Cigar Reviews and CigarsDirect.com and Pepin Garcia
Cigar Review, Cigars Direct, Cigars Online, CigarsDirect.com Matt
3:05 pm
Country: Nicaragua
Wrapper:Nicaraguan Habano
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Size: Robusto 5.0″ x 50 ring
Courtesy of CigarsDirect.com
El Centurion is a limited edition cigar from Don Pepin. Actually this cigar is the “First Limited Edition 2007″ which leads me to believe we may see other incarnations of this line sometime in the future. My guess is it will be a different blend but will carry the same name, but this is just speculation on my part. This edition only saw 850 boxes of each size made. What is known about the blend is that it uses Criollo99 and Corojo99 tobacco grown in Nicaragua. The best leaves were selected for this blend and were aged for 3 years under watchful eyes and in the best conditions. It is available in just three vitolas.
- Guerreros 5.0″ x 50 (robusto)
- Emperadores 5.5″ x 52 (belicoso)
- Gladiadores 6.5″x 52 (toro)
Today I am smoking the Guerreros which is a standard robusto size. It is well constructed, firm with a nicely applied triple cap. The wrapper is a reddish, tan color with a few fine viens running across it and it has an oily sheen. Looking at the bunch in the foot and at the head after clipping, you can see this cigar is jam packed full of tobacco. The burn was razor sharp and it produced a perfectly formed, firm, white ash. I started off talking about the construction because it is the best part of the cigar. I was a bit disappointed by the flavor of this smoke. It was pleasant enough but I was expecting more from a limited edition cigar. As is typical with most of Pepin’s cigars there is plenty of black pepper especially at the start, but it remains present throughout the smoke. There is also a woodiness to it with a slightly bitter finish that I could have done without. The cigar never developed, never changed. The flavors remained consistent throughout. This cigar actually reminded me a lot of Pepin’s Vegas Cubanas. It is medium bodied, and not quite as strong as a lot of his other lines. The El Centurion isn’t a bad cigar, but I feel it under performs for a limited edition cigar.
You can get the El Centurion cigars at CigarsDirect.com
Rating – B
Related Posts:
- Keepers of the Flame will tell you about the Emperadores
- CigarJack awarded a guest reviewer for his take on El Centurion
- Jerry at Stogie Review shares his take via a video review.
- Her Humidor gives another take on the Guerreros.
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Cigar Reviews and CigarsDirect.com and EO Cigars and Pepin Garcia
Cigar Review, Cigars Direct, Cigars Online, CigarsDirect.com Matt
9:37 pm
Country: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Habano Oscuro
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Size: Perfecto 51/2 x 52 ring
Today I am enjoying another excellent smoke courtesy of my friends at CigarsDirect.com. EO’s 601 Serie cigars are made by the red hot Jose “Pepin” Garcia and are available in four flavors each denoted by it’s own band color. There is the 601 Red wrapped in a spicy habano wrapper, the Ecuador Connecticut wrapped Black Label, a sweet maduro Blue Label, and the dark and oily Green Label Oscuro. The EO brands are the realization of a dream of two friends, Erik Espinosa and Eddie Ortega. Their partnership with Pepin Garcia have produced a handful of excellent cigars. In addition to the popular 601 Serie cigars their collaboration also brought about the Cubao and Mi Barrio which are also beginning to generate some buzz in the industry.
The Green Label 601 has a dark oily wrapper laced in very small veins. Although it is a perfecto, the taper isn’t very severe except right at the foot. The taper to the head of the cigar is shallow and if it weren’t for the nipple at the foot it would look very much like a pyramide. As you would expect from a cigar made by Pepin Garcia, the construction is excellent. It has a near perfect draw and burn. It has a good heft to it so you know it is packed full of tobacco. It burns slow and cool producing firm pepper gray ash that wants to hold on for ever.
The oscuro is supposedly the strongest most full bodied of the 601 line. Personally I found that wasn’t the case. While certainly a full bodied smoke, I think the Red Label Habano is fuller and much stronger packing a bigger punch than the Green. Where the Red is a blast of pepper and spice, I found the Green to be smoother with a maduro sweetness, just a bit of spice and little or no pepper. That said it is still an excellent smoke. At the start there is lots of cocoa and coffee with notes of cedar and leather all wrapped in that sweet maduro flavor. At about the halfway mark most of those flavors fade and all that remains is a sweet core with occasional hints of coffee. As the smoke progresses it doesn’t change much. Sweet with a creamy feel and a bit of leather. At the start I was expecting a real complex smoke and though it is by no means one dimensional, it lacks the complexity of the Red and doesn’t have anywhere near the strength I was expecting. I know it sounds like I am a little disappointed with it and in some respects I guess I am, but I still think it is a very good full bodied and enjoyable smoke. It is an excellent cigar if you are looking for a full, flavorful cigar that won’t kick you in the pants. Of course that is just my opinion. A lot of people think this is a powerhouse smoke. I gravitate to strong smokes so my opinion may be skewed.
