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BoM Jan '11
Tatuaje Boris
Released in 2009, the Boris is technically a counterpart to the Frank of the famed Pete Johnson Monster Series released the previous year. Pete Johnson conceived the idea of creating a secondary Actor's Series that would pay homage to those who brought to life the monsters they portrayed on screen – in this case Boris Karloff – all the while giving more retailers a chance to have a hand in the limited edition Halloween series. The cigar itself is modelled on the blend of the Frank, but isn't exact replica. To my knowledge, the main differences lie in the size of the vitola which was shortened to 7” and, in addition to the length, also show cases an Ecuadorian Sumatran Rosado wrapper as opposed to the Broadleaf that adorned the original Monster.
Upon examination, the aforementioned wrapper displays light brown molted tones with next to zero visible veining, the pack is sold and there are no other apparent anomalies other then a few small cracks in the wrapper.
Pre light: Stout tobacco notes rise up from the body as I bring my nose to it and as I make my way to the foot, cocoa, spice and barnyard nuances are also apparent. Clipping the cap produces a flush clean head and an easy draw which consists of mild tobacco and spice.
Light: The foot toasts and lights in no time providing an easy light and large respectable volumes of smoke that carry notes of spice, cocoa and a slight earthiness on the finish. The aroma is particularly notable, providing floral fragrances of vanilla, honey and roasted nuts.
First third: Roughly half way though the first third, spice has faded to but a linger pairing nicely with the earth on the finish making way for light cocoa and roasted nuts to take the lead reigns on the draw. The expelled smoke is rather light, laced with notes of mild cocoa, toasted nuts and just a hint of leather. Unfortunately I'm having difficulty handling the wrapper without causing tears or cracks as it is considerably more fragile than I would of expected, despite this, the burn is excellent and the ash holds for a good two inches before falling.
Second third: Light cocoa – almost a dry cocoa now – carries its presence strongly into the second third, the spice has picked up slightly with the earthy tones still melding nicely, though roasted nuts are now only perceptible on the finish. Cocoa has also become more dominant in the expelled smoke, but for the most part the fragrances remain the same, matching the ambient aroma nicely. The burn is coming along well at this point despite the wrapper being badly cracked due to my poor handling and the ash again holds for a good inch and a half before entering the final third.
Final third: Amazingly at the 1 hour mark and about an inch and a half to the nub, the flavour profile still clings to notes of cocoa. Spice continues to come forth more strongly, although earthy notes , roasted nut and leather are still perceptible only on the finish. Cocoa still heads the spear of the retro-hale here along with leather and toasted nuts continuing to meld in the background. While rather toothy, the ash held to nearly too inches with the burn as sharp and even as its been throughout the entirety of the cigar.
Can you say nub?
Final thoughts: This Boris wasn't as full bodied as I expected, however this isn't to say that it fell short of delivery in any area. It offered good all around complexity and consistency from start to finish and although it didn't have the spicy kick that many Tatuaje sticks offer, it was was a wonderfully enjoyable cigar that I found my self nubbing until my fingers burned. I'm aware that this particular smoke may be somewhat difficult for some to get a hold of, and as such, tends to carry an elevated price tag, but it is most certainly worth searching out.
Total Smoking Time was roughly an hour and a half.
Thanks for reading,
Shawn
Released in 2009, the Boris is technically a counterpart to the Frank of the famed Pete Johnson Monster Series released the previous year. Pete Johnson conceived the idea of creating a secondary Actor's Series that would pay homage to those who brought to life the monsters they portrayed on screen – in this case Boris Karloff – all the while giving more retailers a chance to have a hand in the limited edition Halloween series. The cigar itself is modelled on the blend of the Frank, but isn't exact replica. To my knowledge, the main differences lie in the size of the vitola which was shortened to 7” and, in addition to the length, also show cases an Ecuadorian Sumatran Rosado wrapper as opposed to the Broadleaf that adorned the original Monster.
Upon examination, the aforementioned wrapper displays light brown molted tones with next to zero visible veining, the pack is sold and there are no other apparent anomalies other then a few small cracks in the wrapper.
Pre light: Stout tobacco notes rise up from the body as I bring my nose to it and as I make my way to the foot, cocoa, spice and barnyard nuances are also apparent. Clipping the cap produces a flush clean head and an easy draw which consists of mild tobacco and spice.
Light: The foot toasts and lights in no time providing an easy light and large respectable volumes of smoke that carry notes of spice, cocoa and a slight earthiness on the finish. The aroma is particularly notable, providing floral fragrances of vanilla, honey and roasted nuts.
First third: Roughly half way though the first third, spice has faded to but a linger pairing nicely with the earth on the finish making way for light cocoa and roasted nuts to take the lead reigns on the draw. The expelled smoke is rather light, laced with notes of mild cocoa, toasted nuts and just a hint of leather. Unfortunately I'm having difficulty handling the wrapper without causing tears or cracks as it is considerably more fragile than I would of expected, despite this, the burn is excellent and the ash holds for a good two inches before falling.
Second third: Light cocoa – almost a dry cocoa now – carries its presence strongly into the second third, the spice has picked up slightly with the earthy tones still melding nicely, though roasted nuts are now only perceptible on the finish. Cocoa has also become more dominant in the expelled smoke, but for the most part the fragrances remain the same, matching the ambient aroma nicely. The burn is coming along well at this point despite the wrapper being badly cracked due to my poor handling and the ash again holds for a good inch and a half before entering the final third.
Final third: Amazingly at the 1 hour mark and about an inch and a half to the nub, the flavour profile still clings to notes of cocoa. Spice continues to come forth more strongly, although earthy notes , roasted nut and leather are still perceptible only on the finish. Cocoa still heads the spear of the retro-hale here along with leather and toasted nuts continuing to meld in the background. While rather toothy, the ash held to nearly too inches with the burn as sharp and even as its been throughout the entirety of the cigar.
Can you say nub?
Final thoughts: This Boris wasn't as full bodied as I expected, however this isn't to say that it fell short of delivery in any area. It offered good all around complexity and consistency from start to finish and although it didn't have the spicy kick that many Tatuaje sticks offer, it was was a wonderfully enjoyable cigar that I found my self nubbing until my fingers burned. I'm aware that this particular smoke may be somewhat difficult for some to get a hold of, and as such, tends to carry an elevated price tag, but it is most certainly worth searching out.
Total Smoking Time was roughly an hour and a half.
Thanks for reading,
Shawn
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