Tatuaje The Face Cigar Review
Today we have a special guest review from TriMarkC. Thanks buddy!
CIGAR STATS
Size: 6 3/8″ x 56
Wrapper: San Andreas Mexican Maduro Wrapper (Seco priming)
Filler: Nicaraguan Long Fillers
Binder: Nicaraguan
Strength: Medium-to-Full Body
Price: Dress Box of 13, $169.00 (only 666 of these boxes produced!)
Plain Box of 10, $130.00 or about $13 each … if you can find them! (only 1300 boxes)
I have to admit, I’ve been very excited to try Tatuaje’s The Face after first learning about it. This is the third cigar in Pete Johnson’s special release series each Halloween to memorialize famous horror movie characters; The Face celebrates LeatherFace, the main character in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Since I haven’t been able to find any of his prior Horror series cigars I organized a group buy with several fellow BOTLs from CigarWorld.com to increase our chances this year. Luckily, we were able to acquire two boxes, which we shared together in a virtual herf; I’ve included their thoughts on The Face in this review, as well.
For this review, I smoked two Tatuaje’s The Face. Due to the reported strength of these cigars, I enjoyed both of these after a large meal. The first was 4-6 hours after a very large meal – Thanksgiving dinner, to be specific – and paired it with a light ale beer. The second was paired with a smoky sherry following another hearty meal after Christmas.
Pre-light:
When you first look at this cigar, you can immediately see Pete’s intent to mimic LeatherFace’s memorable look. It looks “rough” and leathery, and in fact, the well-known band is specifically designed to look like leather overlaid onto this cigar. The band is a rough-torn piece of light-brown Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper, on top of the cigar’s darker brown Mexican maduro-like wrapper. Further, the primary wrapper has a toothy appearance, with the foot uncut and roughly wrapped. The head is also unique, with a slightly pointy double cap. The Face is solidly packed and has a hefty weight to it with no soft spots.
Its aroma is slightly musty, with a strong barnyard smell and slight hints of woody oak or cedar and cocoa. The wrapped foot is more of the same.
The pointy cap snips cleanly, and the pre-light draw is slightly tight but adequately open that I don’t anticipate a problem. Finally, the taste is of barnyard and tobacco.
Burn:
The burn on both of my cigars was perfect, although one cigar developed a soft spot which turned into a hot spot right after and next to the lit head. Of course, as the cigar progressed, that problem was eliminated. However, two individuals in our virtual herf had problems where the wrapper split or fell apart. “The wrapper did tend to unravel at the face, but wasn’t too much of a problem.” (ChatlieBob) “(The) one I smoked did not seem dry in anyway, but the wrapper came apart before I even got 1/3 of the way through it. It seemed to unwrap with the heat. It was just strange to be enjoying something so much that looked so cheap as it fell apart.” (TailFeathers)
Flavor:
It took a bit to get The Face lit, likely due to the loosely wrapped tobacco at the foot. Right away, on the second or third draw I got a ton of spice on my lips and throat, and a touch of vanilla. As the cigar progressed, the volume of smoke increased, as well, until near the very end, when it had almost no smoke.
As I progressed into the first third, that barnyard aroma at the prelight has gotten a bit stronger, with some sweetness and woodiness, while the spice has muted to the background to produce a smooth, delicious flavor. For me, this reminds me of a smoky scotch whiskey, which paired incredibly well with the sherry I had with one of my cigars. The ash is solid, but falls off flakey at ¾” – 1” each time, and the strength is a very nice mild-to-medium.
In the second third, the wood flavor has progressed into a smoky oak, and an earthy flavor and aroma has come to the forefront. The spice picked up again, and there is this occasional fruity flavor that teases you now and then. And while the strength has increased to a medium-to-full, I’m still thoroughly enjoying this cigar.
