Tatuaje Limited Series Avion 12 (Prerelease)

[LostAbbott]

Let me just start by saying that this is a stunning stick, it looks like a box pressed WOAM and for me that is just about the perfect cigar. The wrapper is dark and even (connie broadleaf?, no Ecuadorian Habano), very nice wrap at both the foot and head and just really stunning. At 5 5/8 inches long with a 48 – 52 rg it is a really nice size fits easy in the mouth and hand.



I received this stick on a bomb from a BOTL on another forum, it was his only stick and he received it is a sampler from Holt’s. Really great gesture, thanks brother!

I decided to get the dog out for a walk with this stick as I feel I can get some really good focus on the stick this way. The dog cruises off leash and at 6 years old (with lots of training) pretty much walks himself.

The cut is clean and easy, clean smooth dark chocolate draw, going to light it my damn lighter runs out of fuel and I have to head half a block back to the house and grab another. So I am not sure if it was my lighter issues or not but this stick was not easy to get going; only once past the foot did I get the stick really lit. Strangely the wrapper is really sticky on my mouth almost like there is a lot of oil on the leaf or something…



Flavor starts out with bitter dark chocolate with a little dull leather and then every other pull or so kicks in with some heavy pepper and leather. Once things settle down into the first third I find bitter orange to take over and kick out the other flavors all together, very damn close to a Party Series D. #4 sans the depth.

Unfortunately this is where this start to go wrong, after the first third the stick starts to kick out a lot of tar, so much so that I wiped the stick three times on plant leaves I was passing then it nearly blocked the draw completely so I had to cut the head a little more, I only got two good pulls out of the stick before it started to tar again, wipe, cut, tar. I ended up cutting twice and wiping four times. It was the most tar I have ever seen and every time it just killed any flavor, at about the halfway point this cigar was done but I kept going as long as I could even with the nasty tar flavor, I kept hoping to fix it.



I think this cigar suffers both from being young and possibly a pre-release. I was really disappointed, it showed a lot of potential, but was completely killed by the problems. As I only had one I cannot claim this is not a fluke, but I am starting to worry if Tat is not running into some over production problems on not enough leaf to continually push out new limited smokes (similar problem Viaje had).

I think this could turn out to be a great cigar after six months settling down in the humi, but I for one will not be going out of my way to grab more.


http://imgur.com/tfOi8,CyuG9,obit3,W...,nszug,Mxh1U#6

[AUguy]

That's too bad. Thanks for the review.

[longknocker]

Nice Review, Brother. I Hope Tats Haven't Gone Bad In Their New Lines.

[Big Bert]

Looked like a great stick, Thats the first time i have heard of tar build up. To bad that it was a downer, thanks for the nice pics though.

[Ogre]

I am wondering if he is pushing to hard to get all of these "Limited" cigars released. I have gotten to the point that I won't buy without trying first.

[LostAbbott]

I agree Ogre, I think that botiques especially run into this supply problem, when you do not own and control supply it is hard to get enough to produce the product you want. Although you more able to go for the best hottest thing first and faster, instead of being tied to what you are growing. For the last two years it was clear Pete was in love with the broad leaf, it now seems to me that this new leaf from Ecuador may be taking that place, if he was the one running the farms and growing the tobacco it would be next to impossible to make a change like that.

[Brooks W]

First, I am really sorry that happened

Guys, I would be careful about judging the stick based on one sample (NOTHING against your review OP, I promise)...Of course, that goes for both his review and mine lol...

After all, here is my review of the same stick, in which I drew a VERY different conclusion....

http://www.halfwheel.com/?p=27144

FWIW, I had absolutely NO construction or tar issues with either one of the 2 samples I smoked.

Just my $.02

[LostAbbott]

I completely agree, and was trying to keep it objective as well as point out where the problems I experienced came from. Also though you are Brooks(popular reviewer, while I just got one a buddy handed me from the Holt's sampler) Not sure if that makes a difference but if I was making cigars I would hand pick my best one and maybe even give it or them in this case more loving.

[Brooks W]

Originally Posted by LostAbbott

I completely agree, and was trying to keep it objective as well as point out where the problems I experienced came from. Also though you are Brooks(popular reviewer, while I just got one a buddy handed me from the Holt's sampler) Not sure if that makes a difference but if I was making cigars I would hand pick my best one and maybe even give it or them in this case more loving.

I think you did a great job keeping it objective, and there is no doubt you had some problems with it!!

Having said that, I was only commenting on the comments saying that Pete might be letting the whole LE thing catch up with his QC, based on one cigar (albeit it as bad as it was)....that's all

[LostAbbott]

Cool, thank you for the comments I really appreciate it(that did not make it through in my last post)

[themoneycollector]

I got burned off last year's Avion 2011, which I thought was one of the worst cigars of the year. I'll wait and try a single only this time.

[kelmac07]

Originally Posted by themoneycollector

I got burned off last year's Avion 2011, which I thought was one of the worst cigars of the year. I'll wait and try a single only this time.

WOW!! And I loved last years.

I just finished smoking the Avion 12 and unfortunately experienced the exact same tar problem. I affirm that this was not just a minor tar problem it was significant and excessive. I re-cut, and things were better for a while but the build up returned. I read about the causes of tar impacting a smoke and I'd have to say in my case it was the cigar not the smoker.