Today's study smoke was the Cojonu Reserva J21. Tatuaje is a small producer of "boutique" cigars based on the traditional Cuban ways. This is a point that they stress and that is none-to-subtly reinforced in their packaging. The entire 2005 line, which consists of 18 different front marks or "models" are Nicaraguan puros. This means that all the components (wrapper, binder and filler) come from the same country. In this case, Nicaragua. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)
Sizes in the Tatuaje line range from a diminutive 4.5 x 32 (Petite Tatuaje) to stunning 9.125 x 55 (RC233 diadema). Coming in at 5 inches long by 50 ring, this cigar is considered a "non-Cuban" robusto. The Cuban Robusto vitola de galera comes in at a slightly stockier 4-7/8 x 50 rg. Similar-sized vitolas de galera include the Gorditos (represented solely by the San Cristobal de la Habana La Fuerza) and the Hermosos. Cigars that are commonly referred to as Robustos but are actually Hermosos are the El Rey del Mundo Choix Supreme, RyJ Exhibicion No.4 and Vegas Robaina Famosos.
Accompaniments were a Pillsbury peel-n-bake chocolate chip, pecan and caramel cookie and freshly brewed "Nicaraguan Knife-Fight." It was a rainy but warm day so I headed out to the garage lounge with my snacks, a research paper and this little beauty of a heater.
Prelight and Initial Stage
This is only the second Tatuaje cigar I've encountered (the other being the as-yet unsmoked Cojonu) but construction was consistent. This stick was built rock-hard (but not because of overfilling) with a Colorado-Colorado Maduro wrapper that was oily, silky and with little tooth. One thing I've noticed is that these cigars could not compete with a Macanudo or Leon Jimenes for a flawless wrapper. Specked with sunspots and mottled with light and dark patches, their sense of aesthetic is quite different but suits their ideal of a robust, no-nonsense cigar whose beauty is more than skin deep.
A quick squeeze and visual check of the foot suggested a good and easy draw and this was indeed the case. A prelight sniff revealed an aroma that was reminiscent of the best cigar store humidors. Rich and earthy, aged tobacco and cedar wood. I can see why tone-ny remarked on the compelling aroma of these sticks. So, initial aesthetics were very promising indeed. A quick click with my old Davidoff double-blade guillotine cutter and the cigar was ready for lighting. Gently toasting the foot released aggressive peppery notes. I actually almost sneezed from the sting. Light up was uneventful and the initial burn was even with a tight white ash.
First impressions were of an intense peppery flavor and aroma. In fact, for the first half inch there wasn't much else. Up to this point, the cigar was quite similar to the Carlos Torano Exodus Gold that kicked my butt. Hanging in there, the cigar soon throttled back and started delivering a dry woody and straight-up tobacco flavor that I'd characterize as "old school." By this, I mean strong and clear tobacco flavor without much supporting complexity. In other words, direct and pure but not balanced. I also noticed a pronounced "saltiness" on the palate. Smoke volume was medium and the mouth feel was dry but without harshness. Ash was firm, white and the burn line was thin but wandering. The flavor and aroma remained unchanged in the first third.
Finish and Final Impressions
Around the first third, the cigar added yet more woodiness, a touch of earthiness and a slightly creamier note to the body. And that's pretty much where it stayed until the final third where things started to become, well, less pleasant. The smoke got hotter and the little supporting flavors that appeared earlier started slipping away. A consistent run developed on one side. I also started to notice an ashy flavor as these other notes dissipated. By the last 3/4 inch, there wasn't even much tobacco flavor left so out it went at 75 minutes.
And that's when things went really screwy. All throughout, the cigar never let on that it was a nicotine bomb. And in fact, I had none of the head buzz that normally comes with strong sticks like the Opus X. However, once I got up I immediately felt queasy in the gut. This unpleasantness persisted through my shower, juice and dinner and didn't fade until nearly three hours after my last puff. Ugh. A second thing I noticed was the lingering scent on clothing and hands. I'm sure you've smoked a cigar where afterwards, you're just sniffing your fingers for hours, enjoying the pleasant aroma. Not so in this case. As I was rinsing out my coffee cup, I sniffed my fingers and nearly tossed back up my cookie. Wow. Rank is not a word I use often in reviews but in this case, it fit.
In summation:
A beautiful cigar that I wanted to like. I really did. Everything up to the point of ignition was so, so promising. But once on fire, the promise became unfulfilled. I don't know how this cigar will change as it ages. It's entirely possible that it will become stellar as time works its subtle magic. Being a relatively new brand, there simply isn't enough information to suggest whether beneficial maturation will occur. But for right now, the rest of my fiver is going into deep storage.
