M*A*S*H Small Group Reviews
Sorry to post this a day late, but here they are!
Please click here if you are unfamiliar with the Small Group Review format… http://www.botl.org/community/forums/showthread.php?t=50903&highlight=small+group
Here is some info on the cigar reviewed…
Tatuaje ELO #1 (’11 release)
Size: 6.25 x 52
Origin: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Nicaragua
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
(Reviews are in In no particular order)
Review #1: danthebugman
This weekend we were blessed with some absolutely gorgeous weather. 75 degrees, slight breeze blowing in from the south, sun shining down in droves. Essentially the perfect weather for enjoying cigars on the deck. So after enjoying a nice big lunch and getting the kid down for his nap, I gathered my things and headed outside. I was fortunate enough to get in on Clint’s small group review this time around and the cigar was the ELO 1 from New Havana Cigars. The ELOs are cigars with a little mystique surrounding them as they are claimed to be Tatuaje Verocu overruns. How a brand as popular as Tatuaje is can have overruns I’m not sure, but apparently it happens.
The ELO 1 measures 6 ¼ x 52 which, if you believe the marketing, would make this the Verocu No. 1 or “Westie” blend. Pulling the cigar from it's cello, I am greeted with the aroma of slightly sweet, spicy, tobacco. Gobs of it. Like Pavlov's dog, it's an aroma that makes me salivate. Visually this cigar is stunning. Chocolate brown wrapper with a few veins, nothing major though. Oily and when I say that, I mean it looks like this thing was dipped in varnish. The seams are tight, the triple cap is expertly applied. There is a slight, springy give when pinched, but no soft spots are evident.
The cigar left a very noticeable peppery/tingling on my lips when I placed it in my mouth to wet the cap and get my stuff situated. The cap cut easily using my generic double guillotine. Draw was slightly on the tight side, but nothing that encouraged me to cut any more off. One could call it just shy of perfect. The flavors on the pre-light draw were surprisingly light, but consisted of a slightly chocolaty tobacco with a...wait for it...faint pepper kick making itself present a few seconds later.
Okay, the cigar lit easily with some persuasion from one of my Ronsons. Immediately I am met with a ton of smoke. The initial flavors (first couple of puffs at least) are reminding me a lot of the Verocu No. 5, but with gobs more pepper. The top cap of the cigar started peeling off after the first few puffs, but I didn't have any more problem once I peeled it off.
At around half an inch the burn is straight. The ash is a vibrant white, which contrasts nicely with the chocolaty color of the wrapper, but looks a little unstable. The flavors no longer give the impression of a Verocu No. 5, but are a very nice combination of peppery tobacco with some coffee on the retro, a light leathery finish, rounded off with what I get as a nuttiness.
At about an inch or inch and a half, the ash fell ungracefully and without warning into my lap. It would continue to drop sporadically in half inch (or so) segments for the duration. The draw has loosened up a little also and become just perfect. Overall the cigar continued to rock its way into the second third. By the time the second third was reached the pepper had died out and the cigar had transitioned into a mainly woody flavor, but not your normal oak or anything. No, I get the distinct impression of a spruce or evergreen type woodiness. It's the flavor that I get from the No. 5 also, though I found it to be stronger in the No. 5. This woodiness was joined by a slightly, spicy (nutmeg or an allspice perhaps ) coffee on the retro and a slight nuttiness on the finish.
The back half of the second third was dominated by a very nice creamy, spicy, coffee profile. So far this cigar hasn't necessarily been blowing me away, but it's been very good. The ash has been dropping without warning and appears still to be a little weak, but holds strong when I try to tap it off.
In the last third the spruce flavor was back, though it began to be followed by a slight egg taste. I was getting intermittent glimpses of coffee and spice as well. I purged and the egg disappeared. The burn started to get a little naughty and required some touch ups, but nothing major. I had intended to take this sucker down til it burned my lips, but the egg flavor started to rear its ugly head and stronger than before. It stuck around despite purging so I put it down with about an inch to an inch and a half to go.