Get your 601′s at CigarsDirect.com
Rating – B+
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Cigar Reviews and CigarsDirect.com and Pepin Garcia
Cigar Review, Cigars Direct, Cigars Online, CigarsDirect.com Matt
12:00 pm
Country: USA
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Maduro
Filler: Nicaraguan Corojo and Criollo
Size: Belicoso 5.7″ x 52 ring
The Don Pepin Garcia Series JJ is the Premium version of the DPG line of Cigars made by Jose “Pepin” Garcia. The JJ is a collaboration between Jose and his son Jamie, hence the “JJ”. This is the newer maduro version of this cigar and is to the best of my knowledge, the only maduro besides the EO 601 Maduro that is made by Pepin. I am enjoying this cigar thanks to my friends at CigarsDirect.com
The JJ Maduro is a handsome cigar with a dark wrapper that doesn’t look like your typical maduro. It lacks the toothy, rustic look that most maduros seem to have. this wrapper is smooth and silky with an oily sheen and very few small veins. In addition to the handsome wrapper you can also tell that this is a high end,tops helf cigar by the bunching of the filler tobacco. This cigar is packed full of tobacco and the bunching is amazing smooth and full looking. It looks as if it is all packed together so tightly that you’d think there is no way the cigar will draw but it does and it does so very well. The are no gaps or holes in the bunch and absolutely now veins or stems, just 100% thin tobacco leaf. It has a rich cedar aroma and an excellent draw that provides the perfect amount of resistance.
This cigar was amazing right from the start. In the beginning the flavors were very defined, creamy with notes of nuts, cedar, and a subtle spice. The Maduro has quite a bit more strength to it than the natural version. The additional strength doesn’t add any rough edges to the flavors like you might expect. It is still very smooth and refined. As I neared the half way mark there was lots of exotic spice and cedar. I think the Maduro title is a misnomer for this cigar. It doesn’t taste like any other maduro I have ever had as it lacks any sweetness or earthiness I usually associate with a maduro. I don’t mean that as a criticism as this cigar is superb. I think this cigar tastes remarkably similar to a Tatuaje Reserva with a bit more kick to it. In the last third the flavors begin to get very robust but they still maintain their smooth refined nature. It starts to develop a bit of earth intertwined with the cedar and spice that has been present since the beginning. The Series JJ Maduro is an exceptional cigar is now on my list of favorites. As good as I think the natural JJ is, I find the maduro to be far superior. This is a special cigar that should be reserved for occassions when you can give it all the attention it deserves.
Get your Don Pepin Garcia Series JJ Maduros at CigarsDirect.com
Rating – A
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Cigar Reviews and CigarsDirect.com and Padilla and Pepin Garcia
Cigar Review, Cigars Direct, Cigars Online, CigarsDirect.com Matt
9:53 pm
Country: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Corojo
Filler: Nicaraguan Criollo and Corojo
Size: Churchill 7.0″ x 48 ring
The Padilla Miami 8/11 is arguably the cigar responsible for putting Ernesto Padilla on the cigar map. And why not, he picked a master blender to make it for him. At the time this master tobacco blender wasn’t well known. He had a small factory in Miami that employed just 12 rollers. This man would quickly become the hottest name in cigars. That’s right, the Padilla Miami 8/11 was made by Jose “Pepin” Garcia. The 8/11 in the name denotes location of Pepins factory near the corner of 8th and 11th in Miami. I did say “was made” because Ernesto and Pepin have recently parted ways, and now Pepin no longer makes any cigars for Padilla as Pepin’s business has continued to explode and he had to devote more resources towards maintaining his own products. That means the Miami 8/11 as it has existed is going away so if you are a fan, you will want to buy up as much of these as you can because the Pepin Garcia version of this stick will no longer be produced.
Wrapped in a typical Pepin Corojo leaf, the Miami is rustic looking with puckered veins and bumpy look. It is the color of milk chocolate and has an oily sheen. It has a strong almost pungent odor of tobacco and wet earth. Packed full of tobacco this Churchill has a nice heft to it, firm its entire length. The triple cap clipped nicely revealing a perfect bunch in the head of the cigar which mirrors the view from the foot.
On the initial draw you get hit with a blast of pepper on the tongue but it quickly subsides. It is replaced by a rich earthiness with undertones of spice and flashes of caramel. It produces amazing thick clouds of almost snow white smoke and a room bouquet of toasted tobacco and floral notes. About half way through the Carmel and Spice have come to the forefront and it has a decidedly creamy feel. It has also developed a nice woody/cedar finish with a slight sweetness on the palate. The cigar begins to pickup in the last third. gone is the caramel and sweetness. It is all wood, earth, and pepper. It is very robust and full bodied.
