The complexity of this cigar was exceptional, showcasing a diverse range of spices—not just the hot ones, but a variety of nuanced spice flavors. While it wasn’t my personal favorite, it was an undeniably good cigar. The cigar offered a compelling and enjoyable experience. I was more generous on the enjoyability scoring scale with this one, more so because it was an enjoyable as a unique experience for me rather than the rating of my level of the spice enjoyment.
Tatuaje is a brand of handmade premium cigars founded by Pete Johnson, with the assistance of José Garcia. The cigars are named after the Spanish word for “tattoo” and are known for their rich spices, earthy profiles, and Cubanesque flavor. Tatuaje cigars are made in small batches with Nicaraguan Cuban-seed tobaccos and come in a variety of sizes and shapes, including aged wrapper leaves and hearty finishes.
Wrapper: Ecuador/Binder: Mexico, Nicaragua/Filler: Nicaragua
Vitola: Belicoso/ Size: 5 3/4″x54
Factory: My Father Cigars S.A./ Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Smooth, slightly slick with an oily appearance. Light leaf aroma
Earthy, tobacco, hay, wheat, light honey
Grassy with a mild bitterness
The cigar opens with a sharp yet mellow all-spice retro. As it progresses, the profile evolves into a complex medley of notes: cocoa powder, cinnamon, red pepper flakes, turmeric and paprika. There is a final note of cedar that sits in your palate for just a touch longer than the rest.
Into the second third the retrohale softens to a mellow warmth. The flavors shift towards an earthy blend: light cocoa mingles with damp wood, interrupted by a slightly bitter char and turmeric spice. As the second half of this third unfolds, a complex curry spice blend emerges: coriander, turmeric, ginger, and cinnamon, with flashes of mustard seed and a persistent pepper flake and woody char still creeping through on the finish.
The final third comes with a carbonic bite on the retrohale, revealing earthy but slightly sweet notes of sarsaparilla root and birch. Further in, a lingering aftertaste of morning coffee rests on the palate and it ends with a lightly bitter black coffee note that wraps up the experience.