And that’s when The Face hits you in the face! Outta nowhere, in the final third, the strength suddenly and dramatically picked up, and to be honest, it overwhelmed me. The first cigar I had, I had to put it down at this point to recover, it was so strong. The second cigar I had, I was able to finish, likely because I knew what to expect. And the strength just kept ratcheting up as I finished through that final third, until at the end the wonderful flavors and aromas that I enjoyed earlier was lost and all I experienced was the pure strength of The Face. Again, this cigar has reminded me of who it has been designed to mimic. More experienced cigar smokers in our virtual herf felt that this cigar was a smooth full-bodied cigar, but were not overwhelmed as I was. But as Rookie57 put it, “It’s no rookie’s smoke!”
Overall:
Overall, all of us really enjoyed this cigar! I loved the flavors and aromas of The Face, and once I learned to watch for its stunning finish, I was able to enjoy the whole cigar’s experience.
“I thought it was an excellent smoke. Full-bodied but smooth the whole way through. Very earthy and a small amount of pepper and spice in the final third. I loved it.” (IronMikeCW)
“It was very good!” (ChatlieBob)
“THE FACE was a wonderful smoke. (It was) very smooth all the way through, lots of earth, some spice, but not overwhelming. I found that it had a hint of coco, and I really like the construction. I really can’t wait to smoke another one and see what happens.” (TailFeathers)
Diesel Unholy Cocktail Guest Cigar Review
From my cigar buddy TriMarkC comes this great review of the Diesel Unholy Cocktail.
Diesel Unholy Cocktail, made by A.J. Fernandez
Size: 5×56, Belicoso torpedo
Wrapper: USA/Pennsylvania Broadleaf
Filler: Nicaraguan Long Fillers from Jalapa, Condega and Esteli region
Binder: Nicaraguan
Strength: Medium-to-Full Body
Price: Box of 30, $100 ($3.33/stick) or about $6 each in local B&Ms
The Diesel Unholy Cocktail is a cigar made by AJ Fernandez which was released mid-to-late in 2009. Since I had heard that these were full-bodied (read: full strength) cigars, and I tend to like mild-to-medium strengthened cigars, I’ve been a little hesitant to smoke one for fear of getting blown out of the sky. So I’ve had one sitting in my humidor for most of a year, until, as my friend “IronMikeCW” from @CigarWorldcom who gifted it to me, “my cigar palate grows some chest hairs”. Well, its time!
For this review, I smoked two Diesel Unholy Cocktails in one weekend, which only come in one size – a big, beefy belicoso torpedo that’s 5” by 56 ring gauge. The first had been resting for nearly a year, and the second was purchased about a month ago. I paired my first cigar with a great cup of good strong coffee, and the second cigar was matched to a Samuel Adams Harvest Pumpkin Ale beer. I’m a big fan of pairing cigars with whatever you feel like drinking … I’m not a snob about the pairing, since I find it much more enjoyable when your palate tells you what you’re in the mood for.
Pre-light:
Let me say right off the bat that I love the look of the Diesel Unholy Cocktail’s band! It has a single band, at the foot, that has an antique look to it, with a medium brown old English-style text spelling out “Diesel” against a light tan background and some gold script crosses. With that band drawing your initial attention, and getting your mind thinking “old world,” I felt that the cigar itself looked rustic but elegant. It has a very dark wrapper, dark brown like dark chocolate, with a few veins visible but still smooth to the touch. Holding the cigar while inspecting it, it has heft. Its already a big cigar, but it feels densely packed – there were no soft spots at all, not even at the foot. There were no tears, holes or other irregularities to mar its appearance, even when I slid the band off the end. The cap is well wrapped, with no pinching or unusual overlapping.
As for the aroma, it was spicy and earthy, with a touch of cocoa. The foot had more of those, but also with green fields, and a strong caramel smell that wasn’t sweet. I also picked up a slight fruity aroma that I couldn’t place.
For torpedoes I tend to snip the end twice using my favorite double-guillotine cutter, since it has a backstop to prevent over-cutting. The pre-light had a perfect draw, with a spice and caramel flavor present, too.
First Third:
After lighting the Diesel Unholy Cocktail, I was immediately hit hard and fast with spice!! I mean everywhere – my lips, my tongue, the back of my throat and on the retrohale into my sinuses! Its not unpleasant at all, but you know its there, let me tell you! That spiciness calms down a bit, or perhaps I got used to it somewhat, after about 5 minutes. Then, the smoke fills your mouth with that caramel flavor – again, its not sweet, its just a nice pleasant flavor. I also picked up some coffee flavors.
