stevehawk
'Member? C'mon you 'member!
- Joined
- Nov 12, 2004
- Messages
- 4,113
I purchased a fiver of these about a month ago and have been letting them rest. The reviews of other Tatuajes I’ve read have all been very complimentary, so I fired up my first one tonight to see what all the fuss was about.
This little cigar is 5.125 inches long and has a ring gauge of 44. It retails for $7.50, according to MMM's reference.
Prelight pic:
Upon inspection, the dark brown wrapper showed minor veins but there were no noticeable soft or hard spots to be found. It’s not the prettiest cigar you’ll find on the market, that’s for sure, but as they say – you can’t always judge a book by the cover. Otherwise, it appeared to be well constructed.
Because of the smaller ring gauge, I used my smallest punch on the cap. No problem there -- another sign of good construction.
Punched cap:
I did not get much flavor from cap, but the prelight draw was perfect otherwise. I toasted the foot using a torch and the cigar lit easily. There was plenty of smoke pouring from both the foot and the cap. Then, the taste hit. Acrid and harsh… uh oh, not what I was expecting! The only slight burn issue was a minor run at this point. It stayed that way for about the first half- to ¾-inch, then mellowed out.
Mellowing point w/ slight run:
Once the stick mellowed out, the flavor profile improved significantly (it could only improve, to be honest.) I don’t have the most refined palette but detected hints of cocoa and wood. Overall, it was very pleasant. Then, at the one-fourth point, the flavor of mint kicked in and the taste became almost cool. The previous harshness was non-existent and pretty much forgotten as this new flavor (which I don’t recall ever tasting in another cigar) kicked in.
Mint point:
From this point, to about the last third of the stick, the minty taste remained and made this a very enjoyable experience. At the two-thirds point, the flavor profile changed again. The mint/cocoa flavor was replaced by hints of leather mixed with cocoa. Still very enjoyable!
Flavor change point:
http://onfinite.com/libraries/837358/99f.jpg
The stick stayed flavorful throughout. Cocoa throughout with other overlapping flavors. I have not nubbed a cigar to the extent that I nubbed this one in a long time.
Nub:
From the taste profile alone, I would have to say that this was a medium- to full-bodied stick. However, when I stood up a few minutes later, I was surprisingly dizzy which says a lot about the nicotine it packs.
Overall this cigar a very nice experience! I can see why these are so popular. I’m glad I have a few left in the humi -- along with a Tatuaje Reserva J21, that I can’t wait to try.
This little cigar is 5.125 inches long and has a ring gauge of 44. It retails for $7.50, according to MMM's reference.
Prelight pic:
Upon inspection, the dark brown wrapper showed minor veins but there were no noticeable soft or hard spots to be found. It’s not the prettiest cigar you’ll find on the market, that’s for sure, but as they say – you can’t always judge a book by the cover. Otherwise, it appeared to be well constructed.
Because of the smaller ring gauge, I used my smallest punch on the cap. No problem there -- another sign of good construction.
Punched cap:
I did not get much flavor from cap, but the prelight draw was perfect otherwise. I toasted the foot using a torch and the cigar lit easily. There was plenty of smoke pouring from both the foot and the cap. Then, the taste hit. Acrid and harsh… uh oh, not what I was expecting! The only slight burn issue was a minor run at this point. It stayed that way for about the first half- to ¾-inch, then mellowed out.
Mellowing point w/ slight run:
Once the stick mellowed out, the flavor profile improved significantly (it could only improve, to be honest.) I don’t have the most refined palette but detected hints of cocoa and wood. Overall, it was very pleasant. Then, at the one-fourth point, the flavor of mint kicked in and the taste became almost cool. The previous harshness was non-existent and pretty much forgotten as this new flavor (which I don’t recall ever tasting in another cigar) kicked in.
Mint point:
From this point, to about the last third of the stick, the minty taste remained and made this a very enjoyable experience. At the two-thirds point, the flavor profile changed again. The mint/cocoa flavor was replaced by hints of leather mixed with cocoa. Still very enjoyable!
Flavor change point:
http://onfinite.com/libraries/837358/99f.jpg
The stick stayed flavorful throughout. Cocoa throughout with other overlapping flavors. I have not nubbed a cigar to the extent that I nubbed this one in a long time.
Nub:
From the taste profile alone, I would have to say that this was a medium- to full-bodied stick. However, when I stood up a few minutes later, I was surprisingly dizzy which says a lot about the nicotine it packs.
Overall this cigar a very nice experience! I can see why these are so popular. I’m glad I have a few left in the humi -- along with a Tatuaje Reserva J21, that I can’t wait to try.
