Archive for the ‘Tatuaje’ Category
The Tatuaje Serie P – One of the Best Cigar Deals Out There!
Thursday, October 18th, 2018Tatuaje 10th Anniversary
Sunday, October 27th, 2013I picked up these cigars at Ed’s shop. As you’d expect, the namesake of the Tatuaje 10th Anniversary is self explanatory. I have heard that this blend is the same as the original brown label. In essence, it is a re-release of that cigar.
Wrapper: Ecuador Habano
Binder: & Filler: Nicaragua
Size: Robusto Bon Chasseur 5.4 x 48
Price: $9.95
Pre-Smoke & Construction:
The wrapper had a nice appearance, and had a scent of earth and hay. The cigar was consistently packed, and the draw was free. The pre-light flavor had earth, leather, and wood.
The burn required no corrections, and the ash held for just over an inch.
Flavor:
The first third had a pretty even mix of earth, leather, and wood. The aftertaste was dark and peppery. As I transitioned into the second third, black coffee joined in.
The second third took on a tinge of sweetness. Earth, leather, and wood remained. Coffee increased in strength, and the pepper became more like an even mixture of heat and spice. The smoke feel was thick, and clung to the inside of the mouth.
The last third had a nice combination of cocoa and coffee. Earthiness, leather, and wood became a background note. This allowed the coffee, cocoa, and pepper to really stand out. The smoke feel was dry and sweet.
Conclusion:
As expected, I really enjoyed this cigar. It was medium to full bodied, and well balanced. The price is a bit high for a robusto. I could see this being an occasional treat, but at almost $10.00 a stick, I won’t smoke them often.
Tatuaje Seleccion De Cazador (Brown Label) –Four years later
Friday, July 27th, 2012It isn’t often that I get to smoke a nice, properly aged cigar. My opportunity came in a cigar bomb, sent by my friends Todd & Julia from JuliaLightsUp. I’m sure you’ve seen me brag about the cigar bomb they sent me in previous reviews. I was excited to find out that this had been aged since 2008. Aging cigars can be a mixed bag. Sometimes they will lose something, and other times, it’s the complete opposite. Since I had to base my review off of one cigar, I made sure to pair with water.
Wrapper: Habano Ecuador
Binder & Filler: Nicaragua
Size: Unicos 6 1/8 x 52
Price: Around $10.00
Pre-Smoke & Construction:
The wrapper had a nice oily sheen. At the same time, depending on the lighting, it looked velvety smooth. The only flaw I could find was a small crack, which was a non issue. This was probably just from being so old, and going through the US Postal Service. The smell of the wrapper and foot was mild and cedary. I found the cigar to be nicely packed, with some minor soft spots here and there. The draw was free, with only slight resistance. The pre-light draw had a nice, cedary note.
The burn required two minor corrections, and the ash held for well over an inch.
Flavor:
The first third started off with an ultra smooth cedar. It didn’t take long for pepper to join in, and it was especially noticeable when retrohaling. This wasn’t your traditional black pepper, it had more of a cayenne vibe. Gradually, coffee, and a bitter cocoa note, joined in to drown out the cedar. The aftertaste was easy, and had a nice sweet tingle.
As soon as I hit the second third, it was like someone flipped a switch. Rich mocha became the dominant flavor. Behind it, tingly pepper, and black coffee. The dominant flavor would change from draw to draw. Mocha, pepper, and coffee, each had their turn at the front. The smoke feel became thick, sweet, and creamy.
The last third saw a return of cedar, and it mixed evenly with everything else. Basically, it was mocha, tingly pepper, coffee, and cedar mixed together. Nothing really stood out over the other. The smoke feel remained creamy, and it clung to the palate for a good, long time.
Conclusion:
WOW! This was a great full bodied cigar. Age really smoothed out that famous, peppery, Pepin blast that we all know and love. The flavors weren’t as “In your face” either. I had to pay a little more attention. Thankfully, the change wasn’t worse, and it wasn’t better. It was just different. Age really transformed this great cigar into, well, a different great cigar!
Tatuaje La Casita Criolla
Tuesday, December 27th, 2011I picked up this cigar at Ed’s shop. Being a Tatuaje fan, I had to try it. After looking at the stats, it peaked my curiosity more. All Connecticut broadleaf cigar? Who has heard of such a thing? Not me… I was expecting something pretty mild and predictable. Let’s see how it went…
Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
Binder/Filler: Connecticut Broadleaf
Size: Short Churchill 6.5 x 48
Price: Around $7.00
Pre-Smoke & Construction:
The dark wrapper was very rugged looking with a blotchy appearance and decent sized veins. This isn’t a bad thing in my opinion. The wrapper had a dark earthy smell, and the foot was more woody. The cigar had some give when squeezed, and had one tight spot around the middle. The pre-light draw had some resistance, but fell within my tolerances. The pre-light flavor was woody, earthy and a bit sweet.
The burn required no corrections, and the ash held for about an inch before flaking off.
