Michael Herkklots

In March 2022, Ferio Tego announced their limited edition release for the 2022 TAA exclusive. Inspired by the Timeless 2020 TAA limited blend, the Nicaraguan puro is rolled at the Plasencia Cigars SA in Esteli, Nicaragua. In a press release with Halfwheel, Herklots stated, “The 2020 TAA Limited was launched just as the nation went into lockdown…We worked closely with the Plasencias to create complexity and nuance but also vivaciousness. The result is a blend experience that is savory but also full of life… perfect for 2022 and looking towards a bright future”.

Blend Specifics

• Cigar Reviewed: Ferio Tego: Timeless TAA 2022
• Wrapper: Nicaraguan 
• Binder: Nicaraguan 
• Filler: Nicaraguan 
• Size: Toro (6″x50)

Appearance & Construction

The dark espresso bean-colored cigar gives off a glare underneath the warm light. As if it was dipped into wax. The wrapper feels thick and soft. There are a few minor veins, but it has been flattened by the mold. There is a small dent below the cap, and the cigar has a springiness to it when I give it a squeeze.

Flavor and Smoke Characteristics

I smell sweet molasses when I bring the cigar close to my nose. Then I instantaneously salivate from the scent of tart peaches and pepper spice as I move down to the foot of it. After slicing the cap off with my guillotine cutter, I continue with a cold draw. This cigar reminds me of a bowl of greek yogurt with fruit: creamy and tart with some berry notes. 

While lighting the cigar, I get a scent of honey hidden within the stream of white smoke. After some patience, I take my first puff and get freshly cut grass. Going past that, creamy hay, pistachios, roasted coffee, and wet log. There is a distinctive saltiness on the finish that I am unfamiliar with and have never encountered with a cigar before, but it kept me going back for more. I continue with a retrohale and get dark roasted coffee, roasted peanuts, oakwood, and mild black pepper spice. 

I became worried about the construction because the cigar became squishy. The airflow is on the tighter side, around 8 out of 10. There is barely any smoke output at this point. Since a straight cut did not work so well for this cigar, I took out my Colibri SV cutter and sliced it down the middle with a deep V-cut. Unfortunately, that did not do much. Guessing the squishiness is the real culprit here. The burn line is as straight as it can be, and surprisingly the ash is piling up nicely. Overall, I am really enjoying this cigar due to its unique savoriness. As if I am smoking a beef jerky.

Right when I arrived at the second third, the ash fell. The draw has opened up, and I can taste roasted pine nuts, oakwood, and dark roasted coffee. The black pepper spice is much more pronounced with creamy almonds, leather, and coffee bean on the retrohale. The saltiness continues on the finish.

One thing I must mention is that as I am approaching the nub, I start to wonder if the cigar lounge I am in carries this cigar because I wanted another one right after this. The nub only becomes more complex with flavors of roasted peanut shell, dark roasted coffee beans, and creamy cedarwood. The retrohale stand on its own with berry notes, cedarwood, leather, and red pepper spice. As you can guess, I burned my fingers before letting go of this cigar.

Conclusion

Maybe because I missed out and did not get a chance to smoke the Ferio Tego Timeless TAA 2020, but the Timeless TAA 2022 is one of the most enjoyable cigars I have blind-reviewed this year. I won’t overkill on how much I liked the savory saltiness in this cigar, but the flavor itself was immaculate: roasted coffee, pine nuts, leather, and oakwood. The smoke is creamy. And the retrohale makes up for the absence of spice on the palate. The only negative I had was the squishiness from the first half of the cigar. I hope this won’t reoccur. I highly recommend you seek out this cigar for a unique encounter like no other.

Final Rating: 91