Tatuaje Reserva SW

[Mr. Ed]

Initial Impressions: I got this at the B&M not too long ago and thougt that I would try it out. These are part of Tatuaje's Reserva line and this is the Churchill. This cigar had a very nice natural wrapper with a light oily sheen. It was smooth and had no blemishes. A mild aroma came off of this cigar pre-light.

Smoking: The draw began a little tight, but about an inch or so into the smoke it became perfect with lots of smoke. The burn was even from start to finish and the cigar burned cool, no overheating. The wrapper behaved well and did not unravel or crack. The ash was firm and white and stayed on until I ashed myself. Except for a tight draw for about 1 inch the cigar had perfect construction.

Taste: This was a medium bodied cigar that was 100% smooth with no harshness. The cigar started out with a heck of a lot of spice. It was pretty in your face (I liked it). Besides this spice there was also a very sweet tobacco taste that was very smooth. The finish was full and stayed on the palate for a long time and had a a very nice taste to it. The further I smoked the more subtle the spice became, but it remained for the entire smoke. At some point (about 2-3 inches in) I began to get a very nice "coffee"-like taste and the finish became very sweet. About 5 inches in the cigar tasted the best it had to that point and continued to get better, very pleasant and complex. A pleasing medium-bodied aroma came off of this cigar while smoking.

Conclusion: Another fantastic smoke here blended by the Don. Great construction and great taste on this as well. These are a bit on the expensive side, but I would be willing to get a few more to render a final verdict. All in all, a great smoke.

Thanks for reading

[ucla695]

They sound like great sticks. I have four of these in my humi and they have about a year on them now. I'm going to have to dig them out and give them a try. Thanks for the review.

[gvarsity]

Nice review. Thanks. I have enjoyed the Tats I have had but I haven't had this one yet. I'll put it on the list.

[tedrodgerscpa]

Nice review...

I'm an even bigger fan of the J21!

SW is a good smoke, but a bit too mild for a brown, IMO. I prefer the J21 over any other Tat.

[muziq]

Smoked one last night from a box I bought before finding the dark side--from April 2005. When I got the box I burned through 5-6 of them and then discovered Monte 2s and 4s, then Party Shorts, then...so these just rested up until last night. Grabbed one before going on a walk.

Given the direction smoking took three years ago, picking up this Tatuaje was like being a cigar noob all over again: had to accomodate myself to the spice, strength, and abruptness of this cigar. While I'll agree with the OP that the SW is a medium bodied cigar with ample smoke, the spiciness and charriness was overwhelming. Maybe my sensibilities are too delicate from having enjoyed the fruits of the verboten island, I dunno. Suffice it to say I didn't enjoy this cigar all that much and will gladly go back to Montes, PLs, Partys, HdMs, etc.

The one thing, though, that I can add is that at certain points, this cigar shared some traits with some of the strongest Cubans. In particular, I noticed that after a good purge, the flavor coming off the SW was not unlike the flavor of a Party Lusitania just *before* purging--a thick, charry, cherry tannin flavor with that heavy grassiness so common to Cubans. It makes me think that if I hold on to the rest of these SWs for 5 or 6 years, maybe they'll mellow into smokes I'd put on par with some of my favorite verboten sticks. Maybe.

I didn't hate this cigar; I just didn't enjoy it as much as my usual fare. My palette has changed.

[pnutbutrsangwich]

Wow, my experiences with this cigar are totally different! Rather than brutal strength, I thought that this was an incredibly refined cigar. I smoked a couple very young about two years ago, but I can still remember the flavors. Rather than assaulting pepper and burnt wood, I found rather mild elements of tea, ginger, and graham cracker. I thought they were excellent cigars, but a little pricey for what they were. If I were to walk into a B&M for a cigar, I'd definitely give these a long look.

As far as a comparison with Cuban cigars, I don't think that the strength of these holds a candle to some of the strongest Cubans, but I'd say its comparable to some of the more medium bodied smokes.

i was planning to have one 2morrow, i might just do it today lol ... the last 2 i had were smooth with no harshness. i agree on that one.

great job