The Padilla Miami is a very well made cigar. The burn was even if not razor straight, and the draw provided just the right amount of resistance. It produced plenty of thick creamy smoke and produced a firm salt and pepper ash. In the past I experienced a lot of problems with the wrapper on this cigar being almost flame retardant and impossible to burn. I had no such problem with this cigar so perhaps those problems are a thing of the past. it is shame that this cigar is no longer being made.
Get your Padilla Miami 8/11′s at CigarsDirect.com
Rating – B+
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Cigar Reviews and Pepin Garcia
Matt
12:43 pm
Country: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Habano Rosado
Filler: Nicaraguan
Size: Lancero 6.875″ x 42 ring
The Lancero is not a regular size in the Cuban Classic line of Pepin Garcia’s Name brand. The Lancero is a very limited release available in one of two presentations. There is a Holiday Sampler pack that sports two Lanceros in each of Don Pepin’s lines, the Blue Label, the JJ, the JJ Maduro, the Centurion, and of course the Cuban Classic. There were also just 100 cabinets of the Black Lanceros containing 50 cigars (I’m not 100% on that quantity but I think it was a 50 count). Part of the thinking behind the limited release of the Lancero size in all his lines was to give his fans a format for them to experience all the subtleties and complexities of the wrappers used in each of his line. The old Cuban purists believe that to experience the true essence of a blend you need to do so with a Lancero, Lonsdale, or a Corona. Who am I to argue with those guys. Those three sizes happen to be among my favorite vitolas, the Lonsdale being my absolute favorite. Some of the most complex and best smokes I have ever had have been in one of those formats.
Lanceros have a reputation for being a tough vitola to make, bring prone to various construction issues like plugging or splitting. I think it is an unfair reputation because if they are made right by skilled rollers they don’t have these issues. I think cigars with these issues are not isolated to just Lanceros, but you’ll find these problems in other vitolas of the line as well. The problem in my opinion is a lot of cigar makers don’t regularly produce Lanceros because in the US market they don’t seem to sell as well. Since they don’t produce a lot, they sometimes don’t do it well when they do make one. This cigar is very well made and the draw on it is perfect. It sports a smooth creamy brown wrapper and has a Cuban style triple cap tipped with a small pigtail.
It starts off with blasts of black pepper and a robust woodiness. About an inch or so in, it smooths out quite a bit. It is woody with a creaminess that has a buttery feel in my mouth. The aroma produced by the cigar is a rich smell of dark roasted coffee. Past the halfway mark it developed a rich earthiness with pepper and a slightly grassy finish. I have to say the end of this smoke was a little disappointing. The flavors became very muddled and not very distinguishable and it lost some of its body.
Even with the lack luster ending, the Black Lancero is a very good smoke. Medium to full bodied most of the way, it was a complex and engaging smoke. If I can find the cash, there are still some of the Holiday Samplers out there to be had, and I’d like to pick one up so I can try this size in Pepin’s other lines.
Rating – B+
What Others think of the DPG Black:
The Stogie Guys give the Robusto 31/2 stogies
Lucky7 at Keepers of the Flame liked the Robusto “Very Much”
The Stogie Baby wasn’t impressed with the Petite Lancero
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Ashton and Cigar Reviews and CigarsDirect.com and Matt's Favs and Pepin Garcia
Cigar Review, Cigars Direct, Cigars Online, CigarsDirect.com Matt
10:31 pm
Country: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Corojo
Filler: Nicaraguan
Size: Toro 6.0″ x 50 ring
I have been looking forward to trying this new smoke from Ashton for a while so when CigarsDirect.com sent me one to review I knew I wouldn’t wait long to put it to flame. Still it wasn’t the easiest choice considering the amazing quality of smokes they sent me in the latest batch.
Bearing the name of the famed Cuban marca, the San Cristobal is made for Ashton by my favorite cigar maker Jose “Pepin” Garcia who also makes my favorite brand of cigars, the Tatuajes. By now everyone who smokes cigars is aware that Pepin is the hottest name in cigars right now. His portfolio has grown exponentially yet it seems everything he puts out is made of gold. As highly anticipated as the release of the ESG, the San Cristobal was 2 years in the making.
Released last year shortly after the RTDA (now called IPCPRA), it sports Pepin’s wrapper of choice. It is a leathery, dark brown Nicaraguan Corojo. The Supremo is a Toro and the 50 ring gauge is the perfect size for my new favorite cut, the butterfly cut. The butterfly cut was created by a friend of mine. It is a double V-cut. After making the initial V-cut you rotate the cigar and make a second V-cut perpendicular to the first. I really like this style of cut on larger ring gauges. This cut draws very nicely and it looks cool. Everything about this cigar says “top-shelf”. The wrapper is flawless and there is no sign of any rib veins in the head or foot. The bunching looks perfect and you can tell by the firmness and heft that it is packed full of tobacco. The band is beautiful with the vibrant colors of the Macaw and elegant gold trim on a background of an ancient map.