My afternoon was great...basking in the sun, listening to the birds, watched several butterflies come though the yard, even got out the guitar and played a bit. This cigar added to that. It wasn't too strong (I'd rank it med-full) and still had lots of great flavor. The ash was a little irritating when it was dropping in my lap all the time, but I got over it. Price point on these is $6.50 ($130/Bundle 20), which is great regardless of whether or not they're Tatuaje. I would definitely look to get some more and would say definitely box (or bundle in this case) worthy . Now if only I could find some Tatuaje 7th Reserva overruns.
Review #2
Quintero
This was one helluva great smoke!
timingwise, this couldnt have been toked on a better review occasion, rcvd on a fri., smoked on the patio saturday afternoon - heres a pic.
as i sitdown outside to lightup this sweet lookin tat elo1 2o11, outta nowhere! im asked to pick up some chinese real quick for the house!? yeah ok, im a nice guy...you know, anything for the family!
so i, should i say, downed the maharaja (awesome.) and paused/returned now to doing a wonderful evening review.
logged on and went to chat, no dice...
my gameplan was for 1hr of solid reviewing with notes detailing on what was to be, a rotc, ready now, sweet tasting (aged stock?), well mannered, medium bodied, wonderful tat that it was
i decide to lightly slowly warm the dbl robo, cool, go heavy, cool, heavier, cool, then go casual with the choc. ale.
in order i remarked:
dark leaf, sweet scent, oil present....
cut, draw, lit up fast, oil from the wrapper sting perfect w/Pepin spice! Yes!
settling sweeter oak, lighter med body aged tobac profile....excellent draw...
(after returning from inside to put on ufc.)
further noted : wow! emits waffs of muture /aged (floral)tobac....
thoughts: so im seeing this dude on ufc fight night 24 (sung jung) shooting in, elbows, tapping homey out with a solid neck crank! So i proceeded put a hurtin on the elo1 lol!
burned like a champ! delivering clouds and clouds of A team goodness.
more noted remarks: upfront low end spice..
now a tarty sweet oaky flavor..
good balance... lighter bodied on end...
during cooldown i chugged that boulevard choc ale about 1/3rd Mmmmm.
So after another goaround, the internal nitrous switch
on the tat flipped and hit me with high concentrations of crack and tremendous joy!
Im thinking mid 90th percentile shit here. WOW!
never got hot, never got bitter. Excellent Smoke!
last noted remark : creampuff.
Review #3: jwintosh
Description: The ELO #1 is a cigar only sold by New Havana Cigars (newhavanacigars.com). Originally, these were leftover stock from Tatuaje. Now, they’re made exclusively for NHC!
This is a thick, dense cigar! It was quite firm, with two menacing-looking veins running the length of the stick. And, how about that triple cap!! Easy clip, easy light, and we’re off!!
Immediately, I was hit with a strong dose of pepper… white pepper… dominating white pepper. Within the first minute, I began to detect a touch of leather and, and, what is that flavor? Fig! Yep!! That’s it!! As I continued, notes of nuts and chocolate emerged. Around the 2/3 mark, all the flavours began to marry. Rich, full flavours (I just had to add that ‘u.’ That’s how flavourful it was!!).
This cigar produced a tremendous amount of smoke. And the smoke coated your entire mouth, leaving a looooooong-lasting aftertaste. Simply wonderful!! Toward the end, I could not resist the urge to… spit - after each draw, no doubt (shush…. This, in no way, deterred me from nubbing it to the end.
The burn was erratic, needing a few minor touch-ups to get back on track. I thought the veins would be an issue with the burn. No problemo, but it made for a cool design on the ash. The ash was a tad flaky… nothing serious….
I took me about 1.5 hours to complete. I began with a cup of black coffee and quickly ditched it for a bottle of water.
Verdict: This is an absolute ‘must try’ if you’re a Tatuaje fan.
Similar Cigars: I’d say Tatuaje Havana VI Veracu. Go figure!