(IMG:http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h73/Gins...eReservaJ21.jpg)
Wilkey
Sizes in the Tatuaje line range from a diminutive 4.5 x 32 (Petite Tatuaje) to stunning 9.125 x 55 (RC233 diadema). Coming in at 5 inches long by 50 ring, this cigar is considered a "non-Cuban" robusto. The Cuban Robusto vitola de galera comes in at a slightly stockier 4-7/8 x 50 rg. Similar-sized vitolas de galera include the Gorditos (represented solely by the San Cristobal de la Habana La Fuerza) and the Hermosos. Cigars that are commonly referred to as Robustos but are actually Hermosos are the El Rey del Mundo Choix Supreme, RyJ Exhibicion No.4 and Vegas Robaina Famosos.
Accompaniments were a Pillsbury peel-n-bake chocolate chip, pecan and caramel cookie and freshly brewed "Nicaraguan Knife-Fight." It was a rainy but warm day so I headed out to the garage lounge with my snacks, a research paper and this little beauty of a heater.
Prelight and Initial Stage
This is only the second Tatuaje cigar I've encountered (the other being the as-yet unsmoked Cojonu) but construction was consistent. This stick was built rock-hard (but not because of overfilling) with a Colorado-Colorado Maduro wrapper that was oily, silky and with little tooth. One thing I've noticed is that these cigars could not compete with a Macanudo or Leon Jimenes for a flawless wrapper. Specked with sunspots and mottled with light and dark patches, their sense of aesthetic is quite different but suits their ideal of a robust, no-nonsense cigar whose beauty is more than skin deep.
A quick squeeze and visual check of the foot suggested a good and easy draw and this was indeed the case. A prelight sniff revealed an aroma that was reminiscent of the best cigar store humidors. Rich and earthy, aged tobacco and cedar wood. I can see why tone-ny remarked on the compelling aroma of these sticks. So, initial aesthetics were very promising indeed. A quick click with my old Davidoff double-blade guillotine cutter and the cigar was ready for lighting. Gently toasting the foot released aggressive peppery notes. I actually almost sneezed from the sting. Light up was uneventful and the initial burn was even with a tight white ash.
First impressions were of an intense peppery flavor and aroma. In fact, for the first half inch there wasn't much else. Up to this point, the cigar was quite similar to the Carlos Torano Exodus Gold that kicked my butt. Hanging in there, the cigar soon throttled back and started delivering a dry woody and straight-up tobacco flavor that I'd characterize as "old school." By this, I mean strong and clear tobacco flavor without much supporting complexity. In other words, direct and pure but not balanced. I also noticed a pronounced "saltiness" on the palate. Smoke volume was medium and the mouth feel was dry but without harshness. Ash was firm, white and the burn line was thin but wandering. The flavor and aroma remained unchanged in the first third.
Finish and Final Impressions
Around the first third, the cigar added yet more woodiness, a touch of earthiness and a slightly creamier note to the body. And that's pretty much where it stayed until the final third where things started to become, well, less pleasant. The smoke got hotter and the little supporting flavors that appeared earlier started slipping away. A consistent run developed on one side. I also started to notice an ashy flavor as these other notes dissipated. By the last 3/4 inch, there wasn't even much tobacco flavor left so out it went at 75 minutes.
And that's when things went really screwy. All throughout, the cigar never let on that it was a nicotine bomb. And in fact, I had none of the head buzz that normally comes with strong sticks like the Opus X. However, once I got up I immediately felt queasy in the gut. This unpleasantness persisted through my shower, juice and dinner and didn't fade until nearly three hours after my last puff. Ugh. A second thing I noticed was the lingering scent on clothing and hands. I'm sure you've smoked a cigar where afterwards, you're just sniffing your fingers for hours, enjoying the pleasant aroma. Not so in this case. As I was rinsing out my coffee cup, I sniffed my fingers and nearly tossed back up my cookie. Wow. Rank is not a word I use often in reviews but in this case, it fit.
In summation:
A beautiful cigar that I wanted to like. I really did. Everything up to the point of ignition was so, so promising. But once on fire, the promise became unfulfilled. I don't know how this cigar will change as it ages. It's entirely possible that it will become stellar as time works its subtle magic. Being a relatively new brand, there simply isn't enough information to suggest whether beneficial maturation will occur. But for right now, the rest of my fiver is going into deep storage.
(IMG:http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h73/Gins...eReservaJ21.jpg)
Wilkey
Sorry it didn't turn out to be a good smoke, maybe time will temper it. As an aside the second box is here so I'll get to try them and will report back on them.
