The Tatuaje Cojonu line is a line of cigars that is only released once every three years and only in one size. This is the third release of this line, which includes the Gran Cojonu (2000), the Cohonu 2003, and the current 2006 Cojonu, a 5 1/2 x 52 Torpedo.

The nose on the wrapper leaf is much muted when compared with the earlier cigars of this batch. The oils have obviously been migrating toward the surface of the cigar and much of the oleoresins have dried and evaporated. While this does nothing to enhance the nose, which still carries a feint barnyard aroma, it shows the cigar has been aging and I am hoping it has transferred some advantages to the quality of the smoke.

This is a dark and oily cigar with a course wrapper feel. There is a slight mottling to the wrapper and the veins are tiny and disparate in placement. The barrel is slightly soft.

I clip a small portion of the head and proceed to light this stogie. The first few puffs of this cigar are always outstanding. There is a rush of spice and wood flavors with an underlying sweetness. However, the burn on this cigar gets blistery and uneven early on. The draw also become hollow and tells me there is likely to be a tunnel.

As the cigar starts to Canoe, I slow my rate of puffing and try to keep the ash on to even out the burn of the filler tobacco. The burn starts to straighten itself at about the 1/3 mark and I tap the ash into my tray. Beneath the medium-gray ash I spy a fairly large tunnel, which has been causing my burn problems. Though I have had some minor burn problems with other cigars in this batch, this is probably the worst example thus far.

Meanwhile, the flavors are faring much better. I experience full flavored tobacco and an intense bittersweetness. As I get past the 1/3 mark, the body is already medium-full and this tells me that the cigar still has plenty of horsepower for future aging potential.

By the halfway mark this cigar is strutting its strength. Its full flavors linger long on my palate and layer my tongue with rich and lasting pleasure.

The downside to this smoke has been its burn, which has been inconsistent and uneven throughout. I have smoked a total of 7 cigars from this batch and would have to say that the burn issue has been present in far too many. This is a problem that I think will need to be addressed by the company.

This is a cigar that I would recommend for those who like full-flavored, full-bodied cigars. It has plenty of horsepower and should age successfully at least up to 5 years and maybe beyond.

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

~Doc