Tatuaje T110

Todays review is of one of the rarer Tatuajes. Pete has done a number of special releases for shops across the country, and this cigar was made for a shop in Hawaii. From what I read, there were only 200 boxes made. This short cigar measures in at 4.3 X 52. The T in the name stands for thermonuclear, and 110 is the size in mm. Supposedly this is another all Ligero cigar, and is called Thermonuclear for its intense strength. Apparently there was a larger cigar Pete made called the Thermonuclear as almost a joke, and it supposedly was so strong not many people could smoke it without getting sick. (sounds like a challenge to me!) This version, from what I hear, is a little toned down, but still VERY strong because of all the Ligero leaf. This is a Nicaraguan Puro, like the rest of Pete's cigars. I was gifted this cigar at the Illusione cigar event I attended a few weeks ago by one of the regular guys that hangs out at that shop, If I remember right his name was Justin. If you are reading this, thanks again for the cigar! He offered me one to try and I just couldn't turn down the chance to review this rare smoke from one of my top cigar makers.

visually this cigar looks great. The construction is top notch, as I would expect with a Tatuaje. The wrapper is much darker than the normal Tatuaje's and is very attractive on this little cigar. I love that Pete went with the RC (Retro Cuban) bands on these, i think they have a very classic look. The draw is a little on the loose side, which I am hoping doesnt make this one burn too hot. The predraw flavors are very light, not what I would expect from a cigar called the Thermonuclear.

After lighting, it has the trademark Tatuaje spicy flavor, just amped up a bit. The smoke immediately coats the palate, and I am glad I have something to drink near by. There is definitely a little bit of leather buried in the spice, with maybe just a sprinkle of dark chocolate and coffee bean in there as well. So far this is a very good cigar and nicely balanced for being so spicy due to the amount of Ligero present in the blend. This is certainly a full bodied cigar after even just an inch, but not overwhelmingly so. (not yet anyway). At this point the spice has mellowed just a little bit, and an earthy flavor joins the party. After all i heard about this cigar, I kind of expected it to be overly strong, but its not. It has power, but balance as well. If this is a strait Ligero cigar, it blows the Cain out of the water.

The Tatuaje T110 was a great cigar. Too bad I will never see another one again, and if you don't already have one (or have a very generous friend to get one from) it is unlikely you ever will due to the fact that so few were made and they sold out very quickly. I love a nice full bodied cigar like this that still has plenty of flavor and balance to it.

Nosotros sneak preview

Today's review is a treat, especially for me! The Nosotros, made by Dion from Illusione in collaboration with Drew Estates (first time team up with those companies) and will be hitting the market sometime in the next few months. I mentioned this cigar in my write up of the Illusione event I went to. This is the one I got from Dion himself, and it is from a batch he had made when he finalized the blend before they went into production. The sample I got is the Churchill size, which measures in at 7 x 48. These will come with a banded when they are released. After searching around online a bit ,and confirming with Dion, I found out the blend consists of a Nicaraguan Corojo 99 for the wrapper, a Nicaraguan Filler, and a Connecticut Habano binder. These are made in the Drew Estates factory in Nicaragua.

The sample I received has a slightly rough looking wrapper, but is solidly constructed with a great oily feel to it. The predraw has a very nice toasty characteristic with some definite barnyard dry hay flavors. After lighting this big cigar up, there is a definite sweetness with a crisp, spicey finish. This is going to be one of those cigars that will be hard to really pinpoint distinct flavors, as already there is a vast medley of flavors coming out of this cigar. There is a definite woody characteristic, with something else...this is a very unique cigar. This is a solid medium/full bodied smoke.

Talking with Dion, I got a little more info on this cigar. I asked him how he came to team up with Drew Estates, a company known for flavored cigars (ick). They do make a few other decent cigars though, besides their flavored crap. He was visiting their factory, and liked what he saw, so he asked them to bring him a list of their best tobaccos. After going through the list and finding a few things that he hadn't had before, and a few that he knew and loved, he had them bring the individual components for him to smoke. After trying out a bunch of their tobaccos, and liking what he saw, he started working on the Nosotros. (Nosotros means "us")

Overall, the Nosotros is a cigar to keep an eye out for. They were supposed to be released in October, but apparently they need just a little more time before they will be out, so hopefully within the next month or two. These have a very unique flavor profile that really brings something different to the table when it comes to Nicaraguan cigars. These are super smooth, with a really nice sweet and spicy flavor, but really clean tasting, not muddled at all. Smoking a cigar handed to you from the owner of the company makes it that much more fun too! Dion told me this sample is the final blend, and if that's the case i can't wait to get my hands on more of them and try the different sizes coming out.