This amazing cigar is very different from any other Pepin cigar I have tried to date. It starts off so smooth and silky. Right off the bat it is very full flavored, woodsy with leather and spice, and nutty undertones. Notably absent is the trademark “Pepin Pepper” but it isn’t missed at all. This cigar is amazingly complex with a smooth finish. I read on CI’s site some tasting notes that referenced cherry flavors. I have never tasted anything like cherry in a cigar, so I was really surprised when at about the mid way point I detected flashes of cherry. It was amazing and truly unique. I found myself disappointed (in a good way) when those flavors faded as I got a little further into the smoke. I really wished that the cherry flavors hung around longer than they did. Towards the end, the leather and spice began to build to dominate the flavors with a woody finish.
This was an amazing cigar that engaged me from start to finish. The construction is impeccable and the burn razor sharp. The ash was a little loose and flaky which was surprising but didn’t detract from the experience. The San Cristobal has earned a spot on my list of favorites. This cigar is an absolute must try for any serious cigar smoker.
Rating – A+
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Cigar Reviews and Matt's Favs and Pepin Garcia and Tatuaje
Cigar Review, Lonsdale, Nicaragua, Pete Johnson, Tatuaje Matt
9:54 pm
Country: USA
Wrapper: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan Long Filler
Size: Lonsdale 63/8 x 43 ring
The Tatuaje Havana Cazadores come in cedar cabinets of 25 and are packaged in the old Cuban style. They are packed wet and wrapped in foil with a yellow ribbon around the bundle. Here’s some pictures I took back when I bought them. You can click the pictures for an enlarged view.
This vitola is reported to be Pete Johnson’s vitola of choice and it also happens to be one of my favorites as well. I love Lonsdales. I think it is just possibly the best size for a cigar. When used with a good blend of tobaccos, the ring gauge and length lends itself to a wonderfully complex smoke with a near perfect duration, about an hour to 75 minutes. I have a hard time picking between this cigar and the Reserva SW as my favorite of the Brown Label line. When pressed I usually end up giving a slight edge to the Reserva SW only because I find it a little more complex.
Like almost all of the Tatuajes, it starts off with a full blast of pepper. Once you work your way into the smoke a bit, the pepper calms down a little. I find this stick to be the most “cubanesqe” of all the Tatuajes. It is a heavy, full bodied smoke with some serious strength. They are hard to take on an empty stomach. The smoke progresses nicely, first with black coffee flavors transitioning into a rich nutty/earthiness with brief flashes of cocoa. It picks up a lot near the end getting spicy and peppery again with notes of wood. It has black pepper on the finish throughout the smoke.
The burn goes crooked every once and while but if you’re paying attention, you can get it to correct itself. The draw is perfect and the ash is well formed. The thick white clouds of smoke produce a room bouquet is very reminiscent of that of a Cuban Montecristo. Tatuajes produce amazing aromas and this one may have the best aroma of all of them.
It’s no secret that I am a huge fan of Tatuajes and the Havana Cazadores are no exception. This is an exceptional cigar that I could be happy smoking everyday. I plan to make sure I never run out of these gems.
Rating – A
Matt’s Top 5
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Cigar Reviews and CigarsDirect.com and Matt's Favs and Pepin Garcia and Tatuaje
Churchill, Cigar Review, Cigars Direct, Cigars Online, CigarsDirect.com, Nicaragua, Pete Johnson, Tatuaje Matt
4:52 pm
Country: USA
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Corojo
Filler: Nicaraguan
Size: Churchill 7.0″ x 47 ring
The Tatuaje Reserva SW just may be my favorite cigar bar none. When asked to make a list it always lands in the number one spot, but in my mind the lines on these sorts of things are a little less clear. The point is, I love this cigar and make a point to enjoy one on a regular basis. When I first struck up my blog’s relationship with my friends over at CigarsDirect.com I told them my favorite cigar was the Tatuaje Reserva SW. They asked for a list of my favorites so as is typically the case, the Reserva SW ended up in the number one slot. As a very generous thank you for the Reviews I’d be writing for them, they sent me a few of these gems to enjoy. I have posted a review of the SW in the past but honestly I didn’t give it the full attention to detail it deserved so as I went to grab one of the SWs that CigarsDirect.com sent me I knew it was time to revisit this stellar cigar here on the blog.
