Tatuaje Verocu No. 3

Yesterday we caught up with Pete Johnson of Tatuaje to discuss the arrival of the M80 which is set to arrive at Two Guys Smoke Shop the week of June 22nd (we hope), although it will probably be the end of the week.

During the conversation Pete also informed us that the Tatuaje Verocu would be released in 6 sizes at IPCPR and features the same blend as the Tatuaje Verocu No. 1 Lado Occidental (West Side), and Tatuaje Verocu No. 2 Zona del Este (East Side) that was released in 2007.

While the cigars will come packed in 20 count boxes it is believe there will also be a 10 count version available at events.

Cigar Review: Tatuaje Verocu
Size: 6 x 46 (No. 3/Corona)
Wrapper: Nicaragua Rosado Oscuro
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Source: Tatuaje Cigars
Strength: Medium-Full

The Look: The cigar which features the Havana VI Red Label also has a secondary band similar to the original release 8 years ago. That band states Verocu and is red white and silver. The wrapper is pristine looking and feels slightly coarse under the fingers with an abundance of oils visible. The cigar is flawlessly rolled with no soft spots.

The Notes: There is an element of cayenne pepper which is detectable right off the wrapper before pulling on the draw coldly. Once a cold draw is taken there is continued cayenne pepper, chocolate and a very faint hint of earth. The aroma off the foot serves up some spice and sweetness.

When  the cigar is lit, there is some pepper notes though not as strong as I would have expected based on the cold draw. What did surprise me how much of a throwback this cigar is to when it was first released. The whole look of the cigar is retro to how things were from My Father S.A. As we continue to smoke our way into the first third some dark chocolate notes appear with slight cinnamon and some dark coffee. If you smoke this cigar to fast, a leather note develops that overpowers the palate, so smoke this one slowly.

The second third of the Verocu sees the pepper and strength of the cigar kick it up a notch while the dark chocolate and cedar become the dominant flavors with the occasional touch of black licorice and an espresso finish.

The last third of the Verocu continues to have notes of chocolate and pepper with cedar notes and a slightly earthy finish.

The Burn: The Tatuaje Verocu No. 3 has a slightly uneven burn for the first inch of the cigar, but I will chalk it up to user error as the cigar corrected itself before the first third was finished. The draw was iconic with the right amount of resistance. The light color ash had some flake to it  and held on for more than a third at a time. The cigar remained lit from first light to last puff.

The Finish: The Tatuaje Verocu is definitely a throwback to the original and helps Tatuaje return to the top of its game. Everything from the wrapper, to the profile and the overall complexity of the cigar proves that the brand is still an all-star caliber smoke that is definitely worthy of box purchase once it is released after IPCPR.

Score: 93
Price: $8.50