I've not seen or heard anything about this line of cigars. A friend picked one up as recommended from a tobaconist in Freeport, Maine. He smokes mild stuff, but asked the shop owner for something full flavored with decent body for me. The guy handed him one of these sticks, which he then passed on to me a few days later. Tons of flavor, pretty good body but waaaaaaaay smooth. Only Non-Cuban I've ever smoked with that much flavor and zero harshness. The shop had a few vitolas in stock so I grabbed a second of the original plus a 2003 stock.
As a reference I typically smoke Villazon stuff, Punch, HdM etc and mostly maduro or double. I'll also enjoy the occasional PAM, VSG, Opus, Sungrown Fuente etc. This had every bit the punch and flavor of those sticks but went down oh-so smooth comparatively. Highly recommended if you can find them.
I've tried the Reserva J21, which was a bit grassy and young tasting. I'm not sure if that's something aging might change, but it was a decent smoke overall. It seems some of the others have gotten higher ratings, so I might have to venture into those before I draw any conclusions about the brand.
I regularly smoke the Taino and Unico, and occasionally the Cojonu (but only on a very full stomach). These are in the top 1% of non-Cuban cigars out there right now in terms of both impeccable construction and full, yet balanced, flavor.
Worth the price? Well, think about it...
(A) They're made in the USA, where rollers are paid about five times what they make in Nicaragua.
(B) It costs money to ship tobacco here from Nicaragua
(c) From what I've seen, Don Pepin Garcia buys the very best for this brand -- the wrappers are flawless.
In my book, they're a solid value and worth every penny...if you like them, that is.
Amen to that. These really and truly are in top 1% of the NC's. These, some of the Padilla's (also made by Don Pepin Garcia) and the Padron 64's really constitute the NC market at its best. You can keep your OpusX and your VSG's. The other thing to remember about Tatuajes is that age matters. I've only been smoking them for about a year but found that even six months in the humidor vastly improved their flavor. I'm considering buying a box and just putting them away for a couple years. I'm sure that with three+ years on them they're going to be even better.
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Posts: 1485 | Location: New York/Denver | Registered: August 05, 2005
I forgot to mention the construction, as pointed out by some others. Perfect triple cap and straight as a dowel. Excellent draw and even burn. The Taino, which was the first one I tried, left a very favorable impression. Today I tried the Cojonu 2003. Thought it similar in flavor profile but stronger all around in terms of body and even more to my liking. Past the 1/2 point it really blossomed into a powerhouse with no harsh or bitter qualities. Unsure of the age on these but would love to sit on a box of the Cojonu 2003 for about a year and see what happens. I don't recall what I paid for them, but seem to think it was in the low teens per stick as singles. Considering the quality I don't find that to be inappropriate.
Tatuaje's and Cabaiguan are both brands that Don Pepin Garcia rolls in his Miami factory for Pete Johnson. Both are most excellent smokes, very top rated, and feature top notch blends and triple cap construction. The Cabaiguan blend uses a shade wrapper and is as smooth as smooth can get, while the natural wrapper on the Tatuaje along with its blend tends to be more full.
Superb cigars, and at the top of the heap of the NC's. Now if you get a chance to try one, Don Pepin also has his own brands, and my favorite of the bunch is the Don Pepin Garcia Blue Label...the robusto in these is under $5 at most tobacco shops that don't charge over list price. Even at $11 a stick, the Tatuaje piramide is a good smoke, and I've paid more for smokes that were supposed to be better, but weren't.
Holts and 2GuysSmokeShop carry either one or both lines.
Mike
This message has been edited. Last edited by: Bluesky5553,
"Eating and sleeping are the only activities that should be allowed to interrupt a man's enjoyment of his cigar." Mark Twain
Blue is right....the tatuajes and cabaiguans are about as good as n/cs get. I am partial to the cabaiguans right now because the tatuajes are a little harsh at first.
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Originally posted by acaffey: Like everything else - some people don't like them, but as it seems that so many people do I would weigh the term "suck" with consideration.
Right...if you'll notice, the people who like these tend to be the guys with the higher number of posts. The more experience you get, the more you appreciate a cigar like Tatuaje. They're expensive and a waste of money without the frame of reference to properly judge them.
Tatuaje's are hands down the best NC cigar out there right now. Pricey yes, but compared to a comparable high end line from Cuba (TTT or Cohiba) with shipping, it's a close race.
The Tat's are very smooth, very flavorful and have unseated VSG and PAM from their positions near the top of my list and are closing in fast on Anejos.
I don't consider my humi well stocked without a handful of Tats.
Originally posted by Extensioncord: I regularly smoke the Taino and Unico, and occasionally the Cojonu (but only on a very full stomach). These are in the top 1% of non-Cuban cigars out there right now in terms of both impeccable construction and full, yet balanced, flavor.
Worth the price? Well, think about it...
(A) They're made in the USA, where rollers are paid about five times what they make in Nicaragua.
(B) It costs money to ship tobacco here from Nicaragua
(c) From what I've seen, Don Pepin Garcia buys the very best for this brand -- the wrappers are flawless.
In my book, they're a solid value and worth every penny...if you like them, that is.
Thanks guys. Now the price of these things will be $50 higher next month. Good work. Oh...and number of posts means nothing Mr. Extensioncord. You'll figure that out after awhile.
Originally posted by smokem1: Thanks guys. Now the price of these things will be $50 higher next month. Good work. Oh...and number of posts means nothing Mr. Extensioncord. You'll figure that out after awhile.
Respectfully...
If you dont buy them because they "suck", then what do you care? Needlessly contentious people annoy everyone with the exception of needlessly contentious people.
I'll leave the issue of bashing top posters to someone else and jump to a more relaxing thread.
--- AC
Posts: 69 | Location: Georgia | Registered: August 28, 2006
