Tatuaje Boris (Frank out of Costume)

This year has been filled with special release Tatuajes, and thanks to one of my generous customers (Thanks Craig!) I get to try one of this year's Monster cigar releases. Last year Pete Johnson started the Monster series, with The Frank (which unfortunately I didn't get my hands on). This year, the main Monster release was called the Drac (which I hope to review in the near future), with a side release of The Boris. This is slightly shorter than The Frank, measuring in at 7 X 49, with an Ecuadorian Sumatra Rosado wrapper. The Frank was box pressed, this one is not. 1,000 boxes of 10 were released of The Boris, a smaller number than The Drac.

Visually, this is an ugly cigar; bumpy, veiny, and slightly on the dry side. That being said, this, just like the rest of Pete/Pepins cigars, is very well made. After a quick clip with my Palio, The Boris shows a slightly loose draw with flavors of earth and strait tobacco. There is definitely some spice to this cigar, but it isn't as potent as the normal release Tatuajes. This blend has a definite sweetness to it, and something that I almost want to call peppermint. The burn has been nice and even, and the ash held for just over an inch. The flavor of this cigar is very different for a Tatuaje. Some of the trademark flavors such as that up front spice are there, but the core flavor of The Boris is very different, at least to me. The room aroma is very pleasant, and reminds me of sweet cedar. (which I am starting to taste in this cigar as well)

Pete got a lot of heat about the monster releases this year because of how limited they were and how the release was handled. I don't care about that kind of stuff, I think the idea of doing a special and fun cigar for Halloween is fantastic! Would I like to be able to get these cigars easier? Sure, but to me the fun of the Monster series, and other limited Tatuaje's, is the hunt. I haven't gotten my hands on all of his limited releases, but thanks to some very generous friends, and a little hunting of my own, I have done ok. I like Pete's marketing ideas, they are original and a different take on limited release cigars. Innovators in any field often get some grief for their methods and ideas, and newer guys to the industry like Pete are mixing it up, which is always good to see. What it all boils down to though is the cigar. You can have all the flashy and original packaging ideas you want, but if the cigar doesn't perform well, then it is all for nothing. That is not the case with Pete's cigars. If the cigars Pete/Pepin are putting out came in plain boxes without bands, I would still buy them, because they are just damn good! To me, all the fun packaging and limited releases are just the icing on the cake. The cigars are what matters, and they do not disappoint.

The Boris was definitely a tasty cigar. While I enjoyed this one, it probably doesn't break into the list of my favorite Tatuajes. That being said, if you got your hands on The Boris, you will not be disappointed. The peppermint finish I noted really sets this apart from other Tatuaje blends. This was lighter than I expected, ending up being a solid medium bodied cigar. This was a balanced, complex cigar, yet another tasty treat from Tatuaje.