The Tatuaje Reserva SW is part of the Selección de Cazador line of Tatuajes, which is also commonly referred to as the Brown Label or Tatuaje Cabinet, and even sometimes as Tatuaje Miami. The Reserva extension of this line is a collection of super premium cigars. It is available in three vitolas. The robusto sized 5×50 Reserva J21, the “A” sized 9.25×47 Reserva A Uno, and the Churchill sized 7×47 Reserva SW. The SW is a not so subtle reference to Sir Winston Churchill who was particularly fond of the vitola that now bears his name. Of course like all Tatuajes, the SW is made in the traditional Cuban style with a triple cap by the master blender and cigar maker Don Pepin Garcia. The Reserva takes it’s Cubanesque styling a step further with the “Reserva” name and the black and gold Reserva band that very closely resembles the “Reserva” band used by some Cuban brands’ super premium line extensions. Pete Johnson is a huge fan of Cuban cigars and the Cuban cigar industry so a lot of what Tatuaje does is fashioned after the Cuban brands. The Reserva Line of Tatuajes tend to be a milder blend then the rest of the Brown label line but I find that they tend to be a bit more complex as a result.
Before getting down to business, I took a moment to admire the leathery brown wrapper. It had a slight oily sheen and a few thin but prominent veins running across it, giving it a slightly rustic look. The triple cap on the head clipped perfectly with my trusty Palio. A pre-light puff reveals a perfect draw and delivers a hint of black pepper to the toungue. I used my brand new ST Dupont X-tend lighter to put the cigar to flame. The Reserva SW starts off like most Tatuajes with Pepin Garcia’s trademark peppery start. It only takes a few good draws for this one to settle down. Noticeably mellower than the standard Brown Label Tats, for most of the 1st half it is a very smooth and creamy smoke. It has a very woody core with undertones of coffee and cream. The creaminess of the smoke has an almost buttery feel to it. The smoke is thick and slow to dissipate. Once you pass the halfway mark, the cigar begins to pick up a bit. It gets a bit more robust but never threatens to become what you’d call full bodied. The flavors got more earthy and leathery, less creamy, and the finish seemed to hang on longer but it never lost its smoothness. As I tried to nub it down to my fingers there was a return of the black pepper I experienced at the start of the smoke. It was there for about the last smokable inch of the cigar and may be attributable to tar buildup near the head. Construction was impeccable and the burn perfect. The ash was firm but a bit papery on the edges.
The Reserva SW is far and away my favorite Churchill and when pushed to name a number one overall favorite cigar, this one still manages to grab that title for me. With only one anomalous exception among the many I’ve smoked, I have never been anything short of wowed by this cigar. It is 2 hours of pure smoking pleasure. It’s smoothness couple with its impressive complexity suits my palate to a “T”.
Get yours at CigarsDirect.com: Tatuaje Reserva SW
Rating – A+
Matt’s Top 5
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Cigar Reviews and CigarsDirect.com and Padilla and Pepin Garcia
Cigar Review, Cigars Direct, Cigars Online, CigarsDirect.com Matt
8:29 pm
Country: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Corojo
Filler: Nicaraguan
Size: Torpedo 6.5″ x 52 ring
The cigar I am reviewing today is yet another Patriarchal tribute (see my review of Perdomo’s Edición de Silvio). The Padilla Signature 1932 is Ernesto Padilla’s tribute to his late father, the Cuban poet Heberto Padilla. The Keepers of the Flame have a great profile of Heberto that is very interesting and worth the read. Be sure to go check it out. Just click Heberto’s name above. Ernesto trusted the making of this blend to none other than the greatest cigar maker of the current age, Don Jose “Pepin” Garcia. I received this beefy gem of a torpedo from my friends at CigarsDirect.com.
This cigar sports a dark brown, veiny corojo wrapper that has the look of leather. That combined with an ornate band with earth tones and gold trim gives this smoke a rustic yet very elegant look. The overall effect makes the cigar look vintage. Aesthetically it is an absolutely beautiful cigar. Its beauty doesn’t stop at its appearance. The flavors are beautiful as well. After a typical “Pepin Pepper” start the cigar makes a full on assault of your palate with robust flavors of leather and spice with a very earthy undertone. There is also a creaminess to the flavors that reminded me a bit of some of the Tatuaje Reserva cigars I’ve smoked, also made by Pepin Garcia. I smoked this cigar outside on a beautiful sunny day and I noticed something about this cigar that I didn’t see until I stepped out into the sunlight. When the sun hit the cigar it began to shimmer and sparkle. A closer look revealed a light dusting of crystals all over the wrapper. Plume! It served as a testament to me of the care that CigarsDirect.com takes in properly caring for and storing their cigars and to the quality of materials and construction that Padilla put into making it. It was a pleasant surprise. As I passed the halfway mark it mellowed out a little. It was very woodsy/cedary and not as full bodied as it was at the start, but still a full flavored robust smoke. The construction was superb and the burn was great. The only negative thing I can say about it is that you can’t put it down. I don’t mean that in the sense that “it’s so good I can’t put it down” although that statement would apply to this cigar. Rather I mean you can’t put it down because it will go out. I had to relight it a few times because it wouldn’t stay lit if I stopped smoking it. The ash was mostly white peppered with black spots and it was a little papery on the edges.