Sorry to post this a day late, but here they are!
Please click here if you are unfamiliar with the Small Group Review format… http://www.botl.org/community/forums/showthread.php?t=50903&highlight=small+group
Here is some info on the cigar reviewed…
Tatuaje ELO #1 (’11 release)
Size: 6.25 x 52
Origin: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Nicaragua
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
(Reviews are in In no particular order)
Review #1: danthebugman
This weekend we were blessed with some absolutely gorgeous weather. 75 degrees, slight breeze blowing in from the south, sun shining down in droves. Essentially the perfect weather for enjoying cigars on the deck. So after enjoying a nice big lunch and getting the kid down for his nap, I gathered my things and headed outside. I was fortunate enough to get in on Clint’s small group review this time around and the cigar was the ELO 1 from New Havana Cigars. The ELOs are cigars with a little mystique surrounding them as they are claimed to be Tatuaje Verocu overruns. How a brand as popular as Tatuaje is can have overruns I’m not sure, but apparently it happens.
The ELO 1 measures 6 ¼ x 52 which, if you believe the marketing, would make this the Verocu No. 1 or “Westie” blend. Pulling the cigar from it's cello, I am greeted with the aroma of slightly sweet, spicy, tobacco. Gobs of it. Like Pavlov's dog, it's an aroma that makes me salivate. Visually this cigar is stunning. Chocolate brown wrapper with a few veins, nothing major though. Oily and when I say that, I mean it looks like this thing was dipped in varnish. The seams are tight, the triple cap is expertly applied. There is a slight, springy give when pinched, but no soft spots are evident.
The cigar left a very noticeable peppery/tingling on my lips when I placed it in my mouth to wet the cap and get my stuff situated. The cap cut easily using my generic double guillotine. Draw was slightly on the tight side, but nothing that encouraged me to cut any more off. One could call it just shy of perfect. The flavors on the pre-light draw were surprisingly light, but consisted of a slightly chocolaty tobacco with a...wait for it...faint pepper kick making itself present a few seconds later.
Okay, the cigar lit easily with some persuasion from one of my Ronsons. Immediately I am met with a ton of smoke. The initial flavors (first couple of puffs at least) are reminding me a lot of the Verocu No. 5, but with gobs more pepper. The top cap of the cigar started peeling off after the first few puffs, but I didn't have any more problem once I peeled it off.
At around half an inch the burn is straight. The ash is a vibrant white, which contrasts nicely with the chocolaty color of the wrapper, but looks a little unstable. The flavors no longer give the impression of a Verocu No. 5, but are a very nice combination of peppery tobacco with some coffee on the retro, a light leathery finish, rounded off with what I get as a nuttiness.
At about an inch or inch and a half, the ash fell ungracefully and without warning into my lap. It would continue to drop sporadically in half inch (or so) segments for the duration. The draw has loosened up a little also and become just perfect. Overall the cigar continued to rock its way into the second third. By the time the second third was reached the pepper had died out and the cigar had transitioned into a mainly woody flavor, but not your normal oak or anything. No, I get the distinct impression of a spruce or evergreen type woodiness. It's the flavor that I get from the No. 5 also, though I found it to be stronger in the No. 5. This woodiness was joined by a slightly, spicy (nutmeg or an allspice perhaps ) coffee on the retro and a slight nuttiness on the finish.
The back half of the second third was dominated by a very nice creamy, spicy, coffee profile. So far this cigar hasn't necessarily been blowing me away, but it's been very good. The ash has been dropping without warning and appears still to be a little weak, but holds strong when I try to tap it off.
In the last third the spruce flavor was back, though it began to be followed by a slight egg taste. I was getting intermittent glimpses of coffee and spice as well. I purged and the egg disappeared. The burn started to get a little naughty and required some touch ups, but nothing major. I had intended to take this sucker down til it burned my lips, but the egg flavor started to rear its ugly head and stronger than before. It stuck around despite purging so I put it down with about an inch to an inch and a half to go.