My Father Le Bijou 1922 Toro

Today's review is of one of the new cigars to come out this year, the My Father Le Bijou, from Don Pepin Garcia. Le Bijou means "the Jewel." This one is the Toro size, measuring in at 6 x 52. The original My Father was made by Pepin's two children in honor of him. Pepin must have really liked this idea because this edition of the My Father is to honor his father. This is a different blend of all Nicaraguan tobacco (though I am not sure of the exact difference) with a Habano Oscuro wrapper. This wrapper really sets it apart from the other My Father line. This one is very dark and toothy and very attractive. I have been waiting to try this cigar since I first heard word about it, and when i was at the Illusione event, I noticed they had a few boxes sitting behind the counter unopened. Later that night, Dion from Illusione cigars also noticed and asked if he could get one, so they opened up the box for him. This was my chance! I convinced them to figure out the price for a single and sell me one even though they hadn't even been entered into their system yet.

Like most of Pepin's cigars, the construction on this is impeccable, with a perfectly applied triple cap. The draw is pretty much perfect, with predraw flavors of cedar and classic spicy Nicaraguan tobacco that Pepin is fond of. After lighting, velvety rich smoke really coats my palate, with full earthy flavors and a spicy finish. Even after just a few minutes, i can tell this is going to be a complex, tasty cigar. There is a certain creamy characteristic to this cigar, but not like the light milky creamy flavor that I normally think of when I call a cigar creamy. This one is more like your favorite Stout or Porter beer, a dark creamy flavor with a dark chocolate bite to it.

After the first inch or so, I heard a cracking sound and looked down to see a crack forming in the wrapper right below the second band. This does not thrill me at all. Hopefully it remains small and doesnt unravel the cigar. Thankfully, I was able to smoke through it without it being too much of an issue, but still, i hate seeing that on a premium cigar. This is a solid medium/full bodied cigar with a full, rich flavor profile.
you can see the crack by my thumb

Overall, this is definitely a cigar to keep an eye out for! I really enjoy the original My Father line, and the Le Bijou is yet another Pepin cigar I really love. This has a richer flavor profile and is very complex. I don't know if I like it more than the other My Father line, but after smoking a few more I have a feeling i might! Even with the crack in the wrapper, which I am just assuming is a fluke, I definitely recommend this smoke. These aren't cheap, i think i paid about $10.50 for this cigar. At that price this won't be one I will smoke on a regular basis, but I would definitely like to get a few more to have in my humidor.

Illusione Event/meet up with Dion Giolito

So thursday night, I happened to notice on Twitter that Dion, the man behind Illusione cigars was going to be in the Chicago area. Hmm...do I want to meet up with the guy behind one of my favorite cigar brand? I think you know the answer! I found out he was going to be at a shop about an hour from here called Burning Leaf Cigars. This was definitely not an opportunity to be missed!

After arriving at the shop, I was amazed. This was a brand new store, with an amazing selection and HUGE lounge, definitely worth the drive and I will be returning for sure. The event started at 5, which is about when I got there and it was already packed. There was an open bar (yes!) and catering from a fantastic BBQ place that I didn't catch the name of. The man of the night hadn't arrived yet, so I had a look around the shop and bought my cigars for the night. They were running a deal that if you bought 3 Illusiones, you got an MK free. I picked up an mj12, Cruzado Domenicos, and an 88. I started out smoking the mj12, and that's when Dion showed up. Dion has to be one of the nicest guys I've had the chance to talk to. As soon as we started talking he handed me a Cuchillos Habanos, a budget cigar he makes that is comprised of 60% long filler/40% short filler. He was extremely approachable and certainly knows his cigars! We talked about everything from cigars (surprise, i know) to beer to comparing tattoos. I was just about done smoking my mj12, when Dion hands another of his cigars, the Epernay La Ferme, which I promptly lit up and continued talking with Dion and all the other guys at the shop.

I got to talking to this guy, Justin i think? (i am terrible at remembering names) and after talking about different cigars, he goes to his locker and pulls out a Tatuaje T110, which was released only in Hawaii and hands it to me and tells me to take it home and review it! The locals at this shop were some great people!

My third and final cigar of the night was the mixed filler Cuchillos Habanos, which was pretty tasty for not being a 100% longfiller cigar. I would definitely pick up some of these for a good cigar when you want really nice flavor, but don't want to spend a ton (i think you can get 5 for around 18 bucks). This would be a great driving cigar. To finish off an already great night, Dion hands me a cigar I have been dying to get my hands on, the Nosotros. This is his new line that will be coming out in the next few months, and is a team up between him and Drew Estates. Now this particular cigar isn't just an unbanded Nosotros. When Dion was testing blends for this cigar, he had a batch made up of what ended up being the final blend, and this is from that batch. So, this is a pre production sample of a cigar that hasnt even been released yet!

Thanks again to the guys at Burning Leaf cigars for putting on a hell of an event, and of course, to the man, the myth, the legend, Dion Giolito!