The Signature 1932 is an excellent smoke and a wonderful tribute to a great poet and father. I know Ernesto must be awfully proud of this cigar. I rate it as a must try for anyone who enjoys a robust, complex smoke.
Get yours at CigarsDirect.com: Padilla Signature 1932
Rating – A
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Cigar Reviews and Pepin Garcia and Tatuaje
Cigar Review, Nicaragua, Pete Johnson, Robusto, Tatuaje Matt
6:43 pm
Country: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Size: Robusto 5.0″x50 ring
I was going to smoke a Cuban this afternoon. I went into the winecoolerdor and pulled out the cedar tray I use to hold my Cuban singles and in there was a misfiled Tatuaje Havana VI Nobles. I thought it over for a second and I ended up grabbing the Tatuaje. Such is the nature of my sickness. The Nobles is even my least favorite vitola (not to suggest that I don’t like it) in the Havana VI line, but for some reason I felt almost compelled to smoke it. I’ve smoked a bunch of the Havana VI cigars but have never put together a review of any of them so I figured this would be a good one to write up.
The Havana VI line is supposedly made with the same tobacco as the regular Tatuaje line, but the blend is obviously different. These cigars tend to be more of a medium bodied smoke compared to the powerful full bodied regular Brown Label line. Another difference is that the Havana VI is rolled in Pepin Garcia’s Nicaraguan factory, Tabacalera Cubana, where the regular line is rolled in Miami in his El Rey de los Habanos factory. Having the Havana VI rolled in Nicaragua allows for greater production because the Nicaragua factory employs many more rollers and is capable of producing cigars at a much higher volume and at a lower cost. The Miami factory only employs about 12 rollers, all of them class 8 master rollers. The Havana VI, like the regular Tatuaje is named after one of Pete Johnson’s dogs. This line is named after his dog Havana and the first letter in the names of each of the vitolas can be used to spell out the dog’s name. Your can read more about this in my earlier post, Trivia: Tatuaje – La Seleccion de Cazador.
The Nobles is a good looking cigar with an oily, slightly veiny, chocolate brown wrapper. The pre-light aroma is a non-descprit tobacco aroma. My Palio made a perfect cut across an expertly applied triple cap. The initial draw delivered a predominatley woody/cedary flavor with a subtle floral undertone. The cigar felt solid and well packed and I found the draw to be spot on with just the right amount of resistance. It lit easily producing a lot of thick creamy smoke that had a subtle almost chocolate like aroma to it. Most notable was the lack of what has become a trademark of Pepin Garcia made cigars. The well know peppery start was not to be found here. It started off very smooth and almost mild. The smoke delivered a creamy, woody flavor which dominated the entire smoke and there was a distinct coffee bean flavor on the finish. I picked up the occasional faint note of cocoa but the flavors pretty much stayed consistent throughout. I have found the Nobles to be the most mild in the Havana VI line. Much more mild than the others like the Hermoso for example, which is my favorite size. The Nobles is also the most one dimensional size in the line lacking any real complexity, but the flavors it does deliver are very enjoyable. The burn was perfect and the ash was well formed and held firm, so from a construction stand point this cigar is excellent. Although this is by no means a bad cigar, it is actually quite good, it just doesn’t hold much for me and when I go for a Havana VI I will usually go for the Hermoso or Victorias as they have proven to be the most interesting and enjoyable sizes for me.
Rating – B
For other opinions on this cigar check out the links below.
The Keeper of the Flame – Havana VI Nobles
P.S. I promise my next review will not be a Tatuaje or Pepin cigar 
.
Like free cigars. Check out my contest. It ends on September 26th so hurry and get in on the fun. Click here: Win My Favorite Cigars!
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Cigar Reviews and Pepin Garcia and Tatuaje
Cigar Review, Nicaragua, Pete Johnson, Tatuaje Matt
11:03 pm
Country: USA
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Corojo
Filler: Nicaraguan
Size: “A” 9.25″x 47 ring
Well I decided to smoke another giant Tatuaje. I promise to smoke and review a cigar that isn’t a Tatuaje soon. I know I have been kind of a one trick pony lately with all these Tatuaje posts. I guess it is bordering on an unhealthy obsession. To follow up the RC233 I went with the slightly longer but much slimmer Reserva “A” Uno.
This long but slim cigar looked like it was going to take a long time to smoke and it did. Thankfully not nearly as long as a Tatuaje RC233 that I smoked recently. This one was about an hour and a half smoke. It’s a good looking cigar. A little bumpy and rustic looking but still a very good looking stick. I was a little careless pulling this from the humidor and to my horror I dropped the cigar. My heart sank as I picked it up and saw a break in the wrapper. But thankfully it turned out to be a fairly minor scar and it had zero effect on how the cigar smoked. You can kind of see the damage peeking out from the underside of the cigar in the picture.
