tatuaje

Happy Halloween everyone! Let’s review a smoke befitting the occasion: the Tatuaje “The Chuck.” If there’s one series of annual limited edition cigars that’s gained a cult following, it would have to be the Monster Series from Tatuaje. Dating all the way back to the mid 2000’s, the Monster Series showcases the imagination and craftsmanship of Pete Johnson in blends like “The Mummy, “The Krueger,” “The Michael,” and in 2019, the Chuck and the Tiff. The cigars were originally released in June 2014, though in smaller size. So 2019 gives us a longer 5 7/8 x 52 format.

Blend Specifics

• Cigar Reviewed: Tatuaje “The Chuck” (Monster Series 2019)
• Wrapper: Ecuador (Habano)
• Binder: Nicaragua
• Filler: Nicaragua
• Size: 5 7/8 x 52

Appearance & Construction

There’s nothing special about the Chuck’s appearance except for the goulish blue and red band. The outer Ecuadorian Habano wrapper has intense toothiness to it with some knotted veins (this thing is starting to sound like a monster now, isn’t it?). When squeezed, the cigar has moderate give, and thankfully appears to be packed evenly the entire length of the cigar.

Taking a whiff off of the foot, I pick up sweet and savory aromas of barnyard, coffee, cooking spices (cue sneeze), and salted caramel. Once cut, the draw is surprisingly loose, about a 5.5/10 in terms of amount of restrictiveness. The impression of the cold draw on the palate is mainly spicy.

Flavor & Smoke Characteristics

The Chuck opens with very aggressive full bodied smoke that’s got me immediately reaching for a glass of water. Flavors upfront are mainly black pepper, dry cedar and bitter leather followed by bitter sweet chocolate, minerality and the lightest touch of hickory. Yummy, but damn is it aggressive (even more so on the retrohale). So aggressive, that if my tongue was a person, The Chuck would be pulling is arms off and beating him over the head with them right now.

Construction wise, the cigar performs well, with a decently steady white ash. Smoke production though isn’t quite where it should be, at times requiring multiple puffs to produce ample smoke.

At an inch in, The Chuck is still grinding away at my palate, with heavy doses of black and cayenne pepper, black espresso and dry wood. Tangy mustard plays in the background, adding a nice touch of complexity. As the first ash drops, I take a look at the ember and find minor tunneling which is the source of the less than average smoke production. Thankfully, a few more puffs clears the hurdle and smoke production improves.

As the Chuck develops late into the first third, the retrohale finally begins to tone down to medium, though it still has copious amounts of black pepper and charred wood.

In the second third, the Chuck dishes out more black/red pepper, dry wood, mustard and bitter espresso. There’s also a charred meat note, though it is so fleeting it almost doesn’t deserve mention. The white ash continues developing nicely, and the cigar continues producing ample smoke.

There’s less to say about the final third. The strength of the smoke drops off a bit on both the palate and the retrohale. The flavors don’t change, but they do remain mostly enjoyable.

Conclusion

Fans of peppery profiles will love this release from Tatuaje. For myself, as much as I enjoy pepper and spice, the Chuck leans too heavily on black and red pepper to win the highest rating. That said, it is a enjoyable cigar.

Final Rating: 87

Up for review today is the Tatuaje Mexican Experiment II or ME II. I’ve written before that I’m not usually a huge fan of Tatuaje cigars even though I can admit that they are both extremely popular and very well crafted cigars. Still, when a reputable company releases a cigar featuring a Mexican San Andres wrapper, my ears are going to perk up, hence today’s review.

Let’s get to it.

Product Specifics

• Cigar Reviewed: Tatuaje Mexican Experiment ME II
• Wrapper: Mexican San Andres
• Binder: Nicaraguan
• Filler: Nicaraguan
• Size: 5 x 54

Appearance & Construction

The ME II comes wrapped in a gorgeous and nearly flawless Mexican San Andres wrapper that has a very velvety feel to it. The semi box-pressed cigar has a bit of give when squeezed (good) and also seems to be packed consistently the entire length of the cigar.

Taking a whiff off of the foot I pick up earthy notes of granola, some pepper, and light cocoa. Testing the draw after a straight cut reveals a fairly restrictive draw, about an 8/10 in terms of amount of restrictiveness.

