ex-kid actor named Corey Haim dies of a drug overdose and it dominates the news. Yeah, I dug him in Lost Boys, but god damn, did the media run out of Tiger humping stories for a friggin week? It’s just so weird how the media takes a basic non-item, creates a maelstrom out of it, then sucks every last drop of blood until we’re all ready to collectively hurl our morning corn flakes.
Last week, New York legislators proposed a law that would banish cooks from adding salt to any recipe in a restaurant. Now this is truly one of the most asinine use of a politician’s power I’ve heard 
in a long time. This is something that simply CANNOT pass, people. No, not because I’m some kind of wacky salt-a-holic, it’s the “what comes next” factor that will enrage us all. Next they won’t be able to cook with butter… or wine… and the next thing you know, we’re all gray jumpsuit wearing bald headed drones from the famed 1984 Macintosh commercial. Hey, don’t laugh, that’s how shit like this gets started.
Okay, so this was a crazy little bitch fest by a fat-ass Polack from New Jersey whose redeeming qualities don’t measure to much – but I do rent the podium on a weekly basis, and you are the fortunate chosen recipients of my mentally masturbated do-do. With that said, I just heard that the rest of the week is supposed to be sunny and 60 degrees and by tomorrow I will disavow any knowledge of writing this dark and oppressive missive.
You know what? It’s only noon here on the east coast, but I believe that a JR Ultimate Maduro and a belt of single malt would help to deliver me from this demented midday funk. This is one hell of a savage vocation, people, but somebody has to take a stand for the oppressed. And I am your faithful servant, who respectfully bids you adieu.
Til Later,
JR Cigars Blog With the Zman
I’m back once again for a Quick Smoke with Tom. The couple cigars that I smoked beforehand had a draw that was a bit too tight for my liking. This cigar was by no means bad, but in the end I wasn’t terribly impressed with the flavor profile.
As with previous Quick Smoke with Tom reviews, this was recorded using my MacBook webcam. The quality & lighting isn’t quite what it should be, but is usable. This video runs for about 9 minutes.
Speaking of reviews… A few of you have asked when Ed and I will be doing our next review. It will be within a week, and I predict we will do the Alec Bradley Tempus, which is an amazing cigar. Stay tuned.
I didn’t have a lot of info on this cigar, until my pal Barry wrote about it. Le Bijou is French for “The jewel” and 1922 refers to the year Jose “Don Pepin Garcia’s” father was born. The original My Father cigar was a tribute to Don Pepin Garcia from his son Jaime. The Le Bijou is Don Pepin’s own tribute to his father. When Pepin comes out with a cigar, I tend to keep it on my radar. I generally like his blends. I paired with a glass of water, and sat down to review this Pepin creation.
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Habano Oscuro
Binder & Filler: Nicaraguan
Size: Churchill 7 x 50
Price: Around $11.00
Pre-Smoke & Construction:
Giving the cigar a once over, it looked great. The dark wrapper had minimal veins or defects. I found the cigar to be evenly packed with tobacco, and ever so slightly spongy when squeezed. The wrapper had a sweet earthy odor. The foot had the same smell with the addition of slight spice. The pre-light draw was good, and had a sweet, simple earthy taste.
Flavor:
The first third had a nice intro of pepper and spice with a tinge of sweetness. Very slight earthy notes lingered behind the full flavored spices. The sweetness developed into a nice mocha flavor. The aftertaste left a slight bitterness on the lips. It was a sweet bitterness, not a bad thing.
The pepper mellowed out a little in the second third. It took on a smooth feel and became sweeter. The mocha turned up a notch or two in strength, and became a little dry. The bitterness went away and was replaced with a slight tingle on the lips.
The last third took a turn for the mellow side, while keeping your attention with a nice punch. The pepper, while keeping it’s bite, became very smooth and even more sweet. Speaking of sweet, mocha was the main flavor. With that, the aftertaste had a slight tinge of cinnamon that tingled on the lips. The smoke became thick and coated the inside of the mouth.
Conclusion:
I really enjoyed this full bodied cigar. Don, if your reading this, you’ve done it again. The flavor profile was refined and very enjoyable. If I were to complain, it would be the $11.00 price tag. At the end of the day, I think you get your monies worth though. Thumbs up.
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