As I continued on through the first third, that spiciness continued in the background, mellowed and not so in your face. That unusual fruity flavor is gone, but now I swear I was picking up a “beefy” flavor – just barely teasing me as it came and went. Still got the flavor of coffee too, sometimes sweet coffee, sometimes black coffee – very interesting! I could feel the strength of this cigar building as I worked into it; I’d say it starts out as a medium-bodied cigar and builds from there. The burn was a little wavy on both cigars but nothing that ever required a relight, and the ash was solid with black and white bands. In fact, the ash stayed on very solid, a testament to the construction of this cigar!
Second Third:
The Diesel Unholy Cocktail’s second third changed things up, and not always in a good way for me. There was still the spiciness that varied up and down as I progressed, and was most noticeable on the back of my throat. The caramel flavor picked up, adding in just a touch of some sweetness now. And the coffee flavor occasionally, too. But there was this off-putting flavor in one cigar that I haven’t been able to place, kinda like the smell of rubber cement, which startled me enough that I checked to see if perhaps I had laid the burning foot on something unexpected somehow. It would go away, and then shock me again. I eventually knocked the lit cherry off and touched up the light, which worked to eliminate that problem. But, on the other cigar, not only didn’t I have that strange problem, but my ash stayed on well past the half-way point (see picture)! The strength of still building, and it is now medium-to-full, but is still not a killer, even for me (remember, I tend to smoke mild-to-medium bodied cigars).
Final Third:
In the final third, the Diesel Unholy Cocktail’s strength is still increasing, and I can really feel it in my sinuses. Not enough for me to feel dizzy, but I know its there. Strangely, unlike any other cigar I’ve ever had, the draw got a little tighter in this last third; normally, I’ve experienced cigars’ draw opening up at the end. The burn has remained slightly wavy throughout this entire cigar, but has not caused any problems. The spiciness has been replaced with the cocoa I picked up in the very beginning, with some vanilla, and the caramel flavor that has been throughout. As I nubbed this cigar down to its last, it was that caramel flavor that I most enjoyed and remember.
Overall:
Overall, I not only liked this cigar – a lot – but I also felt that it wasn’t as strong as I had expected it to be. Perhaps I had listened too much to the hype, or perhaps my palate has matured since its release. Either way, I found that I really enjoyed the flavor changeups that Mr.Fernandez has created in his Diesel Unholy Cocktail. Like the Joya de Nicaragua Celebraciòn, another Nicaraguan puro, this cigar was spicy and full-bodied. BUT, knowing that, even a newer cigar smoke can still enjoy these stronger cigars by slowing down! I found that when I’m worried about the strength of a cigar, I slow down, which allows me to really pay attention to and enjoy the flavors more, too!
In summary, I will be looking to add more of these cigars to my humidors and to my rotation. With its great flavors and complexity, a solid feel and heft that makes you feel like you’re smoking a real cigar, and a fantastic box price (come on! 30 cigars for under $100!!), this cigar is worth buying a box or two.
91 points
Cu-Avana Short Cigar Review
Pre-Smoke
This cigar comes with a maduro or a Dominican grown, Connecticut seed wrapper. The one that I am smoking is the latter. It looks good, doesn’t have any significant imperfections and is somewhat oily. This Cu-Avana feels a little soft to the touch. I am smoking the Toro (6″x50) vitola that retails for less than $3.00 for this review.
Smoke
Oak, some spice and a lot of burnt tobacco flavors. It is a mild cigar with a good draw and an even burn. Vanilla and some sweetness are also present.
The flavors are not very strong nor are they complex. There are more negatives with this cigar than there are positives.
After-Smoke
It is just a boring cigar; mild and flavorless. Well, not completely flavorless. Beyond the slight spice, the faint vanilla, awful burnt tobacco and sweetness there is this grotesque aftertaste that comes on near the end. At first I wasn’t able to pinpoint at first. And then memories of childhood illnesses came flashing back once I realized that the flavor that I hated was exactly like taking some liquid antibiotic.