Flavor:
The first third started out with a dominant coffee flavor. There was a slight pepper when passing smoke through the sinus. A spice developed that had a small sweet tingle on the lips and tongue. After about 2 inches in, it was a mixture of coffee, a slight bitter chocolate, spice, and notes of earthiness and sweet spice on the aftertaste. The smoke feel was fairly thick.
The second third had a thicker smoke feel, creamy even. It had coffee with sweetness added. There was also that bitter component you’d get from dark chocolate. The sweet tingly spice increased in strength a bit but remained smooth. The aftertaste had all these components, but had an interesting, almost floral note to it. There may have been a nutty component as well. This third became very complex and hard to nail down for me.
The last third basically kept the same pace with the second third. It was complex and full of flavor. The strength may have crept into the full range. A very enjoyable experience.
Conclusion:
As you’ve gathered, I really liked this medium to full bodied cigar. The stigma that anything Connecticut will be mild and predictable is gone. It packed in the flavors, was pretty complex, and had me stumped most of the time. At the same time it was easy to smoke and relax. I can see this appealing to a large audience of smokers. If I were you I’d try it asap.
Tom’s Favorite Cigars of 2011
Friday, December 9th, 2011It’s getting to that time of year when every blogger starts posting their top 10 cigars of 2011. I am jumping on the bandwagon a little early and doing just that, sort of… While there were quite a few good cigars in 2011, only a few really stood out from the pack in my opinion. They were just so far above the pack that they dominated and knocked everyone off of the list.
So without further ado, here are my top three cigars of 2011. Everything else just fell by the wayside.
3 – Tatuaje Anarchy
This is one of the few cigars that I called “Great.” It is full bodied with flavor and full strength with power. Everything just seemed to be in perfect balance. This cigar proves you can have power and flavor in harmony.
2 – Quesada Oktoberfest
I called this cigar “Damn good.” I liked it so much, it was reviewed twice. I reviewed HERE and again with Ed HERE. While the flavors aren’t terribly complex, this full bodied cigar was simply a beautiful smoking experience. My only complaint is their limited availability.
I summed up this cigar as “Damn Good.” I don’t even know if my review does it justice. This medium to full bodied cigar packed in the flavors and complexities that just hit the spot. What more can I say? It is just a great cigar. Like the Quesada, my only complaint is it’s limited availability.
And there you have it. My top cigars of 2011. While I had many good cigars in 2011, these three really stick out at the moment. That’s my opinion, and I’m sticking to it.
Tatuaje Monster Series-Wolfman
Tuesday, December 6th, 2011Another Tatuaje review? Yes… I know I’m a little late on reviewing this annual Halloween series, but Ed got a late shipment. The only other Halloween series cigar I’ve had is last years “The Face.” I remember it being a very good cigar, so I jumped at the chance of trying the 2011 release called the Wolfman. This is a very limited cigar that fan boy’s seek and some obsess over. Personally, I think it’s about the cigar, not the hype. So let’s see how the Tatuaje Wolfman went.
Wrapper: Sumatra
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Size: 7.5 x 52
Price: $13.00
Pre-Smoke & Construction:
The wrapper was blotchy looking and had a shiny yet rough look to it. The wrapper had a cedary sweet smell. The foot smelled similar but had a little spice that made the nose tingle. The cigar was pretty evenly packed, and had a little give when squeezed. The pre-light draw had a little resistance, and had a dark bitter flavor (not the bad kind).
The burn required a couple minor touch up’s, and the ash held for around an inch.
Flavor:
The first bit of the cigar has no wrapper. The initial first draws had a simple peppery spice with woody notes. Once I got to the wrapper, the pepper mellowed out a bit. The flavor felt smoother, with a dominant cedary flavor. Up next was a bitter sweetness that boarded on being dark chocolate.
The second third definitely had a sweet dark chocolaty core. The peppery spice was almost gone, and turned into a smooth sweetness that boarded on creaminess. A bitter sweet aftertaste clung to the inside of the mouth for quite a while. As this third came to an end, coffee notes were noticed.
The last third didn’t change too much in terms of flavor. Black coffee increased a bit, but the flavors I mentioned before remained. They all increased in body and strength. Speaking of strength, at this point I had a pretty good nicotine buzz.
Conclusion:
This was a very good full bodied cigar. It definitely isn’t for the mild smoker. I enjoy a good full strength cigar, but I don’t like when flavors suffer as a result. The Wolfman delivers in all areas – strength and flavor. This proves yet again that you don’t have to sacrifice one to have the other. If you run across this limited release, it is worth picking a few up.
Tatuaje Fausto Avion 11
Friday, December 2nd, 2011I continue my Tatuaje kick that I’ve been on since Ed’s event not too long ago. I picked up several Tat’s I haven’t tried before. The Avion being one of those… As you’ve come to expect, I have no big back story about the Avion. I tend to focus on construction and flavor. Everything else is secondary. So let’s get to it…
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Size: Perfecto Grande 6 3/4 x 48/52
Price: $10.00
Pre-Smoke & Construction:
The wrapper glistened in the light and had a bit of a rugged look to it. The smell of the wrapper and foot was sweet with a touch of bardyard. The pre-light draw had a little resistance, and have a sweet earthy flavor. The cigar was solidly packed with only a minor soft spot or two.
