One of my favorite pastimes is going to my humidors and selecting a smoke. If, as in the case of this Tatuaje Únicos, the cigar in question is in its original box, I have the delight of finding said box. This one was down on the bottom shelf of my Aristocrat. But the best part is actually opening the box and jamming my nose inside and taking a long whiff. Ahhhhh. This was great. Fourteen months ago, I could still smell the remnants of ammonia, letting me know that there was still some residue from fermentation going on. But on this day, it was perfect, with intoxicating aromas of tobacco and roasted nuts, and a bit of hay and barnyard.

With that pleasurable task out of the way, I move quickly through the pre-light and light. I’ve been here before with this smoke and know what to expect. This is my fourth review of the cigars in this batch.

I have this cigar after a nice steak dinner and with a glass of Bulleit bourbon at the ready.

The light was uneventful and I am quickly enjoying this smoke. The draw seemed quite loose and this affected the burn somewhat as I had to speed up the rate of puffing to keep it lit. On the other hand, the loose wrap produced plenty of rich smoke, which hung heavily in the air. The draw was easy and smooth; this is a very easy cigar to smoke.

This specimen is very smooth, much smoother than in previous reviews. It still has plenty of punch, but it’s a more approachable smoke with much less of that in-your-face power and much more balance.

The burn line is a little ragged but it doesn’t otherwise affect the draw or flavors. The ash, which is dark gray, is flaky and I drop it in my ashtray in regular intervals.

The second half of this cigar exhibits rich tobacco flavor with some intense sweetness; the flavor and body are full. Tobacco and coffee flavors are predominant. I especially recommend it for those who like a full cigar. This cigar has great aging potential and should age successfully for years. This is one of my favorites in the Tatuaje brand.

AGING POTENTIAL SCORE: B = this cigar should age well over the first 5 years and is likely to develop further complexity and nuances

~Doc