ROTT. Letters that make cigar collectors cringe, but this time of year, I believe those four letters aren’t a dirty word. (R)ight (O)ff (T)he (T)ruck. With humidity at levels at are similar to that of humidors cigars shipped this time of year don’t suffer from time on the truck. I am sure that many will argue against me and some will argue with me. But that is the nature of our hobby.
The Tatuaje TAA 2015 is a highly anticipated release and working for a TAA Shop, I couldn’t help but crack one open before they sell out and light one up and put down my thoughts for posterity. The cigar is based on the Barclay Rex and Pork Tenderloin blend which are considered to be amongst the best Tatuaje smokes ever released.
Cigar Review: Tatuaje TAA 2015
Size: 5 5/8 x 54
Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Strength: Medium-Full
Source: Two Guys Smoke Shop
The Look (9/10): The 5 5/8 x 54 box pressed cigar is a thing of beauty with its rich chocolate looking wrapper. The toothy wrapper has minimal veins and a nice amount of oils visible. The cigar features the Tatuaje Exclusive Series band which as usually reminds me of the championship belt in the Rocky movies. In the hand the cigar is firm with a heavy weight and the cigar features a closed foot.
The Notes (34/35): The cold draw of the cigar has notes of paprika while the aroma of the wrapper is sweet and chocolate like to the nose. Sugar and spice will hopefully make the Tatuaje TAA 2015 very nice.
In the first third of the cigar there are some well-defined notes of chocolate and espresso with a hint of leather. There is some spice through the nose though it is much tamer then one would expect from a cigar made at My Father in Esteli, Nicaragua.
The second third has that classic Connecticut Broadleaf profile that Tatuaje fans will love. It’s meaty with hints of espresso and a touch of leather. The finish is moderate with a touch of espresso that is evident on the retrohale along with some white pepper notes.
The last third of the cigar sees some wood notes join the mix as the leather takes a backseat to espresso notes that remains on the moderate finish. As I progressed past where the band would have been some notes of marshmallow appeared on the finish.
The Burn (33/35): The draw of the Tatuaje TAA 2015 offered up some resistance which was how I prefer my cigars; but some might find it to be a little too much for their liking. My coworker opted to open his up a little with a draw poker, while I was quite content. The thin combustion line revealed a darker ash that held for a third at a time and the cigar remained lit throughout without any touch-up required.
The Finish (19/20): A meaty and chewy cigar with a flavor profile reminiscent of the Pork Tenderloin, the Tatuaje TAA 2015 is a classic Tatuaje cigar that will probably be talked about for many years to come. This A game cigar is worthy a multiple box purchase; one to smoke now and one to age for those special moments. In fact, I think I will light up another before calling it a day…
Score: 95
Price: $11.00 @ Two Guys Smoke Shop
Bullet Points
- The cold draw of the cigar came off as very tight, but once the closed foot was torched it opened right up.
- The cigar smokes nice and slow, though I wish there was a little more smoke production.
- I love the simplicity of the band used for Tatuaje Exclusive Series cigars. Makes me want to watch Rocky every time.
- This was my second cigar of the day; I lit one up the second I left the house this morning on the way to work.
- Sometimes its hard to predict whether a cigar will age well, but I can’t wait to see how these smoke 6 months down the road.
- I paired the cigar with water.
- Smoking time was 2 hours and 10 minutes. Did I mention I was a slow smoker?
Tatuaje TAA 2015
Tatuaje TAA 2015 Foot
Tatuaje TAA 2015 Burn
