Cardinal
02-15-2015, 06:17 PM
Cigar: Tatuaje 10th Anniversary
Size: Bon Chasseur 5 3/8"x52
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Price:MSRP ~$10.00
Initial Impression/Prelight
The Tatuaje 10th Anniversary was firm, and had the smoothest wrapper I'd ever seen on a cigar - it was actually plasticy feeling. It was odd, but not bad. The wrapper was medium brown and uniform in color, with only tiny veins and a hint of oil.
It had a closed foot, but I picked up pepper and hay from the wrapper, and more pepper, cocoa, and a little dried fruit on the cold draw.
This cigar had been in my humidor for about 6 months at 65%. I actually smoked it about 2 months ago and never got around to writing up my notes into a review, so here we go!
http://i1329.photobucket.com/albums/w547/temeric79/20801B3A-A82B-42A7-9B86-DEFD9AD1D8B6_zps9d2m7ejg.jpg
1st Third
Immediately I got big cocoa and coffee flavors, and while I didn't get much of the expected pepper, I did notice some light nutmeg or cinnamon which was really nice. The smoke plentiful, and a brilliantly white ash took shape quickly. Creaminess came and went in the first third as well, along with sweet, dried apricot type flavors on the French inhale.
http://i1329.photobucket.com/albums/w547/temeric79/B36CCE41-8331-4342-A9AE-F95BAF77E7BB_zpsxinh87qa.jpg
2nd Third
This section was still chocolatey, but more of a sweet milk chocolate rather than cocoa. I noticed hints of clove and more of the light dried fruit sweetness. Towards the back part of the second third I got some savory flavors too, mostly light earth. Flavor and strength were medium to this point.
http://i1329.photobucket.com/albums/w547/temeric79/CB31096C-4B7A-461F-9450-7E2F501913EF_zpsw23osh6i.jpg
Final Third
The flavors changed for the worse in this last section. While I got some hints of black licorice, unexpectedly I got more woody bitterness than anything else. Creaminess changed to a very dry profile, maybe some bitter walnut towards the end to go with the woodiness. The burnline was wavy, but never needed to be retouched.
http://i1329.photobucket.com/albums/w547/temeric79/9EE3B952-7241-4162-8118-BAF33BC30BFA_zpsl12lnoth.jpg
Overall Impression
This cigar was really killing it for me until the last 2 inches or so. It looked good, and it tasted good with the chocolate and fruit sweetness balanced nicely by the spices. It turn a drastically bad turn in the last section though, and really lost me by the end.
Maybe I just had some bad luck. I'll score this cigar on it's own, but I definitely wouldn't mind trying another. Probably as a single.
http://i1329.photobucket.com/albums/w547/temeric79/4E32C6C6-1E3A-4606-8298-4BC8C07A038B_zpsc24cnqdq.jpg
Size: Bon Chasseur 5 3/8"x52
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Price:MSRP ~$10.00
Initial Impression/Prelight
The Tatuaje 10th Anniversary was firm, and had the smoothest wrapper I'd ever seen on a cigar - it was actually plasticy feeling. It was odd, but not bad. The wrapper was medium brown and uniform in color, with only tiny veins and a hint of oil.
It had a closed foot, but I picked up pepper and hay from the wrapper, and more pepper, cocoa, and a little dried fruit on the cold draw.
This cigar had been in my humidor for about 6 months at 65%. I actually smoked it about 2 months ago and never got around to writing up my notes into a review, so here we go!
http://i1329.photobucket.com/albums/w547/temeric79/20801B3A-A82B-42A7-9B86-DEFD9AD1D8B6_zps9d2m7ejg.jpg
1st Third
Immediately I got big cocoa and coffee flavors, and while I didn't get much of the expected pepper, I did notice some light nutmeg or cinnamon which was really nice. The smoke plentiful, and a brilliantly white ash took shape quickly. Creaminess came and went in the first third as well, along with sweet, dried apricot type flavors on the French inhale.
http://i1329.photobucket.com/albums/w547/temeric79/B36CCE41-8331-4342-A9AE-F95BAF77E7BB_zpsxinh87qa.jpg
2nd Third
This section was still chocolatey, but more of a sweet milk chocolate rather than cocoa. I noticed hints of clove and more of the light dried fruit sweetness. Towards the back part of the second third I got some savory flavors too, mostly light earth. Flavor and strength were medium to this point.
http://i1329.photobucket.com/albums/w547/temeric79/CB31096C-4B7A-461F-9450-7E2F501913EF_zpsw23osh6i.jpg
Final Third
The flavors changed for the worse in this last section. While I got some hints of black licorice, unexpectedly I got more woody bitterness than anything else. Creaminess changed to a very dry profile, maybe some bitter walnut towards the end to go with the woodiness. The burnline was wavy, but never needed to be retouched.
http://i1329.photobucket.com/albums/w547/temeric79/9EE3B952-7241-4162-8118-BAF33BC30BFA_zpsl12lnoth.jpg
Overall Impression
This cigar was really killing it for me until the last 2 inches or so. It looked good, and it tasted good with the chocolate and fruit sweetness balanced nicely by the spices. It turn a drastically bad turn in the last section though, and really lost me by the end.
Maybe I just had some bad luck. I'll score this cigar on it's own, but I definitely wouldn't mind trying another. Probably as a single.
http://i1329.photobucket.com/albums/w547/temeric79/4E32C6C6-1E3A-4606-8298-4BC8C07A038B_zpsc24cnqdq.jpg