This cigar was a gift about 2 year ago from a fellow BOTL, and has been sitting in my humidor ever since.  Given the rarity and the fact that I wasn’t a fan of the Black Tubos, I hadn’t found an occasion to smoke it, and while looking through my humidor this week I stumbled upon it and figured it was time to light up.  With no preconceptions about how it will turn out (honestly I haven’t heard or looked for much about it), lets see how it goes!

Pre-light – Minimal flavors on the pre-light draw.  A thin leathery wrapper is covered by tiny veins.  Splotchy Colorado Maduro in color.

First Third -Rich (and I mean RICH) coffee, cedar and wood right off the bat.  The smoke is not full in body, but the flavors are definitely medium to full, and the smoke has a creamy, plumy quality to it.  Draw is perfect.  The spice kicks up a notch after a half inch, and works as a perfect backdrop for the bold coffee and wood, with a hint of earthy, floral grass rounding everything out.  The burn, while not razor sharp, is holding up quite well.

Second Third - As the spice from the first third fades, a more defined wood and sweet cedar combination comes to the forefront.  The creamy coffee is still in the background, and lingers on the finish, though with a little less cream and a bit more dark coffee.  This is Tatuaje complexity at its best.  My ash has dropped itself after each inch or so, but the construction continues to define a well crafted cigar.

Third Third – Again, delicious.  The wood has evolved even more, with a faint molasses sweetness encompassing hinds of cedar spice, while the finish remains velvety smooth coffee and floral notes.  Surprisingly the draw (with my tiny cut of the nubby head) has remained consistent, and the smoke has a dry characteristic to is, similar to wine.  The finish lasts for days.

Conclusion - This cigar is a phenomenal example of Tatuaje’s ability to fuse a medium body with bold complex flavors.  The wood, cedar, spice, coffee, molasses, and floral grass notes each manifests in a distinct yet interlaced manner, with a beautiful creamy finish that lingers.  The construction is nothing short of excellent, and the smoke’s dry characteristic was pleasant.  While I was not able to try this stick fresh, I would be willing to say that it has aged quite gracefully.  A must try for any Tat lover, and something I would happily add to my ‘obtain at any cost’ list.  Simply put, this was one of the best cigars I have ever had- truly an ode to what a simple leaf can become in the right hands.

Final Score: 97