Let's see if I can get all 5 done.
In order
Tatuaje Reserve Petite tatuaje
Black Works Studio Rorschach Petite Panatela
Black Works Studio Killer Bee Petite Corona
Tatuaje Hav. VI Verocu No.4 Robusto
West Tampa Tobacco Co. Black Robusto
The petite Tatuaje starts off as a pure tobacco flavor. Very rustic looking stick with a good pre light draw. Very small ring gauge, 32 I think and this think smoked very fast.
I didn't care for the tobacco flavors in the 1st inch. After that the flavor mellowed out a little bit but overall just a very strong tobacco flavor. Now playing Clint Eastwood and leaving the cigar in your mouth and maybe even biting down a bit on the end sends some saltiness across the palate. Kinda nice and a flavor I do enjoy.
Nothing special about the cigar, no complexity or any great flavors to talk about. Just a rustic basic tobacco stick that is perfect for a short commute or some time at the shooting range where you don't want to focus on the cigar.
About 4 bucks a stick out the door unless you buy a box of 50, then you could get it down to 3 bucks. If I had a use for these I might buy 50 but since I don't have a commute to work or anything I probably won't buy them again. For a dollar more Pete Johnson puts out a better stick.
Time for the Rorschach Petite Panatela
Nice looking stick. Very firm roll but pre light draw is perfect. Little cedar and a sweet spice that is very nice. 1st third has a little bit of earthiness, sweet spice and a little cedar or white pepper in the background. Aroma is a nice tobacco and cedar smell. Smoke volume is also very nice.
Second third and the is burning perfect. Slight white pepper on the lips. Flavor has some earth and a very nice rich tobacco flavor. The sweet spice is still there and some coffee note in there as well. Overall a very nice cigar thus far. I like the flavors on this one a lot.
Not much change in the final third. Still very rich tobacco, burnt leaf and right at the end a little salt and mild pepper on the lips. Decent coating on the lips as well of a mostly rich tobacco.
Overall, a very nice smoke and well worth the price of admission. price on a 50 cab gets these down around 4 -4.25 a stick and I would call that a very good value.
Brief intermission while I fire up the grill and get dinner started. Probably try and do that killer bee while it's cooking.
Beautiful looking cigar. The stripes at the cap are a nice touch. Pre light draw is perfect and has some sweet spice flavors.
Upon lighting you can tell this is going to be a strong one. Rich tobacco, little spice, pepper and pepper on the retro.
Mellowed out within a few minutes and not as strong as that initial puff would have suggested.
1/2 way in the ash finally dropped. Flavors are a very nice sweet spice and earth. Very little pepper except on the retro.
Dinner is ready just as I am finishing up so good timing.
The finish on these is excellent. Rich tobacco, sweetness still present and a little earth. Pepper is still just on the retro. Burn has been perfect the entire way. Little bit of pepper just at the end but may be because I am smoking it a little faster to get to dinner. Regardless, this was an awesome cigar.
Pricing is high but fair. A little higher than I would like to see for a PC but I have to admit I might buy more just because of that sweetness that I enjoyed. Once I get through the other 3 I have I'll make that decision though.
Dinner and then the last 2.
This Tatuaje has a beautiful wrapper. Dark and oily. Pre light draw is a little easy but it should be fine. Some sweetness on the pre light draw along with a little pepper.
1st puff is all pepper. Sweet spice on the aroma and cedar on the retro. Smokeoutput is decent but the looseness of the roll is causing that. have to double puff to get a decent volume. Will probably improve later on.
An inch in and the draw has tightened up and smoke output is much better. Flavors are about the same but definitely getting more complex.
third of the way through and the complexity of flavors is really nice. Sweet spice, white pepper and cedar. Nice sweet coating on the lips. Ash dropped right at the 1/3rd mark.
Pepper picks up a little more in the 2nd third but not over powering by any means. Still very good balance. Sweetness has faded and some earth making it's way into the mix now. Smoke volume still very good and burn has been almost perfect.
Getting ready to start the last third. Sweetness is back on the lips and smoke. Pepper has faded a bit now as well. Retro is the same.
One issue is when I removed the label it wanted to unravel the wrapper as well.
Ok last third has definitely turned to pepper. Like a spice pepper, habanero or something. Cigar is unraveling and had to lay it down. Not worth fighting for it.
This was really good up until that last third. I will revisit these in a couple more weeks, maybe 3 and try again. At more than 8 bucks a stick out the door I would like to not see these issues but stuff happens.
Onto our final NC for the day/evening. Nice looking dark chocolate colored cigar. Not very oily. Pre light draw is perfect and flavors of strong chocolate and sweet spice. Thats 3 cigars in a row with that sweet spice.
After lighting it that spice is not a sweet spice but a very peppery spice. Good volume of smoke right from the start and aroma is a slightly sweet and spicy tobacco.
1 inch in and ash dropped. Cayene pepper is still there with some sweet background and an earthy note.
At the 1/2 way point and pepper is very muted. Notes of a creamy sweetness. a little salt is also coming through on the palate. Very complex cigar. I'm loving it. Still no chocolate that was present on the pre light.
As I finish this up it is clear this is high quality leaf. Little saltiness on the palate and lips and just a rich tobacco flavor right at the end. Very very nice. I never got the chocolate note that was supposed to be present but these have only been resting for about 3 weeks. I will definitely be looking forward to the next one.
So, after making it through all 5 my final thoughts on todays smokes are 1st rating them from 1st to last
West Tampa was definitely 1st
2nd was killer bee
3rd Rorschach
Then Tatuaje Havana VI
and last was the Tat Petite tat. Not even in the same league but I wanted to try it.
The Havana VI will probably move up 1 or 2 spots if the next one is better, especially that final third.
The West Tampa was impressive from start to finish.
