Tatuaje Fausto Cigar Review
When I first heard about this cigar I was psyched because I never got to try the Tatuaje T110, which the Tatuaje Fausto is based off of. Or maybe it’s not the exact same blend, I’m not sure. But that doesn’t matter. What does matter is that if you like strength in your cigars then this cigar is something that you have to try.
But what about that name? Evidently, it means “fortunate” or “good luck” and is used as a name for males. Alright, that’s somewhat interesting and makes sense as a name for a cigar. But then I thought back to my childhood education and a dog named Wishbone. Faust was the character, played by a wonderfully gifted Jack Russel Terrier with more acting chops than most actors today, who even though he was brilliant and had lots of good things in life was still not content with his lot in life and made a deal with the Devil. In exchange for his soul the Devil was suppose to give him whatever he wanted in life.
The version that the Wishbone producers deemed suitable for us children to see has the girl whom Faust corrupted in his 24 year long hedonistic streak winning Faust’s soul over to the side of the Angels and saving the man, who destroyed her life, from eternal damnation. Touching, for sure. But as is the case with many stories that get revised (can’t you imagine the story of the Three Little Pigs being butchered so horribly that the ending is changed so that the pigs and the Big Bad Wolf go into the construction business together?) it gets revised in such a way that there’s a happy ending. The original Faust stories have that bastard Fausto serving out eternity as the Devil’s servant.
I think it was the original story that this cigar is suppose to represent. Without giving too much of my review away this cigar is very full bodied and makes you wonder if you had asked for too much of a good thing with it. Shouldn’t it be enough to smoke a cigar that just tastes amazing? Why do we have to always yearn for something more? Because, as was the case with the sinful yearnings of Faust, it’s better to walk on the dark side than to be dissatisfied with our current lots, even if they are enviable.
Honestly, I’m not sure that any of that prelude to a review matters but it makes the cigar more interesting… to me at least. By itself, this cigar looks very well made with its dark brown wrapper that has a dull, oily sheen that makes you think this cigar might actually play nice. The wrapper is rather veiny but none of the veins are very pronounced. Evenly packed the cigar gives a little to the touch. Beyond all the other characteristics of this cigar the first thing you will notice is that it smells aggressive. Fiery tobacco smells make a preemptive assault in your nose before you even get the chance to cut the cigar. It’s an experience, that’s for sure.
Cigar Stats
Length: 5 ½″
Ring Gauge: 52
Wrapper: Habano Ecuador
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Price:$185.00/Box of 25 | $39.00/Pack of 5
Mephistopheles takes you to the Flames!
When I first smoked some of these cigars I liked them but I wasn’t overly impressed with them. They were impressive, for sure but as some time passed they got better. The one that I am smoking now has been resting in my humidor for five or six months now. It’s well worth the wait.
The flavors are just so strong and evocative. This is like the Booker’s of the cigar world: wildly strong but with flavor. There’s spice and wheat and oak. But it’s hard to get past the fire hose intensity of this cigar. Part of me absolutely loves this cigar right now. Another part of me realizes that this cigar is meant for a very specific niche of the cigar smoking market.
During the second half this cherry flavor starts to come through on occasion. Burnt cashew is another flavor I am able to pick up. Mainly, the flavors still revolve around those flavors I mentioned during the first third except for the spice, it has slacked off.
What I like the most about this cigar is that the flavors are dry and alive. In the final third bread comes through. It’s a nice way to end the cigar actually. While it is still a legitimately full bodied cigar the flavors have been complex and there has been a good deal of evolution in the flavor profile as well. Even if the flavors had remained constant from the first third to its conclusion this would have been a great cigar. With all the changes in the flavors and the fact that it had a decent burn, requiring only a couple of minor touch ups, and an excellent draw this cigar is a keeper.
93 points
Felipe Gregorio W20 Short Cigar Review
I received this cigar from the maker many months ago so it has the benefit of some rest time in the humidor. Let me see, besides that little tidbit I can’t find much on this cigar save for that the wrapper is Marron Havano 2000, if you know what that means please leave a comment telling the rest of us. Take a look on their page to see all the info on this cigar.
It’s a good enough looking cigar. Tightly packed throughout with some minor tears here and there. One medium sized vein runs from foot to cap and there is a rather largish 1.5″ length of vein stretching down from the foot. Well, lets see how this 5″ x 55 cigar tastes.
Tiki Bar Flame!
My first impression is that the flavors are going to revolve around sweet spice, which is fine with me. It’s a pretty enjoyable flavor with all things considered. Not much else going on early on.
The second third is much the same. The sweet spice is still going strong and it is somewhat better than it was earlier on. In addition to the spice there is some dry woodiness and, actually, the best way to describe this cigar thus far is dry. The flavor profile is completely dry with some above average flavors. Cigars like this do have their benefits.
Entering the final third and I do notice some changes like the floral flavor that has crept in and mostly replaced the spice. There are moments of harshness as well but they are minor.
This isn’t a force of a cigar. Medium-full bodied with a good draw and a decent burn. Overall, this is a slightly above average cigar and would probably be liked by people who like spice.
3.5 points
Perdomo Habano Corojo Cigar Review
A rather thickish-looking robusto, this cigar has no visible malformations. Of course, like nearly all cigars, it has the stray bump but even those seem to be less bumpy than the average cigar’s bumps. Plus it is oily and nicely packed.
Cigar Stats
Length: 5″
Ring Gauge: 50
Wrapper: Nicaragua
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Price: $90.00/Box of 20
Gaiman Flame!
After getting it lit, which took longer than usual, I am welcomed with a bouquet of goodness. There’s a little bit of a zing followed by a floral sweetness, a bit of a cookie dough flavor, a touch of citrus and some barnyard for good measure. This is definitely a unique mix of flavors and, even though this cigar is in its infancy, it is shaping up to be a good cigar.
