Tatuaje Wolfman Monster Series 2011
Ben and I only had one day to spend at this years IPCPR but we managed to stop by all of the major manufacturers booths and get the scoop on all the best new sticks. Our most prized acquisition was a couple of Petes new Monster series, The Wolfman. Pete doesnt generally hand out pre-releases of his Monster series especially not to two kids who are brutally honest no matter what. We were slightly hesitant to review this stick because its our job to be honest, and if it sucked we would have to tell you that it sucked. No lying, no churching it up, no sugar coating the truth were grateful for the opportunity to try these, but they get the same treatment as any other cigar. Thankfully our doubts were laid to rest the moment we lit these up.
Pre-light: A sweet barnyard aroma along with pistachio.
First Third: The Wolfman starts out with a strong blast of pepper. The sharpness goes away quickly and we are hit with cocoa, brown sugar, and a subtle floral flavor. About an inch in the cigar develops a very buttery taste much like the one present in the Franks, Tatuajes first Monster series. A slight oak pops up for a minute but seems to get lost in the complex array of flavors before too long. At the end of the first third the pepper turns into a roasted pepper and the body goes from full to medium-full.
Second Third: Much to our pleasure, the cigar keeps becoming more and more complex as we smoke. The roasted pepper sharpens into a spicy white pepper while graham cracker becomes the next most prominent flavor. We also notice cinnamon and molasses notes that further add to the list of flavors and a pistachio appears on the exhale. The Wolfman still has that great buttery taste that Ben and I love and a vegetal/floral mix is working its way in as well. A sweet caramel starts to come around at the end of this third, giving the cigar a very rich, sweet profile.
Final Third: The graham cracker and caramel are the strongest flavors after the pepper, but a dark cocoa is gaining in prominence. We notice the pistachio picks up again and goes nicely with the rest of the flavors. The rich cocoa builds up and dominates the last couple inches. Right now the Wolfman is almost too complex to describe we note pepper, caramel, cocoa, graham cracker, butter, pistachio, and floral flavors. It finishes with pepper, caramel, cocoa, butter, and floral notes. Final smoking time was 2 hours and 10 minutes.
Ben and I were absolutely floored by this cigar. While slightly too full-bodied for our tastes, the pepper was not so overpowering that it diminished the other flavors. The complexities will undoubtedly increase over time, and we hope to see the graham cracker and floral notes become stronger in the future. But as far as smoking a cigar thats still resting until late October, we couldnt be happier. The Wolfman didnt taste harsh/bitter/acidic at all and will hit the shelves ready to be smoked. A very special thanks is due to Pete Johnson for hooking us up with these outstanding sticks! We really appreciate the opportunity to smoke these cigars this far away from their release date. I would pay $18 for one of these and Ben would pay $17.77. The Wolfman is definitely going to be Tatuajes best release since the Franks.
where to find: Select retailers around Halloween.
expect to pay: $13 or more
Ben and I only had one day to spend at this years IPCPR but we managed to stop by all of the major manufacturers booths and get the scoop on all the best new sticks. Our most prized acquisition was a couple of Petes new Monster series, The Wolfman. Pete doesnt generally hand out pre-releases of his Monster series especially not to two kids who are brutally honest no matter what. We were slightly hesitant to review this stick because its our job to be honest, and if it sucked we would have to tell you that it sucked. No lying, no churching it up, no sugar coating the truth were grateful for the opportunity to try these, but they get the same treatment as any other cigar. Thankfully our doubts were laid to rest the moment we lit these up.
Pre-light: A sweet barnyard aroma along with pistachio.
First Third: The Wolfman starts out with a strong blast of pepper. The sharpness goes away quickly and we are hit with cocoa, brown sugar, and a subtle floral flavor. About an inch in the cigar develops a very buttery taste much like the one present in the Franks, Tatuajes first Monster series. A slight oak pops up for a minute but seems to get lost in the complex array of flavors before too long. At the end of the first third the pepper turns into a roasted pepper and the body goes from full to medium-full.
Second Third: Much to our pleasure, the cigar keeps becoming more and more complex as we smoke. The roasted pepper sharpens into a spicy white pepper while graham cracker becomes the next most prominent flavor. We also notice cinnamon and molasses notes that further add to the list of flavors and a pistachio appears on the exhale. The Wolfman still has that great buttery taste that Ben and I love and a vegetal/floral mix is working its way in as well. A sweet caramel starts to come around at the end of this third, giving the cigar a very rich, sweet profile.
Final Third: The graham cracker and caramel are the strongest flavors after the pepper, but a dark cocoa is gaining in prominence. We notice the pistachio picks up again and goes nicely with the rest of the flavors. The rich cocoa builds up and dominates the last couple inches. Right now the Wolfman is almost too complex to describe we note pepper, caramel, cocoa, graham cracker, butter, pistachio, and floral flavors. It finishes with pepper, caramel, cocoa, butter, and floral notes. Final smoking time was 2 hours and 10 minutes.
Ben and I were absolutely floored by this cigar. While slightly too full-bodied for our tastes, the pepper was not so overpowering that it diminished the other flavors. The complexities will undoubtedly increase over time, and we hope to see the graham cracker and floral notes become stronger in the future. But as far as smoking a cigar thats still resting until late October, we couldnt be happier. The Wolfman didnt taste harsh/bitter/acidic at all and will hit the shelves ready to be smoked. A very special thanks is due to Pete Johnson for hooking us up with these outstanding sticks! We really appreciate the opportunity to smoke these cigars this far away from their release date. I would pay $18 for one of these and Ben would pay $17.77. The Wolfman is definitely going to be Tatuajes best release since the Franks.
where to find: Select retailers around Halloween.
expect to pay: $13 or more
