Tatuaje Monster Smash vs Pudgy comparison

[Smart Ash]

Tatuaje Pudgy Monsters, The Frank…

Appearance:
Perfectly applied olive green label, no excess glue or misalignment. I believe a triple cap on this one, with no issues cutting with a Palio guillotine cutter. The wrapper is dark brown, toothy, with some thick veins. It also has a stretched appearance to it, is the best way I can describe it. The cigar is a 5 5/8 long, 49 ring gauge with a slight box press. Overall, nothing special about the looks of this stick.

Flavor:
Surprisingly strong pepper in the first 1/2” or so before it subsided. A unique cotton candy like sweetness on every puff, especially after a retro. I also got a little creamed coffee and a parched sensation of leather. The flavors are super smooth with nothing standing out, perhaps due to the age. Overall, a pleasant tasting stick.

Construction:
Firmer draw than what I prefer, but not an issue. It started off a little wavey, but self corrected. Maybe due to the heavy veins or my lighting technique. Not a ton of smoke production, and the ash was strange. The first inch or so was dark, like it was charred, then all of a sudden turned white. It also had a gap in the center after the first inch that lasted about another inch. The smoke production became more abundant after that, but I would say about or slightly below average. The ash held strong only falling upon me tapping it. Overall, the construction wasn’t great, but acceptable, requiring no touch ups.

Final Thoughts:
I enjoyed the sweetness from this cigar. Didn’t blow my socks off by any means, but I wouldn’t turn another one down, nor would I seek out a box if they were available. Glad I had the opportunity to smoke it.

Tatuaje Monster Smash, The Frank…

Appearance:
Just a bit of a different band on this one vs the Pudgy version. Looks like the font of the lettering is a tad more robust on the Monster Smash version. Also, the wrapper is still dark brown, but considerably lighter than the Pudgy. This wrapper is smooth without any tooth like the Pudgy had. Less prominent veins. I will say this stick is a little sloppy. The band is not on perfectly, and the foot cut is not clean. I haven’t seen many sticks like this, looks like the filler is protruding past the wrapper and binder about 1/8” in a rounded shape. Just a slight squeeze of glue on one edge of the band. The size is the same for all Monster Smash sticks this year at 5 ¼ x 52 box-pressed. Overall, just an average looking stick with a miss cut foot.

Flavor:
Right away, a strong pepper blast, but shockingly not as strong as the Pudgy. I’m getting a woody sweetness, nothing like the cotton candy I got from the Pudgy. I get the leather and slightly parched sensation with this one too. This stick is not as smooth and a woody flavor stands out to me over the sweetness unlike the Pudgy. The pepper calmed down after a 1/2” or so. The finish is earth, and not to my liking. I get an occasional salty flavor as well. Something about the flavor seems artificial or chemically, even a menthol type flavor/sensation on the finish. Overall, okay flavor, but not loving it.

Construction:
This stick burned evenly, requiring no attention. The draw was slightly firm, but pretty close to perfect for me. Smoke production was great. The ash was a nice white color, but definitely did not hold on like the Pudgy. I didn’t learn from my mistakes, and dropped the ash on my lap 3 times…

Final Thoughts:
This stick is mediocre, average in my opinion. I’m hoping the next Monster cigar from both the Pudgy and Smash series deliver better results. I would choose so many other cigars over this one, that I likely wouldn’t find any in my stash down the road. I prefer the Pudgy version over the Smash.

 

[Smart Ash]

Tatuaje 2024 Monster Smash the Drac

Appearance:
Like the entire Smash series, 5.25 X 52 box pressed. Smooth, slightly oily darkish brown wrapper. Like the Frank, this cigar seems a bit sloppy. Glue is squished out from above and below the back of the band. Also, looks like the wrapper was damaged and the band placed over the top of a little bit of the wrapper being peeled back. Just a tiny crack on the foot. I can see veins, but don’t necessarily feel all of them.