Now that I am a little more than an inch into this cigar I can still say that I like it. Citrus is playing the lead right now, which, while interesting, is a little odd. It’s not like the citrus flavor is bad but, well, it’s just unexpected. On the other side of the coin is a dash of spice; thankfully. That barnyard flavor, more like hay, is still present. That cookie dough flavor is not.
After the halfway point this cigar becomes a little bland. Citrus is gone and in its place is a full-throated hay flavor, which is boring. I had higher hopes at the beginning of this cigar but all my hopes seem to have gone down the drain after the halfway point.
It’s a medium bodied cigar with a good draw and a good enough burn (a couple of touchups were necessary during the middle third).
Three quarters of the way through and it does improve a little bit. A doughy flavor starts to come through and the hay takes on a burnt quality. Additionally, a nutty flavor has also entered the mix.
Alright, it is a fine cigar but it’s just nothing special. Like most other Perdomos it falls into that solid category.
88 points
San Lotano Maduro Cigar Review
I like the look and smell of this cigar. It’s dark brown, almost black, and the tobacco gives a distinctive barnyard aroma to it. There is some spice in the smell as well, gives it a bit of zest.
The San Lotano Maduro is a box pressed beauty. From what I can see there is nothing more than a pittance of a flaw on the wrapper and that “flaw” is just a minor stretch mark about 1.5″ down from the foot. When you feel the wrapper it’s extremely oily and very smooth.
Here is what the cigar maker has to say about the meaning of this cigar:
San Lotano meaning “from San Lius” refers to Pinar del Rio´s most famous city and the birthplace of A.J. Fernandez. The San Lotano brand originated in pre-Castro Cuba under the direction of A.J.´s grandfather. Today the tradition continues in Nicaragua where San Lotano is made with the choisest, aged Cuban seed tobaccos all fermented using the secret Fernandez family process, wich has been passed on for over three generations. Let San Lotano gives you a glimpse into what real cigar making is all about, a atradition you can taste.
Now let’s smoke this baby!
Cigar Stats
Length: 6″
Ring Gauge: 52
Wrapper: Mexican Maduro
Binder: Dual – Honduran & Dominican
Filler: Honduras & Nicaragua
Price: ~$7.00/Single
Movie Maker Flame!
This is another one of my cigars that have been resting in my humidor for a while now; this one at least seven or eight months. While the extra time maturing in my humidor has helped this cigar I don’t think it has made a tremendous difference – maybe more time would. But that doesn’t mean this is a bad cigar, not at all.
Creamy is the best way to describe the smoke’s texture. Smoke just goes everywhere and the flavors stay much longer than the flavors from most other cigars. Earth, mint, hay are chased by a small but lingering bit of strong spice. Interesting and complex at the beginning of a cigar usually portends good things for the rest of the cigar.
Some changes do happen during the second third. Sweetness begins to take over a little bit more, it kind of reminds me of caramel. Hay is still there and so is that spice on the end. Altogether, it’s still a pretty good cigar.
During the final third the sweetness basically vanishes and in its place is earth and some hay. The spice has also nearly vanished, but not completely.
Overall, it is a pretty complex cigars with some very enjoyable flavors. The draw is good but the burn does require some maintenance. This is a medium bodied cigar. My main problem with this cigar is that the flavors, while good, just are not what I am looking for in a cigar. I would have liked the spice to be a more central component to the flavor profile and less hay.
88 points
Cuban Stock Extra Cigar Review
What the extra stands for… I know it stands for something but I forget. Early onset senility, I suppose.
Oh well, on the bright side it is a good looking cigar. Well crafted with a couple of small indentations along one of the veins. Oily. There is a bit of tobacco coming off the apex of the cap but, since I’m going to be shortly cutting it off anyways, I won’t hold it against this cigar. This is the torpedo vitola for this cigar.
By the way, I got this cigar as a sample from Cuban Stock. I appreciate it guys but if the cigar is a stinker I’m going to have to tell the truth. And here is what they have to say about this cigar:
The Cuban Stock Extra is made from pure Dominican grown tobacco. The filler, binder and wrapper are all specially fermented in the Dominican tobacco fields for phenomenal flavor. The tobacco is aged for many years in oak wine barrels. They rival any Cuban cigar out there! A delicious blend, full and spicy, the wrapper is mocha colored with an oily finish. You have to taste it to believe it.
Cigar Stats
Length: 6 ¼″
Ring Gauge: 52
Wrapper: Dominican Republic
Binder: Dominican Republic
Filler: Dominican Republic
Price: $27.00/5 Pack
CigarCyclopedia Flame!
It starts out with a fairly aggressive spice (could that be why they tagged it with the “Extra” moniker?) and a subtle grassiness. Shortly thereafter, the spice takes over.
Savor this cigar. This is the third one of these that I have had and the first two were merely very good; probably because of the fact that I smoked them too quickly. It’s not like I was sucking on them nonstop but it was a healthy clip nonetheless.
[For all reviews and for the vast majority of the time that I smoke I take my time with a cigar. Those two times of fevered puffing were a result of extenuating circumstances that required a quicker pace. If you are going to spend money on something you should take the time to savor it, I didn't.]
After nearly an inch the flavor profile has added on a touch of sweetness and leather. The spice is still, thankfully, in charge.
It is a full bodied cigar with a full boat of flavors. Good draw and burn. This Cuban Stock Extra has a little kick to it that fits what I look for in a cigar nearly perfectly.
The flavors stay fairly consistent after the first inch. The burn goes a little awry after the halfway point, requiring a few minor touchups the rest of the way. But I still really love this cigar.
92 points