In a couple of hours I am going to post a review of the Alec Bradley Medalist, which, if you buy ten or more, will cost you only slightly more than this cigar. Plus, it’s better.
1 point
Carlos Toraño Exodus 1959 Cigar Review
If you don’t understand the significance of 1959 to cigar makers then read this from the Toraño website: “The Exodus 1959 commemorates the Exodus of expert Cuban cigar families and their impact on the cigar industry after the nationalization of all tobacco farms and cigar factories by the Cuban government in 1959. The Toraños were one of those families.” One last thing before I get into my review – this cigar was a Top 5 cigar for Cigar Aficionado in 2006.
The Exodus is a good looking cigar that has a slight box press and is coated with a good helping of oils. Even though it is not completely devoid of imperfections it’s look is well above average. It is nicely and evenly packed. I am smoking the Exodus Gold Double Corona for this review.
Oh, and before I start smoking this cigar, I need to thank my Twitter buddy, SentinelX, for suggesting this cigar. I think he saw that I didn’t like the Toraño Virtuoso and wanted to make sure I smoked a good one next. Thanks!
Cigar Stats
Double Corona
Length: 7″
Ring Gauge: 50
Wrapper: Nicaragua
Binder: Honduras
Filler: Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua
Price: around $7.25
Scotch Fire!
My first impression of this cigar is that it is analogous to the Carlos Toraño 1916 Cameroon with a couple important distinctions. Vanilla is apparent but it is definitely a supporting player to spice and leather. The vanilla is reminiscent of vanilla wafers and the spice and leather, while they are the main flavors, are muted.
The draw is great and the burn is fairly even. It is a medium bodied cigar. After the halfway point the vanilla flavor almost completely disappear. The spice and leather flavors do become more lively, which is welcomed. An oak flavor also starts coming through after the halfway point.
It is a relatively smooth cigar with good flavors. Over the first half of the cigar the flavors were just there, sitting around. Then after the halfway point they have revved up. Leather has mostly disappeared with the spice, which is deep and soulful, has mostly taken over. The oak is mostly an accent flavor.
91 points
Carlos Toraño 1916 Cameroon Cigar Review
From the Toraño website:
The 1916 Cameroon commemorates the beginning of a legacy with the year of Don Santiago Toraño’s emigration from Spain to Cuba. A slow burning, well balanced cigar, the 1916 is a medium-bodied blend with distinctive hints of pepper, caramel, nuts, and sweet spice. The premium Cameroon wrapper makes for a long and smooth finish which completes this irresistible smoke.
The wrapper is very toothy (lots of little bumps) so that means it is also very oily. It is somewhat veiny and a little misshapen nearer the foot. Tobacco packed well.
I had one of these a couple of weeks ago at a cigar event and it seemed like a great cigar. But, to be honest, I started smoking it after quite a bit of tequila so this could really be a horrible cigar. Something tells me it is anything but horrible though. I hope.
Cigar Stats
Churchill
Length: 7″
Ring Gauge: 48
Wrapper: Cameroon
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua and Honduras
Price: around $7.00
Tequila Torch!
Extremely creamy smoke. The main flavor is a sweet vanilla that is very rich. Almost tastes like cake batter.
After a while an unexpected flavor comes in: alcohol. I don’t know how to explain it; I am not drinking any alcohol with this cigar. Sort of like that sweet taste you get from a high proof bourbon. And let me be clear, when I say this cigar is sweet I do not mean the kind of sweetness you expect from a pixie stick. It’s an adult sweetness that, upon reflection, was a perfect match for the tequila we had a couple of weeks ago.
Past the halfway point and the vanilla flavor moderates and a couple new flavors enter the mix. Spice is evident in the aftertaste and gets stronger the longer I smoke this cigar.
What I really like about this cigar is that the flavors are alive and they linger. It’s not streaky and the flavors never fade. The flavors evolve from the sweet vanilla to a more spicy flavor profile.
Actually, some black cherry flavors are beginning to check in near the end of the cigar. It is a medium bodied cigar that has a good draw and burn.
90 points
