Tatuaje Skinny Monsters The Frank

Back in 2008, limited edition cigars began a new era that I personally believe changed the cigar industry. Some might argue it was for the better and some might argue it was for the worse. No matter which side of the aisle you are on there is no denying how the release of the first Monster Series cigar from Tatuaje changed the face (pun intended) of Pete Johnson’s company.

Each October the company releases 666 dress boxes to 13 unlucky retailers, of which Two Guys Smoke Shop where I work was chosen in 2014. Why the Unlucky 13 you may ask, the amount of people who want dress boxes outweighs the amount you actually get leaving some very unhappy consumers.

Following up on the Pudgy Monsters that was released in 2014, Tatuaje has released Skinny Monsters, 6 x 38 versions of the original monsters and I couldn’t help but smoke my favorite monster of all-time.

Cigar Review: Tatuaje Skinny Monsters The Frank
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Factory: My Father S.A.
Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Length: 6″
Ring Gauge: 38
Vitola: Petit Lancero
Strength: Full

The Look: Packaged in a 10-count cabinet style box with a slide top the Skinny Monsters are packed in the box in the order in which they are listed on the lid. Inside the diminutive cigars give this end-user the feeling of cracking open a pack of baseball cards. As for my personal favorite, The Frank features a somewhat oily and rustic looking Broadleaf wrapper and the band of green and black provides a nostaligic feel to the first time I smoked the cigar. For a Petit Lancero the cigar feels heavy in the hand.

The Notes:  The cold draw of The Frank is so distinct that is no denying what the cigar is. Notes of NECCO wafers are mixed in with subtle popcorn notes and a hint of peppermint. The aroma off the foot serves up some subtle cedar with a hint of cocoa.

Once the cigar is lit there is an abundance of spice and a subtle leather that didn’t exist on the other sizes. of The Frank. The Petit Lancero definitely has more of the wrapper in play on the notes then in previous editions. In the background there are some notes of dark chocolate with a wisp of almonds.

The second third of the cigar sees the notes of almonds kick it up a notch and notes of dark chocolate become dominant over base notes of earth. The retrohale serves up some notes of spice and earth but the aroma off the cigar has elements of almonds.

The last third of The Frank continues with notes of dark chocolate and earth. There is some spice on the lips and the retrohale while the aroma of the cigar remains nutty.

The Burn: This might be the best lancero I ever smoked in terms of construction. The draw was perfect with the right amount of resistance. The ash held on for one-third increments with no flake and is almost white in color. The cigar had a perfect burn and thin combustion line. It lit with ease, and remained lit from first light to last puff.

The Finish: First off, Pete if you’re reading this I get married in September and if you ever want to gift me with a bundle of  Frank’s to feature at the big event I wouldn’t object. Now for the cigar, The Frank remains one of my favorite limited edition cigars of all time and my favorite of the Monster Series. The lancero is different as it is to be expected with the different wrapper to filler ratio. The cigar gets a bump in strength from the original and pudgy version and the cigar is a little darker in terms of flavor. It all seems to work, and im tempted to buy a second box just to have another one down the road.

Score: 92
Price: $84.99 (Box of 10)