It sports a triple cap like all of Pepins smokes and the head clipped nicely with my trusty Palio. The prelight draw was perfect and it gave an impression that I was about to smoke a powerful cigar. Well it was more of a medium bodied smoke. It lit nicely and the first 2 inches were dominated by that trademark Pepper that almost all of Pepin’s cigars seem to have. It is amazing the different flavor profiles he can create using just Nicaraguan tobacco and still he some home manges to have them all start out with that trade mark pepper. Once I got past the first two inches the cigar mellowed out considerably. It was a velvety smooth smoke. It was dominated with a creamy woody flavor with a slight hint of sweetness at times. As the smoke progressed I detected some caramel notes and some flashes of cedar. It picked up a little towards the end as it got a little peppery combined with a toasted tobacco flavor. Overall and very good and complex smoke. The burn was immaculate and the ash held firm but it was a little papery on the edges. A good smoke but not as robust as most of the Tatuaje line. Also a little pricey and a big commitment time wise. I enjoyed it and was glad I tried it but I won’t be reaching for this very often if at all. Mainly because of the size and also because some of the other vitolas in this line are bit fuller and are better smokes in my opinion. So I think the verdict on Giant Tatuajes is that they are good but not as stellar as some of the other vitolas. I only posted a review on the Regio and RC184 so far, but I would rate the Regio, RC184, Noella, Tanios, and the Havana Cazadores better than these giant vitolas. Of course I reviewed the Reserva SW as well, which if I had to pick a favorite, the Reserva SW would be it. Be sure to try the “A” Uno at least once though. It’s worth it.
Rating – B+
Want to try a Tatuaje? Check out my contest by clicking here and you might win yourself 3 stellar Tatuaje cigars.
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Cigar Reviews and Pepin Garcia and Sports and Tatuaje
Cigar Review, Nicaragua, Perfecto, Pete Johnson, Tatuaje Matt
12:11 pm
Country: USA
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Corojo
Filler: Nicaraguan
Size: Figuardo 9.125″x55 ring
So I’m probably building myself a bit of a reputation for being a Tatuaje “Homer” and I won’t deny it. They are fantastic cigars and even the cheapest of the line, the white banded P series is pretty darn good for a mixed filler yard ‘gar. Tatuajes have been dominating my smoking rotation as of late which is why they also have been dominating my recent reviews as well. So keeping with that theme here is yet another Tatuaje review. This time I put an RC233 to flame.
I spent the better part of Saturday reorganizing my new garage. I had two reasons for doing so. Number one, I needed to make room to move even more junk from storage to my garage, and number two it was time to get the man room setup. The garage is my room, the “man room” if you will. It is a great place of refuge from the chaos that goes on inside the house with a wife, two small children, a dog, and a bird. So I needed to clean up the garage and get my new (but old) 42 inch rear projection TV and sitting area setup in the garage. After all it was opening day of the college football season and if ever there was a deadline to have your man room ready, that would be the day. By the afternoon everything was set and I was chilling out watching football. Fast forward to the end of the greatest football game of all time as my alma mater, Appalachian State University (2-time defending 1-AA National Champions) put the beat-down on big bad Blue in the Big House!!!! I was jumping through the roof! I’m still riding that high today. I wanted to smoke the biggest darn stogie in my possession to celebrate. None bigger than the RC233.
So off to the humidor I go and I pull out the 9+ inch foil wrapped perfecto. This is a good looking beast of a cigar. The size of it is a little intimidating and I know I’m settling in for 2 two and half hours or more with this bad boy. I explained the name of the Tatuaje RC’s a bit in my post about the RC184, but for a quick recap, the RC stands for “Retro Cuban” and the 233 represents the cigars length in millimeters. The RCs are limited in production making them kind of tough to find so when you come across one grab it if you ever intend to try them. Given the heft of the RC184 I expected its bigger brother to feel even heavier in the hand but was surprised that it didn’t. It seemed a little light for its size to me. A google image search located this handy picture showing the two RC’s side by side.
The head clipped nicely with my Palio. Like most perfectos getting it lit was a bit tricky. You need to get the burn up past the taper at the foot before the draw opens up enough to keep from popping a blood vessel while taking a draw. Once I got it going the draw was good but a little on the light side. I don’t know what Pepin does to his cigars that gives almost every one of them that trademark pepper right at the start but it was present on this cigar as well. Once I got a little over an inch or so into it the cigar mellowed dramatically. This is the mildest Tatuaje I have smoked so far and I’ve smoked many of them. The flavors were predominately coffee and cedar. I kept hoping for more flavors to develop or for the cigar to change things up a bit, but alas it did not. I have to admit I was a little disappointed. The flavors were quite good on this medium bodied smoke, but the cigar was a bit one dimensional. That’s not good for a cigar that boasts such a long length. There was still almost four inches left on the cigar when I found myself losing interest in it. I had gotten all I was going to get out of it and there was still about 45 minutes of smoking left on it. I persevered through the rest of the smoke but began paying far more attention to the football game then I did the cigar. It was a good cigar with superb construction, a good even burn , and good(albeit one dimensional) flavors but far too long and far too expensive for the experience it delivers. This is the 1st time I’ve found myself disappointed with a Tatuaje. I was especially surprised by this since the RC184 was an absolutely stellar cigar. Maybe it was a fluke, maybe not. I have two more in the humi and I’ll give it another shot the next time I’m in the mood for a two and a half hour smoke.