Flavor:
This stick started off with a strong blast of pepper, but quickly calmed down. The retrohale still left my nostrils a bit irritated 1/3 way through the cigar. I’m getting a creamed unsweetened tea, earth, and the finish leaves my mouth feeling like I bit a grape seed. As I continue to get past the 1/2 way point, I start to get a slightly sweet citrus taste mixed with charred wood. I would even say a got a little pine needle taste. The final 1/3 was bitter.

Construction:
Good draw, plenty of smoke production. Burned unevenly 2/3 of the way until I had to touch it up, but only once. Beautiful firm white ash. No mess on my lap! Thin burn line with the oils shimmering just above. I was able to free the band without damaging the wrapper.

Final Thoughts:
Overall the cigar was a solid performer, but the burn and flavor got less enjoyable towards the very end. I would normally smoke it a little further than when I put this one down. Looking forward to smoking the Pudgy version next.

Tatuaje Pudgy Monster, The Drac

Appearance:
Nice looking 5x52 Torpedo. The foot looks a little funny, but no real issues with the appearance of this stick. The wrapper feels silky smooth and the cap is beautifully done.



Flavor:
Very smooth right from the start. No zing from the retro. I’m getting coffee with creamer, pecan shell, and a woody finish. Every now and then I can pick up a bit of a spice, but very faint. I find myself drawing faster than normal, trying to get more flavor out of it. Not sure how else to describe it, tastes somewhat chalky, but not in a bad way. Every now and then out of the blue, I get some random flavor that’s unique to that one puff (I swear I tasted watermelon bubblegum once). Very interesting…


Construction:
Perfect draw. Nice firm white ash. Plenty of smoke output. A little bit of a wonky burn throughout, which did require a couple of touch ups. Nothing spectacular, but quite acceptable.


Final Thoughts:
Very much enjoyed this cigar. For sure, this one beats the Smash version, and so far the best one yet. Long ways to go though…

 

[Smart Ash]

Tatuaje 2024 Monster Smash The Face

Appearance:
Nice looking, 5.25 X 52 box pressed like the rest from the Monster Smash series. Consistent medium brown color. Some small veins and the wrapper in applied quite well, almost hard to see the seams. Smooth to the touch, but can see a little tooth, especially in the sun.


Flavor:
Super smooth wood, leather, and maybe burned buttery toast. I got a hint of a nutty sweetness. Strong black coffee. Most of the flavors are quite robust, I like it!


Construction:
No issues with this stick. Great draw, no burn issues, although not quite razor sharp. Nice firm white ash.


Final Thoughts:
Great cigar all the way to the nub. Great smoke output and burned just fine. The flavors were consistent throughout but enjoyable. I wouldn’t mind a fiver in the stash.

 

[Smart Ash]

Tatuaje 2014 Pudgy Monsters The Face

Appearance:
This 4 3/8 x 56 stick is very cool looking! The cap looks like a pigtail cap, with another cap over the top. No band, but a piece of a lighter colored wrapper used as a band instead. Very Leather Face like for sure! The foot is also closed. A lot going on with this toothy medium brown stick.



Flavor:
Very similar to the Smash version. The first puff was actually the most flavorful, as I puffed right away to get a draw with mostly wrapper from the foot. I would say this cigar is smoother, with less robust flavor as the Smash. Oddly, this cigar had some pepper which I really didn’t get from the Smash. Although the flavors are almost the same, they are definitely different experiences.


Construction:
Very firmly packed, resulting in a firmer draw. Not bad, but definitely more resistance than the Smash. Good smoke output. Similar burn, not razor sharp but not requiring any touch ups. Ash hangs on until I tapped it off. Despite the firm pack, this cigar had a couple of tunnels, about an 1” long towards the midway point. Unfortunately, this resulted in a warmer smoke than I like. Once I got passed that, the cigar returned to normal.



Final Thoughts:
I thoroughly enjoyed this cigar. It’s very difficult to call a winner between the Pudgy and the Smash. Each stick had its unique qualities to them, but yet they were very similar in flavor. If I had to pick, I pick the Pudgy, but by a slim margin.