Black Plague
New Member
- Joined
- May 11, 2006
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- 539
Tatuaje La Seleccíon de Cazador
Único
6 1/2 x 52 Pirámide
Prelight: Very well-rolled and even looking. Seemed solid as a rock. The corojo wrapper leaf was darker near the top and spiralled down to a lighter color near the foot, giving it an odd barber pole-like transition from colorado maduro to colorado. The pointed cap looked excellently applied and symmetrical. Pale veins raced over the leaf, not a one raised or bumpy to mar the beautiful roll. The wrapper lead had a faint oily sheen to it, increasing its appeal to the eye. As I do with all pirámides and belicosos, I made a very small cut in the cap and was delighted to see that it was both tightly-rolled and yielded a good draw. Pre-flame draws yielded an array of promising flavors: toasted tobacco, sweetiness, grassiness, nutty hints, and a light spice. Regretfully, I never checked the box code at the store from which this was purchased.
Beverage: Flor de Caña 7 Years Grand Reserve rum. Having heard the Tatuaje Seleccíon de Cazador line's reputation for being quite strong, I decided this rum would make a good pairing. Flor de Caña, I find, is a very full-bodied and straight-forward rum that favors the tastes of the barrel more so than the cane. Vanilla and sweet spice with an underlying oakiness and perhaps a hint of smokiness on the finish.
Flavor: Immediately very strong and assertive on the palate. It's been a long time since I've indulged in a cigar so powerful, yet so refined and flavorful. Dark-toasted tobacco, red bell peppers, spicy habaneros, a dash of white pepper, but with a pleasantly sweet cocoa edge to it. At a 1/2 inch, the flavors mellowed out to a sweeter toasted tobacco flavor and a finish that smacked of sweet cappuccino mocha. Hints of leather, roasted nuts, and a very light pinch of cedar. All the while, tones of the powerful beast lurked in the background.
At one-third, the red pepper skin flavor grew stronger, with a sensation of grain of paradise peppers on the throat and a finish so warm and chocolatey I wished it would last forever.
Halfway down, the finish grew much more cedary and the palate acquired a more earthy feel but retained much of its cocoa sweetness. The peppery feel on the throat had eased. At this point, the cigar paired very well with the rum. Gradually became much more woody with an aroma full of black pepper and musk.
In the final two-thirds, I noticed a bit of a twang starting! When consumed with the rum, the smoke brought out the sweetness in the rum while the rum brought out the woodiness in the smoke. To a burning nub, this cigar was powerful, full-bodied, and very flavorful.
Construction: As mentioned before, the draw was spot on. The burn started out fine, but kept getting a lean that needed several corrections. The ash was solid as a rock, pale gray to white in color, and hardly ever flaked, despite the touch-ups with the lighter.
Summary: This is a fine example of both the products of José "Pepin" Garcia and what good Nicaragua tobacco is capable of. Having tried this, the Havana VI line, the Serie P line, and the Padilla 8 & 11 Miami blend, I can't get enough of Garcia's cigars. I never thought in a million years I'd hear myself say this...but I'm beginning to gravitate towards them over my usual array of Habanos! I'm absolutely shocked by how this man can blend Nicaraguan tobaccos. I've never been much of a shill for really full-bodied cigars...not that I can't take the nicotine, but rather that they usually forsake complexity and flavor for raw power, but the Tatuaje La Seleccíon de Cazador line stands in defiance of this. I highly recommend this cigar to lovers of NC and even Havana devotees like myself. I can't imagine this cigar was more than a few months old and by the tasting I'd say this cigar has plenty of aging potential.
Único
6 1/2 x 52 Pirámide
Prelight: Very well-rolled and even looking. Seemed solid as a rock. The corojo wrapper leaf was darker near the top and spiralled down to a lighter color near the foot, giving it an odd barber pole-like transition from colorado maduro to colorado. The pointed cap looked excellently applied and symmetrical. Pale veins raced over the leaf, not a one raised or bumpy to mar the beautiful roll. The wrapper lead had a faint oily sheen to it, increasing its appeal to the eye. As I do with all pirámides and belicosos, I made a very small cut in the cap and was delighted to see that it was both tightly-rolled and yielded a good draw. Pre-flame draws yielded an array of promising flavors: toasted tobacco, sweetiness, grassiness, nutty hints, and a light spice. Regretfully, I never checked the box code at the store from which this was purchased.
Beverage: Flor de Caña 7 Years Grand Reserve rum. Having heard the Tatuaje Seleccíon de Cazador line's reputation for being quite strong, I decided this rum would make a good pairing. Flor de Caña, I find, is a very full-bodied and straight-forward rum that favors the tastes of the barrel more so than the cane. Vanilla and sweet spice with an underlying oakiness and perhaps a hint of smokiness on the finish.
Flavor: Immediately very strong and assertive on the palate. It's been a long time since I've indulged in a cigar so powerful, yet so refined and flavorful. Dark-toasted tobacco, red bell peppers, spicy habaneros, a dash of white pepper, but with a pleasantly sweet cocoa edge to it. At a 1/2 inch, the flavors mellowed out to a sweeter toasted tobacco flavor and a finish that smacked of sweet cappuccino mocha. Hints of leather, roasted nuts, and a very light pinch of cedar. All the while, tones of the powerful beast lurked in the background.
At one-third, the red pepper skin flavor grew stronger, with a sensation of grain of paradise peppers on the throat and a finish so warm and chocolatey I wished it would last forever.
Halfway down, the finish grew much more cedary and the palate acquired a more earthy feel but retained much of its cocoa sweetness. The peppery feel on the throat had eased. At this point, the cigar paired very well with the rum. Gradually became much more woody with an aroma full of black pepper and musk.
In the final two-thirds, I noticed a bit of a twang starting! When consumed with the rum, the smoke brought out the sweetness in the rum while the rum brought out the woodiness in the smoke. To a burning nub, this cigar was powerful, full-bodied, and very flavorful.
Construction: As mentioned before, the draw was spot on. The burn started out fine, but kept getting a lean that needed several corrections. The ash was solid as a rock, pale gray to white in color, and hardly ever flaked, despite the touch-ups with the lighter.
Summary: This is a fine example of both the products of José "Pepin" Garcia and what good Nicaragua tobacco is capable of. Having tried this, the Havana VI line, the Serie P line, and the Padilla 8 & 11 Miami blend, I can't get enough of Garcia's cigars. I never thought in a million years I'd hear myself say this...but I'm beginning to gravitate towards them over my usual array of Habanos! I'm absolutely shocked by how this man can blend Nicaraguan tobaccos. I've never been much of a shill for really full-bodied cigars...not that I can't take the nicotine, but rather that they usually forsake complexity and flavor for raw power, but the Tatuaje La Seleccíon de Cazador line stands in defiance of this. I highly recommend this cigar to lovers of NC and even Havana devotees like myself. I can't imagine this cigar was more than a few months old and by the tasting I'd say this cigar has plenty of aging potential.