Rating – B
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Cigar Reviews and Matt's Favs and Pepin Garcia and Tatuaje
Cigar Review, Nicaragua, Perfecto, Pete Johnson, Tatuaje Matt
9:59 pm
Country: USA
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Corojo
Filler: Nicaraguan
Size: Figuardo 7.25″x57 ring
Picked up a box of these recently. I posted pictures in a previous post. Tatuajes are hands down my favorite cigars so when I ran across these hard to find beauties I had to pull the trigger on them. The presentation on these is very cool. Pete Johnson loves cigars and has a lot of respect and love for the history of Cuban cigars, and as a tribute he designed the packaging and presentation of this cigar in a “Retro Cuban” style hearkening back to the old style foil-wrapped Cuban perfecto cigars. In fact the RC in the name stands for Retro Cuban. The 184 is the cigars length in millimeters.
The aroma of these cigars is just amazing. I find it hard to describe but it is the richest most decadent aroma I have ever smelled from a cigar. This hefty monster has some weight to it and it feels good in your hand. It’s packed full of tobacco, firm with no soft spots. It lit easily which was surprising to me. I usually find perfectos a bit tough to get going. It started off surprisingly mellow lacking the trade mark pepper that is so common in cigars made by Pepin Garcia. The flavors of this complex cigar are rich and pronounced. It started off with lots of spice and leather. Once the draw opened up a bit the cigar picked up and it developed earthy notes with cocoa and nuts. The draw was perfect and I was surprised again, this time by the burn. It managed to stay straight better than most other perfectos I’ve smoked. The ash was firm and held on forever. As I neared the end of this two plus hour smoke it picked up in intensity and got a little peppery and leathery. The flavors were bold and full but it didn’t have the same punch, or buzz factor that a lot of the other Tatuajes have. That isn’t a bad thing seeing how large the cigar is. If it was as strong as a Cojonu or a Noella it would be hard to finish it I think. The RC184 has earned itself a spot very near the top of my list of all time favorites. It’s complex, delicious and a joy to smoke.
Rating – A+
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Cigar Reviews and Pepin Garcia
Matt
9:34 pm
Country: USA
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Corojo
Filler: Nicaraguan
Size: Robusto 5.0″x50 ring
I don’t think Pepin Garcia knows how to make a bad cigar. The Blue label sports a triple cap with a choclately brown wrapper. The cigar is very cubanesque in appearance with a puckered vein down one side. The draw was a little loose. It starts out with Pepin’s trade mark pepper but it mellowed out a little after the first inch. It’s a very robust cigar, medium to full bodied. It falls somewhere between the Black and White labels in terms of strength, the Black being stronger and more full bodied. It was very woody with floral notes and the flavors stay very consistent. It wasn’t very complex but the flavors were very good. It had a strong tobacco finish which gave the cigar a very rustic feel. The burn was the straightest I’ve ever had from Pepin cigar (not counting the Tatuaje Brown labels). The ash was salt and pepper which also seems to be a trademark of his cigars and it held firm. If you like a good robust smoke, give this one a try.
Rating – B
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Cigar Reviews and Matt's Favs and Pepin Garcia and Tatuaje
Churchill, Cigar Review, Nicaragua, Pete Johnson, Tatuaje Matt
7:00 pm
Country: USA
Wrapper: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Size: Churchill 7.0″x47 ring
Tatuaje has become my favorite marca hands down and this cigar only reinforced that opinion. It is big stick with an oily, leathery, brown wrapper. There were small veins throughout and it was a little bumpy giving it a slightly rustic look. It had an expertly applied triple cap that clipped perfectly. It was well filled with no sign of any rib veins in the filler at the head or foot. The pre-light draw was firm with just the right amount of resistance. Very peppery at the start, it mellowed quickly to a nice woody core and vanilla notes with a nice earthy finish. I’d describe it as medium to full bodied, not as robust as the Regio or Noella. Half way through the vanilla disappeared and it got buttery/creamy with cocoa notes. The last third was the smoothest dominated by wood and leather. A fantastic and complex smoke start to finish. If it wasn’t for the price I could smoke this every day.
The burn was nice and even. The only thing I can say bad about this cigar is the ash. It was flaky and didn’t hold as well as I have come accustom to with other Tatuajes.
Rating – A+
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