Flavor & Smoke Characteristics

The first few puffs of the Tatuaje ME II summon a medium bodied smoke that is assertive and pronounced but also fairly nuanced. The first impression is on the tongue, with quite a bit of cayenne pepper and hot spices. There’s also some earthy wood notes alongside a sweeter cocoa note. It all comes together to create something a bit like spicy Mexican chocolate. The retrohale is quite nice as well, mirroring the flavors on the palate. The cigar produces more than enough smoke despite the tighter draw, and though the burn does begin to stray after only a half inch or so, a couple of purges bring it back into line.

After a short ebb in the spiciness, it comes surging back around the end of the first inch, firmly in command of the overall profile. The texture of the smoke becomes quite a bit drier, making me really wish I could pour a glass of scotch or rum to complement the experience.  The aroma of the smoke is interesting, with some definitive fruit notes interlaced between cocoa, spice and pepper. Construction wise, the cigar continues to produce excellent amounts of smoke and the burn is as straight as I’ve seen in a long time and still holding strong.

The Mexican Experiment II continues along in roughly the same way well into the second third, unfortunately not displaying a lot of complexity along the way. From there, it develops a tartness that turns the Mexican chocolate note into something more akin to mustard. On top of that are heaps of black pepper that push the strength of the smoke well past medium and toward the full end of the spectrum. Interesting, but not compelling.

The final third continues this trend, and it gets hard at times to determine if the smoke itself is getting hotter or if the spiciness is just increasing. Either way, the smoke becomes a bit lopsided, with only earth and spice in the spotlight. Not a terrible way to end the cigar, but the first half was definitely more enjoyable.

Conclusion

I mostly enjoyed the Tatuaje Mexican Experiment II. It had a very interesting start and the balance of flavors shifts nicely throughout the first half. That said, the second half failed to continue developing the flavors, instead becoming lopsided and too spicy to be as enjoyable as it could be.

Final Rating: 86

I think it’s fair to say that Tatuaje is a household name for cigar smokers these days. Pete Johnson has delivered some insanely good smokes, and some really fun ones too like The Bride (part of the annual Monster series) which we recently reviewed. Up for review today is the Tatuaje 15th Anniversary Habano Rosado, one of the company’s few anniversary releases.  The 15th Anniversary also comes in a separate blend featuring a Habano Oscuro wrapper, which I hope to review soon.

Product Specifics

• Wrapper: Ecuador (Rosado Claro)
• Binder: Nicaragua
• Filler: Nicaragua
• Size: 5 1/2 x 52 (belicoso fino)

Appearance & Construction

The Tatuaje 15th Anniversary Habano Rosado is a stunner of a cigar. The white band features raised gold lettering, which makes the cigar stand out in the humidor and gives it a rather celebratory look. The outer rosado claro wrapper has just one, small, visible vein and is otherwise silky to the touch. I also love the closed foot on this cigar (wrapper leaf extending past the foot and folded over). That basically guarantees an extra-flavorful start to the smoke.

After cutting the cigar with a straight cut, I test the draw, which is just about perfect (7/10 in terms of amount of restrictiveness). There’s not much to write home about on the cold draw because it’s so light, with some creamy natural tobacco and hints of wood. The aroma off of the foot is much more interesting, with a salt, oak, leather, and some bright spice which prompts not one but two sneezes as I write my notes.

Flavor & Smoke Characteristics

The Tatuaje 15th Anniversary Habano Rosado opens more forcefully than I was expecting, with a searing amount of spice and secondary pepper on the first four or five puffs. Smoke production is spot on, and strength and body lands at about medium. Generally, the smoke activates salty and bitter sensations on the palate. More specifically, I pick up oak, dry cedar, and an array of semi sweet baking spices (cinnamon, nutmeg) and light creaminess. Not a bad start, but quite a bit to handle from that closed foot.

As the ember burns past the first half inch, the spice and pepper draw down substantially. This gives much more of the spotlight to those baking spices, almonds, cream, and a slight lemon peel note. The retrohale is a solid medium, with nicely balanced notes of toasted bread and spices.

In the second third, the Tatuaje 15th Anniversary Habano Rosado settles way down at just above mild in terms of body and strength, and really hits its stride. The texture of the smoke is extremely smooth, with a profile dominated by warm bread, assorted nuts, cappuccino, and some light, slightly bitter leather. It’s a far cry from the aggressiveness of the first third, but much more balanced and enjoyable in my book.   The construction up to this point in the cigar has been good but not great, with the burn straying two or three times and requiring a few purges to correct. Still, even with the lightness of the profile it’s clear this cigar would pair incredibly well with coffee or espresso.

