Wrapper: Mexican San Andrés
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Size: 5.125 8 x 52 Robusto
Strength: Full
Price: $12.00
I’ve kept this cigar naked, against its will, in my humidor for two months.
BACKGROUND:
Not much info on this cigar other than it was released almost a year ago. Quantities are limited but the exact number is undisclosed. The quantities were based upon orders taken at the 2022 PCA show in July. Yet it is still available online. And next to no reviews. Have I ever said, ‘this does not bode well?’
THE WHOLE MEGILLAH:
Well, the first thing I gotta say is I believe we’ve seen these leaf stats on more than a few cigars. So, I do not expect anything spectacular or that hasn’t been done a thousand times before. Of course, my pessimism could be balls up.
The wrapper smells like every cigar with these leaf stats: Creaminess, milk chocolate, malt, black pepper, small notes of caramel, black cherry, cedar, and espresso.
Let’s light ‘er up…
The cigar weight is in the medium density format. The draw is tighter than I prefer so my handy dandy PerfecDraw draw adjustment tool goes to work and only takes one drilling motion to remove the flotsam and jetsam from the cigar and now I have the draw that Mikey likes.
Every time I look at a partially closed foot, I swear my dirty old man mind sees a raggedy vagina. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.
I remember when I was in Curved Air in the mid-70’s, the band was in a car somewhere in London and Sonja wanted to show off her double plastic surgeries. First up was her now boobs that looked pretty good. Second, she had her vagina lips trimmed. Never heard of that…I was young. It was a work of art. And her pubes were trimmed in the shape of a big heart and dyed red like her hair. Mighty impressive. The band approved.
Mild start. Smoke engulfs me like a tactical grenade.
Notes of black pepper, mild maltiness, creamy chocolate, burnt cedar, and raisins. Right in line of every cigar with the same M.O.
The burn is a bit wonky but I don’t have a knee jerk reaction to fix it. I pray in Hebrew for G-d to fix it.
I have Amazon Music on All 70’s Rock. I can’t help it. It was a golden time for good music. I know it depends on your age. The 80’s sucked. The 90’s was much better. After that, rock became exceedingly derivative.
The Cosmic Muffin doesn’t listen and I must put torch to foot.
Half an inch in, there is an immediate improvement as I sense the cigar needs to capitalize on the Tat brand name and make something of itself. Mild complexity kicks in along with a nice finish of creaminess, mild black pepper, espresso, dark chocolate, and mole sauce. ¡Olé!
“Maggie May” Rod Stewart. Never forgave him for ditching The Faces for slicker musicians. The rawness of those boys is what made the entire band so good. To this day, my favorite tune is “Every Picture Tells a Story.”
A natural tobacco sweetness plows through my palate and is a nice enterprise. Simply a generic and organic sweetness.
The char line is happy being uneven.
This cigar is not a slap in the face, you bitch style of blending. It is modest in its approach and Tatuaje could have done better. I don’t feel that extensive humidor time is going to change this cigar into a monster. It will become more refined and possibly show its tighty whities earlier.
I’ve been a fan of Tatuaje for ages. It is a great go-to cigar in all its shapes and forms.
This blend is a Tat-Lite.
“Listen to the Music.” The Doobie Brothers. My 5-piece cover band in the early 70’s did a bunch of their tunes. Every band was required to do the same. I was lucky as 4 guys could all sing lead so they could do the harmonies from the Doobies to The Beatles to Crosby, Stills, & Nash to The Temptations. I was the slacker. I could only squeak.
The Tat is improving at just over 1” burned. The strength makes a wild jump from mild/medium to medium/full while I was typing my non-sensical meaningless tangential crap.
Black pepper surges. The espresso and dark cocoa stand tall.
Creaminess takes a back seat. The char line is naughty. No pudding for you unless you eat your meat, Mr. Tat.
Despite my criticisms, the Tat is turning delightful. Very pleasant. That first inch must have been a useless testing ground for a smoker’s patience.
The blend seeks out being well rounded. A slight richness joins the fray. And holy shit, the char line finally knows its place. Golf clap.
I could be completely off base…maybe extended humi time will make a big difference. The Tatuaje manifesto is taking shape.
I slow my puffs down. I allow the cigar to rest for a few minutes between cigar to mouth. The blend is sending out smoke signals for me to calm the fuck down. I comply.
“Play That Funky Music.” This white boy stops typing and I use my fingers to tap funky rhythms on my knees. Ever been in a waiting room and the office music plays something funky and your head begins to bob while tapping your hands? And then everyone waiting stares at you…I just blurt out “I’m a bass player.” And I see their eyes roll. It’s less traumatic than saying I’m a drummer.
The char line is behaving…Shhhh.
The burn is slow and relaxing. The strength hits full tilt. My eyes roll involuntarily.
On the advice of Charlotte’s nurse practitioner, we went to her provider’s day center to see if she could socialize with others that have dementia. What a nightmare. Everyone there was cooked well done. Half in wheelchairs. Only a couple capable of speech. It was like “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.” And I was Jack Nicholson. That experience was one and done.
2” burned in 35 minutes. Very tasty. Complexity is simmering at medium. Transitions are minimal…mostly black pepper, creaminess, malt, tad of cinnamon, cedar, and espresso. The finish fills my mouth with spicy black pepper.
“Immigrant Song.” Led Zep. One of my all-time faves. Loved playing that tune on stage. It always turned the crowd into maniacs. Good times. Listen to bootlegs and John Paul Jones was a madman on bass. This is the shit I get ripped for on social media.
I like the Tatuaje Tuxtla Lomo de Cerdo (Pork Tenderloin) L.E. Such a long name for a blend that is tasty but certainly not earth shaking.
Finally. A warm richness develops. Smoothness jumps from the trenches and runs unafraid into enemy fire.
The transitions remain minimal. The finish fans out and clamps down on the black pepper giving it a seat in the back of the bus.
OK. I’m digging this Tat. The blend convinces me that several months of humi time will vastly improve its flavor profile.
The strength and body sit on the fence as to whether it will decimate newbies. Seasoned smokers will cowboy up and take the punch in the face and keep going.
An impressive sweet spot occurs at the halfway point. Dark chocolate, creaminess, espresso, malt, black cherries, cedar, and cinnamon shine like a distant star.
This will be a 90-minute moment in time.
I have the spins. I walk it off.
Yesterday, an American Robin flew at Mach 1 into the window of my man cave on the second floor. Scared the shit out of me. I went to the patio and saw this poor bird on our patio table gasping for air and then it stopped. I began chest compressions and all that happened was I saw the bird’s eyes close for good. I said Kaddish.
The char line needs a touch up.
The Sweet v. Savory balance is very nice.
The second half is exactly what I had hoped for. The usual suspects of influences are doing the breaststroke. But as I said at the start of my review, the blend is nothing new but it does manage to do it right. And it’s not an outrageously expensive cigar. A fiver would go down well.
I still have a couple inches to go but I will finish it in silence while listening to music while sipping coffee.
My only sponsor that still has these sticks for sale is Small Batch Cigar. Use promo code ‘katman’ for 10% off. Brings the stick’s price down to $11.80. You can’t go wrong.
RATING: 91
Discover more from Cigar Reviews by the Katman
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Categories: CIGAR REVIEWS