My afternoon was great...basking in the sun, listening to the birds, watched several butterflies come though the yard, even got out the guitar and played a bit. This cigar added to that. It wasn't too strong (I'd rank it med-full) and still had lots of great flavor. The ash was a little irritating when it was dropping in my lap all the time, but I got over it. Price point on these is $6.50 ($130/Bundle 20), which is great regardless of whether or not they're Tatuaje. I would definitely look to get some more and would say definitely box (or bundle in this case) worthy . Now if only I could find some Tatuaje 7th Reserva overruns.
Review #2
QuinteroThis was one helluva great smoke!
timingwise, this couldnt have been toked on a better review occasion, rcvd on a fri., smoked on the patio saturday afternoon - heres a pic.
as i sitdown outside to lightup this sweet lookin tat elo1 2o11, outta nowhere! im asked to pick up some chinese real quick for the house!? yeah ok, im a nice guy...you know, anything for the family!
so i, should i say, downed the maharaja (awesome.) and paused/returned now to doing a wonderful evening review.
logged on and went to chat, no dice...
my gameplan was for 1hr of solid reviewing with notes detailing on what was to be, a rotc, ready now, sweet tasting (aged stock?), well mannered, medium bodied, wonderful tat that it was
i decide to lightly slowly warm the dbl robo, cool, go heavy, cool, heavier, cool, then go casual with the choc. ale.
in order i remarked:
dark leaf, sweet scent, oil present....
cut, draw, lit up fast, oil from the wrapper sting perfect w/Pepin spice! Yes!
settling sweeter oak, lighter med body aged tobac profile....excellent draw...
(after returning from inside to put on ufc.)
further noted : wow! emits waffs of muture /aged (floral)tobac....
thoughts: so im seeing this dude on ufc fight night 24 (sung jung) shooting in, elbows, tapping homey out with a solid neck crank! So i proceeded put a hurtin on the elo1 lol!
burned like a champ! delivering clouds and clouds of A team goodness.
more noted remarks: upfront low end spice..
now a tarty sweet oaky flavor..
good balance... lighter bodied on end...
during cooldown i chugged that boulevard choc ale about 1/3rd Mmmmm.
So after another goaround, the internal nitrous switch
on the tat flipped and hit me with high concentrations of crack and tremendous joy!
Im thinking mid 90th percentile shit here. WOW!
never got hot, never got bitter. Excellent Smoke!
last noted remark : creampuff.
Review #3: jwintosh
Description: The ELO #1 is a cigar only sold by New Havana Cigars (newhavanacigars.com). Originally, these were leftover stock from Tatuaje. Now, they’re made exclusively for NHC!
This is a thick, dense cigar! It was quite firm, with two menacing-looking veins running the length of the stick. And, how about that triple cap!! Easy clip, easy light, and we’re off!!
Immediately, I was hit with a strong dose of pepper… white pepper… dominating white pepper. Within the first minute, I began to detect a touch of leather and, and, what is that flavor? Fig! Yep!! That’s it!! As I continued, notes of nuts and chocolate emerged. Around the 2/3 mark, all the flavours began to marry. Rich, full flavours (I just had to add that ‘u.’ That’s how flavourful it was!!).
This cigar produced a tremendous amount of smoke. And the smoke coated your entire mouth, leaving a looooooong-lasting aftertaste. Simply wonderful!! Toward the end, I could not resist the urge to… spit - after each draw, no doubt (shush…
. This, in no way, deterred me from nubbing it to the end.The burn was erratic, needing a few minor touch-ups to get back on track. I thought the veins would be an issue with the burn. No problemo, but it made for a cool design on the ash. The ash was a tad flaky… nothing serious….
I took me about 1.5 hours to complete. I began with a cup of black coffee and quickly ditched it for a bottle of water.
Verdict: This is an absolute ‘must try’ if you’re a Tatuaje fan.
Similar Cigars: I’d say Tatuaje Havana VI Veracu. Go figure!
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