The final third continues most of the developments of the second, with a primary focus on toasted bread, light baking spices, and an overall mild strength. Some wood, salt, and sweet floral notes make occasional appearances as well. And thankfully the construction issues that degraded the earlier experience are nowhere to be found.

Conclusion

Construction issues aside, the Tatuaje 15th Anniversary Habano Rosado is a solid morning or early afternoon smoke, and worthy addition to the company’s portfolio. It puts forward a decently complex, well balanced experience that highlights flavors of toasted bread, baking spices, assorted nuts, and coffee notes. And as mentioned would pair remarkably well with coffee or espresso.

Final Rating: 89

Up for review today is the Tatuaje The Bride, the final release in the famous Tatuaje “Monster” series that began in 2008.The Monster Series has always been a fun product to see released every year, mainly because it combines two of my favorite product marketing ploys: limited edition release and seasonal release.

According to Halfwheel, Pete Johnson called this cigar an “elegant monster”, clocking in at medium as opposed to some of his more full bodied monster releases (though you wouldn’t know that from the look of it). If this is to be the last of the Monster Series, I’d expect it to be…ergm.. Spooktacular. Or something.

Let’s find out.

Product Specifics

• Cigar Reviewed: Tatuaje The Bride
• Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
• Binder: Nicaragua
• Filler: Nicaragua
• Size: 7 1/8 x 49

Appearance & Construction

Tatuaje The Bride is an extremely attractive cigar (no pun intended). The outer Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper is a dark, rich brown, with lots of texture and ruggedness. There is one major imperfection on the leaf which you can see on the last photo in this review, and I’m curious to see if it impedes the overall experience of the cigar. Either way, it’s got quite an inviting look and I’m excited to smoke it.

The cigar is packed evenly, though there is one soft spot about two inches from the foot. Off the foot, I can detect notes of barnyard, black pepper, baking spices, and milk chocolate. Testing the cold draw (which is just about perfect in terms of restrictiveness), there’s a spice note that lingers on the tip of the tongue, along with cedar, dark chocolate, and touches of caramel. If the Tatuaje The Bride smokes anything like the pre-light ritual suggests, it will be a hell of a cigar.

Flavor & Smoke Characteristics

Tatuaje The Bride opens with lush, flavorful, and aromatic smoke. In order of strength are notes of black pepper, bitter espresso, salted meat, minerals, chocolate, peanuts, and finally sweet blackberry. It strikes a nice balance between salty, savory, bitter and sweet flavor categories. Testing out the retrohale, I’m greeted with a LOT of finely ground pepper and savory meats. The cigar clocks in above medium on both flavor and body, with above average smoke production. Overall, a solid start to The Bride, and I’m looking forward to the story developing.

At about twenty minutes in, the flavors shift subtly. The savory meat notes become more prominent, with a tangy sweet and sour sauce riding next to it. It’s an interesting combination for sure, but not the most complementary in my mind. Construction wise, the cigar is performing well, with a slightly uneven burn and an ash that doesn’t fall for two full inches.

As Tatuaje The Bride burns into the second third, the smoke takes on a dominant dry wood character, with supporting leather and pepper balanced out by cream and stone fruit notes. It’s quite nice, and even better because the retrohale has tamed down to something much more manageable and enjoyable. The second clump of ash is still holding on as well, with a perfectly straight burn line.

As the second third burns to a close, the strength and body of The Bride increases to just shy of full, though the retrohale remains fairly tame with a neutral, charcoal like flavor. Flavors shift dramatically away from that dominant dry wood and toward sweet, with creamy chocolate and confectionary spices balanced nicely against black pepper, charcoal, and leather. A fittingly sweet end for a Halloween themed Monster.

Conclusion

Tatuaje The Bride serves up quite a bit of unique experiences throughout its hour and fifteen minute life span, and I can heartily recommend snapping up a few before they’re gone. The profile journeys from sweet and savory, through bitter and spicy and back again, offering up lots of complexity and great construction along the way. I will say though that the profile is not always balanced or entirely complementary, so it doesn’t earn the highest marks.

Final Score: 91