Name: Tatuaje TAA
Origin: Nicaragua
Location: Sydney, Australia
Date: 14 Oct 2011 and again on 22 Oct 2011
Conditions: 21c and 60% RH
Appearance
The Tatuaje TAA boasts a beautiful dark chocolate wrapper. Not oily, a little dry to the touch, slight spring when lightly pinched between the index finger and thumb.
The surface is rough and a solid grip needed to hold this hefty cigar.
Cut with Palio cleanly, I should have used a punch. Both fine examples I smoked were little loose on the draw.
Im not a fan of the closed foot and I don't know what the appeal is. Is it just for aesthetics?
Lighting was easy with my MaxiJet after I got past the fancy foot.
1/3
Starts off a little bitter and dirty, much like a PCR, but a few puffs to warm up and we're up and running. Unlike the PCR, the TAA is a medium smoke to begin with which is a nice change from the norm.
As I said, the draw on both examples I've had was a little too loose for me and next time I'll be punching these.
There aren't copious amounts of smoke, but what there is, I love the smell of. It's a typical Tatuaje but with a sweet, creamy and woody taste. This is a great smoke so far.
An inch in and this beauty starts to shine. I'm by far no expert when it comes to cigars, but I could swear there's a distinct Tenderloin/BRex taste to it. Theres got to be some shared tobacco here. The latter cigars have got to be amongst my absolute favourite smokes which makes me love this one even more.
The burn on this stogie is fantastic. Its straight and sharp.
2/3
Changing up a gear, as we enter the 2nd third, the TAA becomes stronger and starts billowing smoke when puffed.
The sitting smoke is minimal and very aromatic. It increases the Tenderloin/BRex taste and has a bit of a woody flavour to it.
The burn continues to excel.
3/3
The strength again takes a step up and starts going to my head. Getting a little tingly with the increased nicotine hit.
Enjoying this smoke so much that I nearly forgot to remove the band. There was a puff or 2 that were a dead ringer for the Cojonu 2003, which is also a stellar smoke.
There are hints of cinnamon towards the end and its getting a little spice on the tongue. It continues to display the shared leaf tastes while being smooth as silk.
The last inch really turns up the strength to a full bodied smoke and the smoke is thick and heavy, like you could nearly chew it. The burn turns a little requiring only the slightest touch up, but this doesnt affect the smoke.
As the end of the cigar nears, the wet end is leaving some colour on my fingers. Not a big deal, but worth mentioning.
Conclusion
Its a pity that some of the absolute best work that comes out of Tatuaje is on a limited run because this cigar could really be a flagship smoke if it was in regular production. This has to be one of my benchmark smokes against which Id measure all other Tats.
If you have been waiting to see the outcome of this smoke before buying it, my suggestion is to buy it now. Its a fantastic smoke, well priced ($200/20) and one which will leave you with a sense of utter happiness. Makes me glad I bought more than enough to keep me going till the next mind blowing Tatuaje release.
Purchase
Even though it's a limited release cigar, it's still available at some retailers. Two of which are mentioned below:
http://www.iwanries.com/tatuaje-taa-signature-series-P13066C1343.cfm
http://www.updowncigar.com/index.cfm?fa=cat.detail&sction=1&subsection=51&brid=492
Get 'em fast because they really won't last!!
How do I rate this smoke?
4.75 Suprs!
Now for the eye candy. ENJOY!!
Origin: Nicaragua
Location: Sydney, Australia
Date: 14 Oct 2011 and again on 22 Oct 2011
Conditions: 21c and 60% RH
Appearance
The Tatuaje TAA boasts a beautiful dark chocolate wrapper. Not oily, a little dry to the touch, slight spring when lightly pinched between the index finger and thumb.
The surface is rough and a solid grip needed to hold this hefty cigar.
Cut with Palio cleanly, I should have used a punch. Both fine examples I smoked were little loose on the draw.
Im not a fan of the closed foot and I don't know what the appeal is. Is it just for aesthetics?
Lighting was easy with my MaxiJet after I got past the fancy foot.
1/3
Starts off a little bitter and dirty, much like a PCR, but a few puffs to warm up and we're up and running. Unlike the PCR, the TAA is a medium smoke to begin with which is a nice change from the norm.
As I said, the draw on both examples I've had was a little too loose for me and next time I'll be punching these.
There aren't copious amounts of smoke, but what there is, I love the smell of. It's a typical Tatuaje but with a sweet, creamy and woody taste. This is a great smoke so far.
An inch in and this beauty starts to shine. I'm by far no expert when it comes to cigars, but I could swear there's a distinct Tenderloin/BRex taste to it. Theres got to be some shared tobacco here. The latter cigars have got to be amongst my absolute favourite smokes which makes me love this one even more.
The burn on this stogie is fantastic. Its straight and sharp.
2/3
Changing up a gear, as we enter the 2nd third, the TAA becomes stronger and starts billowing smoke when puffed.
The sitting smoke is minimal and very aromatic. It increases the Tenderloin/BRex taste and has a bit of a woody flavour to it.
The burn continues to excel.
3/3
The strength again takes a step up and starts going to my head. Getting a little tingly with the increased nicotine hit.
Enjoying this smoke so much that I nearly forgot to remove the band. There was a puff or 2 that were a dead ringer for the Cojonu 2003, which is also a stellar smoke.
There are hints of cinnamon towards the end and its getting a little spice on the tongue. It continues to display the shared leaf tastes while being smooth as silk.
The last inch really turns up the strength to a full bodied smoke and the smoke is thick and heavy, like you could nearly chew it. The burn turns a little requiring only the slightest touch up, but this doesnt affect the smoke.
As the end of the cigar nears, the wet end is leaving some colour on my fingers. Not a big deal, but worth mentioning.
Conclusion
Its a pity that some of the absolute best work that comes out of Tatuaje is on a limited run because this cigar could really be a flagship smoke if it was in regular production. This has to be one of my benchmark smokes against which Id measure all other Tats.
If you have been waiting to see the outcome of this smoke before buying it, my suggestion is to buy it now. Its a fantastic smoke, well priced ($200/20) and one which will leave you with a sense of utter happiness. Makes me glad I bought more than enough to keep me going till the next mind blowing Tatuaje release.
Purchase
Even though it's a limited release cigar, it's still available at some retailers. Two of which are mentioned below:
http://www.iwanries.com/tatuaje-taa-signature-series-P13066C1343.cfm
http://www.updowncigar.com/index.cfm?fa=cat.detail&sction=1&subsection=51&brid=492
Get 'em fast because they really won't last!!
How do I rate this smoke?
4.75 Suprs!





Now for the eye candy. ENJOY!!



















