Tatuaje J21 Reserva

Ahh yes, another cigar from Tatuaje! This time its the J21 Reserva, a robusto that measures in at 5 X50. This Nicaraguan Puro has a Corojo ligero wrapper, the same wrapper that is on my favorite Tatuaje, the Cojonu 03. Its not the prettiest, with some random veining throughout the wrapper. Ligero doesn't tend to be the prettiest though, since it gets the most sun of all the types of tobacco.

This is a very solidly build cigar, very firm with no soft spots. The wrapper, while slightly ugly, has a very even color and is just slightly rough to the touch. The draw has just the right amount of resistance, showing that it was rolled perfectly. The predraw flavors are earth and just a little cocoa. After lighting, this immediately tastes like i expect a Tatuaje to taste, with upfront spice, leather and an earthyness I really enjoy. The spice seems to taper off just a bit, and a hard wood flavor joins the party as I get a little further into this cigar. This seems slightly milder than the Cojonu, but still very bold in the flavor department. This is a very smooth cigar as well, with very clean pronounced flavors, not muddy at all.

This cigar started out burning very even, but got a little wavy at the halfway point, It has a nice white ash that is just a little on the flaky side. I knocked it off at just over an inch, but I think it would have held on a little longer if I had let it. (I didnt feel like ending up with ash on my floor tonight)

The Tatuaje J21 Reserva is another great offering by Pete Johnson/Pepin. It has a lot of the same flavors as the Cojonu, which I said earlier is my favorite Tatuaje, but with a little less strength and in a smaller format. This makes it a great option for when I don't Have time for the 03 Cojonu, or want something dialed back a bit as far as body goes. This is still a solid medium/full bodied cigar with a very nice complexity to the flavor. I love the rich, bold flavors that this cigar offers. These are between $10-11 a piece, so while not an everyday cigar, it is one to definitely keep in mind when you have a few extra bucks and want something very tasty.

As most of you know, I now work at a cigar shop in St. Charles called Bull and Bear, and yes, we have these in stock! That being said, just because I sell them, it doesn't have any impact on my review of this cigar. As I've said before, I give my honest opinion of the cigars I review here. No one is paying me to say anything about a particular stick, and I am not getting anything in return by saying good things about any of them. I only put in here that we carry them at Bull and Bear because I do what I can to support my local shops, and these aren't a cigar I see that often in shops in the area.