The first third required a good sized correction. I suspect that was from me not lighting the perfecto end correctly. The ash held for around an inch.
Flavor:
The first third was woody, a little nutty, and notes of peppery spice. The aftertaste was a bitterness you’d get from a dark chocolate but not quite that sweet. Through the nose, there was an easy sweet spice.
The second third had a dominant cedar with the bitter aftertaste I mentioned earlier. The bitterness was similar to black coffee but also reminded me the kind associated with dark chocolate. There was a nutty component in there as well. The spicy pepper calmed and became very mild.
The last third saw a return of pepper when retro-haling. It wasn’t a kick you in the face pepper. Black Coffee and dark chocolate dominated the flavor profile. It wasn’t as sweet as you’d expect though. The smoke feel smoothed out but wasn’t quite creamy.
Conclusion:
This was a solid full bodied cigar that started off medium. It was a nice smoking experience with nice complexities and change-up’s. Looking back, my flavor descriptions may be lacking. There was something else going on here. No matter, I liked it. Any full bodied smoker should find something good about the Tatuaje Fausto Avion.
Tobacconists’ Association of America (TAA) 2011 by Tatuaje
Friday, November 25th, 2011This cigar is exclusive to the Tobacconists Association of America as you probably guessed. They are available for a limited time, and only 1500 boxes of 20 were made for a handful of stores.I believe there is a list of participating shops at their website. I figured I’d pick a couple up and see what they were about.
Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Size: 5 5/8 x 54
Price: Around $10.00
Pre-Smoke & Construction:
The shiny wrapper had a some bumps here and there but was pretty much flawless. The wrapper and closed foot had a sweet earthy smell. The cigar was evenly packed and fairly solid feeling to the touch. The pre-light draw had slight resistance with a hay-ish flavor.
The ash held for around an inch, and the burn required a couple of corrections.
Flavor:
The first third had a nice pepper that was very noticeable when passing smoke through the nose. Black coffee seemed to be the dominant flavor. Maybe it was more of an espresso. Just before this third ended, the flavor became sweet and thick. It wasn’t full blown chocolate but it reminded me of dark chocolate.
The second third had dominant black coffee and a dark chocolaty sweetness. The black pepper was still there, but it’s zing was taken down a couple notches. There were woody notes in the background. The smoke feel was fairly thick, and the aftertaste left a tingle on the lips. As the second third came to an end, that spicy tingle became sweeter.
The last third changed to a dominant coffee flavor, with the sweet dark chocolaty sweetness behind it. The pepper regained some of it’s zing, The tingly aftertaste gained some strength as well. The body and strength went up a notch as well.
Conclusion:
This was a good full bodied cigar. The flavors just hit the spot for me. The body and strength were icing on the cake. My only complaint would be the price and limited availability. Otherwise, if you get a chance, I think any full bodied cigar smoker could find something to like here.
Tatuaje Black Label Petit Lancero
Friday, November 18th, 2011This cigar was originally a blend produced as Pete Johnson’s personal cigar. It eventually would made appearances here and there in various sizes and limited production. Now it has appeared once again, but in regular production. I picked a couple up at a Tatuaje event Ed had recently. Needless to say, I don’t regret the purchase. My thoughts are below…
Wrapper: Nicaragua
Binder/Filler: Nicaragua
Size: Petit Lancero 6 x 38
Price: Around $8.00
Pre-Smoke & Construction:
The wrapper was chocolaty brown looking, and had a couple good sized veins. The wrapper and foot had a nice cedary odor. The cigar was consistently packed, and had a little give when squeezing. The pre-light draw was open, with just a bit of resistance. The pre-light flavor was a mild earthiness with cedar.
The burn require one minor touch up, and the ash held for about 3/4 of an inch.
Flavor:
The first third started out with bold flavors. No gradual ramp up with this cigar. I was greeted with a nice peppery spice through the nose and on the tongue. There was espresso and the associated bitterness (not the bad kind of bitterness). There was also a sweet spice reminiscent of cinnamon. The aftertaste left the mouth tingling. Towards the end of this third, earthy notes, maybe even leathery, entered the picture.
The second third remained full bodied, but things mellowed out a bit. The smoke feel became creamy and that sweet cinnamony spice really clung to the mouth and lips. The core flavors didn’t switch up too much, so I’d be repeating myself at this point.
The last third really stayed very close to the previous thirds. The sweet spice picked up in strength. It mixed nicely with the espresso, cedar, and earthy/leathery notes. This cigar didn’t quit until I was forced to put it down from burning fingers.
Conclusion:
This was a very good, even excellent full bodied cigar. Everything was great. The flavor, construction, draw, and flavor. Nothing bad to report. My only small complaint is the price. But for an occasional treat, I will be revisiting the Tatuaje Black Label again for sure.