I usually like to do first impression reviews of cigars that immediately hit the market and then give them anywhere from 30 days to 3 months to do a more indepth review. I feel this gives the cigar an opportunity to acclimate itself to smoking conditions that I prefer. I smoked the 7th Capa Especial when they were first released and thought this cigar had a flavor profile that I enjoyed and I planned to revisit in a few months to see how they adjusted. Well, those few months turned into almost 8 but I'm glad I decided to sit down and put my thoughts about the cigar in writing accompanied with select pictures.
Tatuaje 7th Capa Especial Review
Wrapper: Sumatra
Binder/Filler: Nicaraguan/Nicaraguan
Size: 5 5/8 x 46
Vitola: Corona Gorda
MSRP: $9.00
Drink: Water
Smoke Time: 1hr 20 min
Location: Twins Smoke Shop
Construction/Appearance:
The 7th Capa Especial has a very nice texture and passes the squeeze test easily. I love how the wrapper has different shades of brown (and black) as it gives the cigar a unique look. The double bands go quite nicely with the wrapper. The classic Tatuaje band is followed underneath by a white band bordered by gold trim saying Capa Especial. The 7th Capa Especial is a very nice size cigar especially if you desire more flavor from the wrapper. The cigar has some weight for it's size and you can tell how well it was packed from the foot. While smoking the cigar, removal of the bands was easy since I didn't damage the wrapper.
Burn/Draw:
I had a unique experience with this cigar and while it only happened to one of them while smoking for this review, I feel I should mention it. When I made the usual cut across the the head, the cap came cleanly off. Upon closer inspection, it was almost as if it was meant to "pop" off on cue. It didn't affect my experience but thought maybe some of you may have had this happen to you as well. The prelight draw was very smooth and lighting the cigar went without a hitch even though it could have been better but the exhaust fan was having an influence on my flame. The smoke billowed throughout the experience always giving off a steady stream even to the end. While I had a slightly wavy burn line, I think this had more to do with the "jet stream" in the cigar lounge but it certainly wasn't as bad as I might be making it sound. The fragile ash lasted about an inch and I learned to just tap it into the ash tray after it fell into my lap the first time. I couldn't complain about the draw as it was almost effortless which allowed me to just focus on enjoying the flavors from the 7th Capa Especial. The cigar did start to heat up in the last 1.25 inches but nothing too severe.
Flavor/Aroma:
The prelight aroma was very pleasant, reminding me of sweet tobacco and cinnamon which I found enticing. The initial draw was certainly different from when I last smoked these months ago as it had sweeter notes and didn't get overwhelmed with spice. The first third reminded me of mocha, leather with a sweet spice finish. There were notes of caramel present followed by spice on the tongue when I inhaled very slowly.
The first third left a favorable impression on me and the second is no different. While the dominant flavor seems to be of sweetness, I'm detecting some leather and nuts mixed in with spice. The 7th Capa Especial is doing a pretty good job displaying various flavors allowing it to balance out. The retrohale was very spicy but it did have a subtle sweet flavor coming up behind. As I approached the final third, I realized that the 7th Capa Especial had a consistent flavor profile but the biggest asset was how it varied at different times. Doing a double puff on the cigar pulls out some of the spicy notes and leather. The cigar finished with some flavors reminding me of cream and dark chocolate.
Final Thoughts:
Rating: 91
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Tatuaje 7th Capa Especial Review
Wrapper: Sumatra
Binder/Filler: Nicaraguan/Nicaraguan
Size: 5 5/8 x 46
Vitola: Corona Gorda
MSRP: $9.00
Drink: Water
Smoke Time: 1hr 20 min
Location: Twins Smoke Shop
Construction/Appearance:
The 7th Capa Especial has a very nice texture and passes the squeeze test easily. I love how the wrapper has different shades of brown (and black) as it gives the cigar a unique look. The double bands go quite nicely with the wrapper. The classic Tatuaje band is followed underneath by a white band bordered by gold trim saying Capa Especial. The 7th Capa Especial is a very nice size cigar especially if you desire more flavor from the wrapper. The cigar has some weight for it's size and you can tell how well it was packed from the foot. While smoking the cigar, removal of the bands was easy since I didn't damage the wrapper.
Burn/Draw:
I had a unique experience with this cigar and while it only happened to one of them while smoking for this review, I feel I should mention it. When I made the usual cut across the the head, the cap came cleanly off. Upon closer inspection, it was almost as if it was meant to "pop" off on cue. It didn't affect my experience but thought maybe some of you may have had this happen to you as well. The prelight draw was very smooth and lighting the cigar went without a hitch even though it could have been better but the exhaust fan was having an influence on my flame. The smoke billowed throughout the experience always giving off a steady stream even to the end. While I had a slightly wavy burn line, I think this had more to do with the "jet stream" in the cigar lounge but it certainly wasn't as bad as I might be making it sound. The fragile ash lasted about an inch and I learned to just tap it into the ash tray after it fell into my lap the first time. I couldn't complain about the draw as it was almost effortless which allowed me to just focus on enjoying the flavors from the 7th Capa Especial. The cigar did start to heat up in the last 1.25 inches but nothing too severe.
Flavor/Aroma:
The prelight aroma was very pleasant, reminding me of sweet tobacco and cinnamon which I found enticing. The initial draw was certainly different from when I last smoked these months ago as it had sweeter notes and didn't get overwhelmed with spice. The first third reminded me of mocha, leather with a sweet spice finish. There were notes of caramel present followed by spice on the tongue when I inhaled very slowly.
The first third left a favorable impression on me and the second is no different. While the dominant flavor seems to be of sweetness, I'm detecting some leather and nuts mixed in with spice. The 7th Capa Especial is doing a pretty good job displaying various flavors allowing it to balance out. The retrohale was very spicy but it did have a subtle sweet flavor coming up behind. As I approached the final third, I realized that the 7th Capa Especial had a consistent flavor profile but the biggest asset was how it varied at different times. Doing a double puff on the cigar pulls out some of the spicy notes and leather. The cigar finished with some flavors reminding me of cream and dark chocolate.
Final Thoughts:
- 7th Capa Especial has a nice unique flavor profile
- The flavors varied enough for me to enjoy the cigar and not get bored
- I believe some may love this cigar based upon the wrapper and others may just enjoy it
- This is easily a five pack and because I enjoy the flavor profile, I would strongly consider a box
Rating: 91
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