In order
Tatuaje Reserve Petite tatuaje
Black Works Studio Rorschach Petite Panatela
Black Works Studio Killer Bee Petite Corona
Tatuaje Hav. VI Verocu No.4 Robusto
West Tampa Tobacco Co. Black Robusto
The petite Tatuaje starts off as a pure tobacco flavor. Very rustic looking stick with a good pre light draw. Very small ring gauge, 32 I think and this think smoked very fast.
I didn't care for the tobacco flavors in the 1st inch. After that the flavor mellowed out a little bit but overall just a very strong tobacco flavor. Now playing Clint Eastwood and leaving the cigar in your mouth and maybe even biting down a bit on the end sends some saltiness across the palate. Kinda nice and a flavor I do enjoy.
Nothing special about the cigar, no complexity or any great flavors to talk about. Just a rustic basic tobacco stick that is perfect for a short commute or some time at the shooting range where you don't want to focus on the cigar.
About 4 bucks a stick out the door unless you buy a box of 50, then you could get it down to 3 bucks. If I had a use for these I might buy 50 but since I don't have a commute to work or anything I probably won't buy them again. For a dollar more Pete Johnson puts out a better stick.
Time for the Rorschach Petite Panatela
Nice looking stick. Very firm roll but pre light draw is perfect. Little cedar and a sweet spice that is very nice. 1st third has a little bit of earthiness, sweet spice and a little cedar or white pepper in the background. Aroma is a nice tobacco and cedar smell. Smoke volume is also very nice.
Second third and the is burning perfect. Slight white pepper on the lips. Flavor has some earth and a very nice rich tobacco flavor. The sweet spice is still there and some coffee note in there as well. Overall a very nice cigar thus far. I like the flavors on this one a lot.
Not much change in the final third. Still very rich tobacco, burnt leaf and right at the end a little salt and mild pepper on the lips. Decent coating on the lips as well of a mostly rich tobacco.
Overall, a very nice smoke and well worth the price of admission. price on a 50 cab gets these down around 4 -4.25 a stick and I would call that a very good value.
Brief intermission while I fire up the grill and get dinner started. Probably try and do that killer bee while it's cooking.
Beautiful looking cigar. The stripes at the cap are a nice touch. Pre light draw is perfect and has some sweet spice flavors.
Upon lighting you can tell this is going to be a strong one. Rich tobacco, little spice, pepper and pepper on the retro.
Mellowed out within a few minutes and not as strong as that initial puff would have suggested.
1/2 way in the ash finally dropped. Flavors are a very nice sweet spice and earth. Very little pepper except on the retro.
Dinner is ready just as I am finishing up so good timing.
The finish on these is excellent. Rich tobacco, sweetness still present and a little earth. Pepper is still just on the retro. Burn has been perfect the entire way. Little bit of pepper just at the end but may be because I am smoking it a little faster to get to dinner. Regardless, this was an awesome cigar.
Pricing is high but fair. A little higher than I would like to see for a PC but I have to admit I might buy more just because of that sweetness that I enjoyed. Once I get through the other 3 I have I'll make that decision though.
Dinner and then the last 2.
This Tatuaje has a beautiful wrapper. Dark and oily. Pre light draw is a little easy but it should be fine. Some sweetness on the pre light draw along with a little pepper.
1st puff is all pepper. Sweet spice on the aroma and cedar on the retro. Smokeoutput is decent but the looseness of the roll is causing that. have to double puff to get a decent volume. Will probably improve later on.
An inch in and the draw has tightened up and smoke output is much better. Flavors are about the same but definitely getting more complex.
third of the way through and the complexity of flavors is really nice. Sweet spice, white pepper and cedar. Nice sweet coating on the lips. Ash dropped right at the 1/3rd mark.
Pepper picks up a little more in the 2nd third but not over powering by any means. Still very good balance. Sweetness has faded and some earth making it's way into the mix now. Smoke volume still very good and burn has been almost perfect.
Getting ready to start the last third. Sweetness is back on the lips and smoke. Pepper has faded a bit now as well. Retro is the same.
One issue is when I removed the label it wanted to unravel the wrapper as well.
Ok last third has definitely turned to pepper. Like a spice pepper, habanero or something. Cigar is unraveling and had to lay it down. Not worth fighting for it.
This was really good up until that last third. I will revisit these in a couple more weeks, maybe 3 and try again. At more than 8 bucks a stick out the door I would like to not see these issues but stuff happens.
Onto our final NC for the day/evening. Nice looking dark chocolate colored cigar. Not very oily. Pre light draw is perfect and flavors of strong chocolate and sweet spice. Thats 3 cigars in a row with that sweet spice.
After lighting it that spice is not a sweet spice but a very peppery spice. Good volume of smoke right from the start and aroma is a slightly sweet and spicy tobacco.
1 inch in and ash dropped. Cayene pepper is still there with some sweet background and an earthy note.
At the 1/2 way point and pepper is very muted. Notes of a creamy sweetness. a little salt is also coming through on the palate. Very complex cigar. I'm loving it. Still no chocolate that was present on the pre light.
As I finish this up it is clear this is high quality leaf. Little saltiness on the palate and lips and just a rich tobacco flavor right at the end. Very very nice. I never got the chocolate note that was supposed to be present but these have only been resting for about 3 weeks. I will definitely be looking forward to the next one.
So, after making it through all 5 my final thoughts on todays smokes are 1st rating them from 1st to last
West Tampa was definitely 1st
2nd was killer bee
3rd Rorschach
Then Tatuaje Havana VI
and last was the Tat Petite tat. Not even in the same league but I wanted to try it.
The Havana VI will probably move up 1 or 2 spots if the next one is better, especially that final third.
The West Tampa was impressive from start to finish.
