Wrapper: Ecuadorian Rosado Habano Claro
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Size: 5.5 x 50 Robusto
Strength: Medium
Price: $14.00
Date Released: 2019
Quantity Released: Regular Production
Factory: My Father Cigars El Rey de los Habanos

My cigars received 2 months of naked humidor time.

BACKGROUND:
From Smoke Inn:
“A limited project teased by Pete Johnson (owner/founder of Tatuaje Cigars) for years on end, the Tatuaje Escasos eventually debuted in 2019 to the delight of cigar fanatics across the country. Spanish for scarce or rare, Escasos provides Pete Johnson an outlet to showcase the skilled craftsmanship of the García family’s boutique-style factory in Miami: El Rey de los Habanos.

“Featuring select Cuban-seed tobaccos throughout the blend, the cigars make use of an all-Nicaraguan binder/filler, being finalized with a precise shade of Ecuadorian Habano rosado claro wrapper. This combination makes for a nuanced profile worthy of the seasoned palate. Expect a medium body, hitting notes of cedar, buttered toast, salted peanuts, light cabinet spice, and rich cream lingering through the finish. Bearing the beloved Tatuaje Brown Label band of the original Selección de Cazador line, the Tatuaje Escasos is something of an homage to the line that helped kick off Tatuaje’s success in the cigar industry. This includes the same six sizes, with each of the sizes’ titles combining to spell out HUNTER, the name of one of Pete’s dogs.”

THE WHOLE MEGILLAH:
In the 6 years since its release, the Escasos has been reviewed countless times. There is one recurring flavor note and it’s peanuts. So I put muzzle to wrapper and I smell peanut shells and not a lot else. The usual suspect of barnyard is missing. An Ecuadorian wrapper tends to have sweet floral aromas but not in the case of the Escasos. Like a pig rooting for truffles, I find the remaining aromata of baking spices and milk chocolate.

My PerfecPunch stares lovingly at the cap. Bringing all the force it can bear from its mighty 2 oz weight, it parries and lunges only once, removing the cigar’s yarmulke and bearing witness to a perfect airhole. I write those last two words and all I can think of is how you describe me.

Resistance is spot on while delivering a cold draw of peanut crème, black pepper, oak, fresh mint, mushrooms, and dark chocolate.

A rich earthy birth of a nation. Damn, Scarlett…this is how I like my women and my cigars. A very woody notice falls gently on my palate. Which brings up a huge pet peeve of mine…you guys must begin to learn to spell the word correctly. It’s not pallet or palette. If you must invest yourselves in this filthy habit of ours, cue your personal word police.

The burn is sharp. And this is why I don’t like using my Humidimeter. HOLES.

The cigar plumps, as good cigars are wont to do when treated with heat. The burn is slow.

In the 70’s, a bass player wasn’t worth his salt if he didn’t play out of the Acoustic 370 amp with the 301 bass cabinet. It had an 18” speaker that was turned backwards with a reflex design to maximize the impact of your listeners getting a wallop to the chest. This is why I never owned a small car. Don’t even ask about its weight. It is no secret why Boomer bassists no longer possess lumbar cartilage.

The blend morphs into a very creamy woodiness that dares me to take the cigar from my lips. I want to huff and puff and blow my nasal polyps down. But I don’t. Damn, Lucretia, I’m a human man and once a lit cigar sits upon my thin serial killer’s lips, I’m no longer in control of my destiny. But since you pay me well, er…wait…I allow the cigar to rest a couple minutes between puffs.

Blenders that can figure out how to balance between an Ecuadorian wrapper and Nic guts have it made in the shade. Truth be told, only a small percentage get it right. Add to the mix that it doesn’t become an out of control full tilt strong cigar, and we have a winner…a great morning cigar. I’m only entering inch two, and thus, have gotten ahead of myself.

Getting a good creamy, woody elegance is near impossible. The blend is as smooth as a tushy covered in fish oil. A thigh coated in crème brûlée. A kneecap slathered with kitten purrs. And ankles swaddled in gonadian orbs.

My first sip of water as the first half nears its denouement. Washing on to my sandy beaches are loads of creamy peanuts, milk chocolate, cinnamon, mild black pepper, burnished oak, and sweet red pepper.

We were loading gear into a basement gig. Stairs are not a musician’s friend. Our idiot keys player had a full-sized Hammond B3 organ. There was the sound of little girls screaming as we inched down the steps. Turns out it was us. Thankfully, it was a Friday and Saturday gig. So we were blessed with not packing up after one gig. Still…oh, our aching backs.

Here is another fine example of a good morning cigar. Unfortunately, at $14 a pop…ouch. Interspersion is the key.

The first half was categorized by a smooth delivery, nicely complex, medium depth, and flavors to the nines. Most Tats are kill or be killed. I like my strong cigars after a meal. More often than not, my first cigar is the most influential on how I start my day. This design is a nice change from what we expect from Johnson. Take it easy, baby. She’s am American girl.

Odd but true. I never owned a Marshall amp. I admired them when I saw good players use them. But the problem was, if you owned one, you probably owned a few. When your back is pliable and bendy, no big deal. Most importantly, you had a volunteer army of roadies. I don’t play out anymore because at my age, roadies are largely dead.

I’m looking for a sweet spot. I smoked a couple too early as reviewers tend to do. You? Yes, I know we are a weak species. With a little time on my cigars, the blossoming function has kicked in. A couple months and the cigar goes from meh to not bad, not bad.

The Cigar Aficionado method, which is widely used, is to score every cigar you smoke in the 85-89 range. For me, that’s 90-94. I don’t understand holding back when a good cigar sways me. I don’t have a system. Technical practices are in place to impress the cigar industry, not smokers.

The last third is very good. I’ve only had my cigars for two months. That in itself may be the issue. I don’t know how most reviewers will take a cigar they received only a couple weeks prior to their review and completely understand the blend. I can’t do it. I need my cigars to rest and breathe. 99% of cigars on the market get a nominal 6 weeks of rest after rolling and then into their boxes. It’s just not enough time for a smoker to analyze what the blender intended. 60 years of cigar smoking and I can’t jump the shark. More power to those that can.

This blend is about wood. It’s about peanuts. It’s about spice. If you think that because it has an Ecuadorian wrapper that it’s style will be peaches and cream, you would be wrong. The wrapper merely balances the Nicaraguan binder and filler. I just reviewed the Cigar Page exclusive Megilla Miami from El Titan de Bronze. Both using Ecuadorian wrappers but totally different. Not bad, just different. I like choices.

The Tatuaje Escasos is a delightful cigar.

My sponsors, Cigar Page and Luxury Cigar Club, do not carry the Escasos. I searched the interwebs and the best deal is from Smoke Inn. I found a promo code: DOJO17. If it works, please comment below. If you have alternate promo codes, please comment below. Thanks.

RATING: 94

Categories: CIGAR REVIEWS

Tags: cigar reviews, cigar reviews by the katman, cigars, katman, phil kohn, Tatuaje Escasos HUNTER Series | Cigar Reviews by the Katman