Cigar Weekly

Black Plague · 09-12-2007, 01:03 PM

Tatuaje Reserva
J21
5 x 50 Robusto

Prelight: The aged ligero leaf that wraps this cigar was oily and a dark shade of maduro, the color of medium-roasted coffee. Very toothy with a few raised veins, evenly colored. Straight sides and cap was well-constructed. Cut flawlessly with a Xikar Xi2. Prelight draws were semi-sweet, with floral and woody notes.

Beverage: Initially, the Dalmore 12 Year Old Highland Single Malt, but later switched over to Havana Club 7 Años rum.

Flavor: Big woody, herbal, sweet root beer flavors abounded. Leathery, with a lingering mild, peppery spice on the back of the palate. Thick molasses, floral, a bit twangy, with a finish of dark chocolate mingled with bitter herbs.

One inch down, the smoke left a very strong, filling sensation down in the gut. The spice was sweet cinnamon and hot peppers mixed together. Chocolatey sweet, herbal, and very woody.

At two thirds, it mellowed considerably and I noticed the strong musky, woody, almost sweaty aroma. The chocolate flavors had grown milder, with more wood and leather predominating. An undercurrent of strong, raw tobacco stretched throughout, with throaty black peppercorns and alligator pepper on the finish.

At about this point, the Scotch wasn't really hitting the spot, clashing too much with the cigar's flavor profile, so I switched over to Havana Club, which I found paired much more nicely with the sweet smoke of the Tatuaje.

Halfway down, the smoke was incredibly smooth in the mouth. Paired with the rum, the chocolate of the cigar and caramelized sugar of the rum combined to make a candy bar-like taste. The oak barrel rum flavors and woody cigar tastes contrasted nicely. The leathery smoothness and buttery richness of the two paired very nicely.

At two thirds, the spice was sweet, sugary, cedary, and very intense in flavor. The spice had grown milder, but the overall flavor intensity was very high. Good and full-bodied to the nub.

Construction: Flawless! The burn kept straight as an arrow the whole length, never needing any touchups. The draw was maybe a little looser than I like, but rewarded you with big plumes of rich, blue smoke. The ash was immaculate, never a single flake loose, evenly white throughout. One of the best-made cigars I've had in a while!

Summary: Another excellent Tatuaje! Using ligero for a wrapper is certainly interesting, not as bombastic and aggressive as I thought it would be, turned out to be very balanced and flavorful! And as mentioned before, the construction was a dream. I highly recommend these, if you can find them at your local tobacconist.

09-12-2007, 01:03 PM	#1
Black Plague Herf Meister Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Southern Indiana Posts: 7,650	Tatuaje Reserva J21 Tatuaje Reserva J21 5 x 50 Robusto Prelight: The aged ligero leaf that wraps this cigar was oily and a dark shade of maduro, the color of medium-roasted coffee. Very toothy with a few raised veins, evenly colored. Straight sides and cap was well-constructed. Cut flawlessly with a Xikar Xi2. Prelight draws were semi-sweet, with floral and woody notes. Beverage: Initially, the Dalmore 12 Year Old Highland Single Malt, but later switched over to Havana Club 7 Años rum. Flavor: Big woody, herbal, sweet root beer flavors abounded. Leathery, with a lingering mild, peppery spice on the back of the palate. Thick molasses, floral, a bit twangy, with a finish of dark chocolate mingled with bitter herbs. One inch down, the smoke left a very strong, filling sensation down in the gut. The spice was sweet cinnamon and hot peppers mixed together. Chocolatey sweet, herbal, and very woody. At two thirds, it mellowed considerably and I noticed the strong musky, woody, almost sweaty aroma. The chocolate flavors had grown milder, with more wood and leather predominating. An undercurrent of strong, raw tobacco stretched throughout, with throaty black peppercorns and alligator pepper on the finish. At about this point, the Scotch wasn't really hitting the spot, clashing too much with the cigar's flavor profile, so I switched over to Havana Club, which I found paired much more nicely with the sweet smoke of the Tatuaje. Halfway down, the smoke was incredibly smooth in the mouth. Paired with the rum, the chocolate of the cigar and caramelized sugar of the rum combined to make a candy bar-like taste. The oak barrel rum flavors and woody cigar tastes contrasted nicely. The leathery smoothness and buttery richness of the two paired very nicely. At two thirds, the spice was sweet, sugary, cedary, and very intense in flavor. The spice had grown milder, but the overall flavor intensity was very high. Good and full-bodied to the nub. Construction: Flawless! The burn kept straight as an arrow the whole length, never needing any touchups. The draw was maybe a little looser than I like, but rewarded you with big plumes of rich, blue smoke. The ash was immaculate, never a single flake loose, evenly white throughout. One of the best-made cigars I've had in a while! Summary: Another excellent Tatuaje! Using ligero for a wrapper is certainly interesting, not as bombastic and aggressive as I thought it would be, turned out to be very balanced and flavorful! And as mentioned before, the construction was a dream. I highly recommend these, if you can find them at your local tobacconist.