Tatuaje 10th Anniversary Bon Chasseur (5.375x52)

I can't believe that is has been ten years since Tatuaje first hit the scene.  My how far we have come in the boutique revolution since those early days when not a single smoker knew what a boutique was.  For crap's sake, boutiques didn't even know they were boutiques back then.  They were just small batch cigars that were hoping to catch on somewhere, anywhere they could find someone to give them a shot.  I remember sitting in shops back then, with plenty of Altadis, General and thank God Fuente and Padron to choose from.  Ohhh sure there were some other yawn worthy, and puke worthy, remnants of the boom still slopping around.  I mean who could forget Don Rafael and Barlovento right?  Anyone? Anyone? Bueller...Bueller...Bueller...  Anyway the list of those thankfully forgotten chicken bones could go on for days and days.  Luckily Pepin and Pete Johnson came along and set the stage for the boutique explosion, hell I was so desperate for new smokes at the time I actually bought a couple of boxes of Barlovento.  My day of grace came when I found Tatuaje Browns in an Ybor shop and the rest, as they say, is history...succulent smoky history.  My affair with Pete's brands has been hot and cold, but there are still many days you can find me with an old Tat Brown or Tat Red hanging from my lips, they are still just that good.

This cigar had a ton of buzz at IPCPR, almost as much as Camacho's new branding (you can put lipstick on a pig, but it's still a pig by the way) or Pepin's 10th Anniversary cigar (box coming for me, don't ask for any), so much buzz that getting hold of one was exceedingly difficult.  I even had to call in some chits, and I like my chits!  One of my contacts finally got one and I secreted it away and waited until a rare smoke Friday (follow these on my twitter page @srqcigarczar #raresmokefriday) to smoke it.  Well that Friday finally arrived and I was ripe with excitement.

The cigar presents well with some very simple band work, in sticking with the Tatuaje tradition, and a pigtail cap and unfinished foot.  It is rustic looking in that the wrapper has a ruddy appearance to it, but the application of the wrapper is excellent and I can't find any issues in the bunch or roll.  The pre light aroma smacks of pepper and heavy spice.  The pre light draw also shows heavy pepper notes.  I am settling in for a real powerful bomb of a smoke here.

The cigar opens with a completely unexpected profile.  The core notes are all roasted nuts, clove like spice and a very interesting sweetness that has some coffee flavor but is more like hazelnut.  This palate diversity does not necessarily work harmoniously because it so busy and scuttled, but there are some hints of greatness here.  The back of the palate and through the nose show a very woody base that has large quantities of dry balsa and some hints of sweet earth.  This is not a profile that I am used to from Pete's products and the change is hard to grasp.  The draw is very nice, all though it is a touch loose for me.  The burn was wonky at first, I assign this to the unfinished foot, but it evens out quickly.

The first half of the cigar continues to struggle to find a personality.  I was ready for a spicy bomb in the pre light sequence, but it is not what I am getting at all.  The core profile is still profoundly nutty and still heavily hazelnutesque, however there are moments of genius when some coffee flavors play wonderfully with these core notes.  There is still some spice here, transitioning into a more cinnamon and anise presentation, but these flavors are fleeting at best.  The back of the palate has transitioned into a more robust medium flavored wood presentation and there are still some nice hints of sweet earth coming in here as well.  The draw remains a touch too loose for me, but it is not causing any issues.  The burn is performing well.

The final half of this cigar really sets my world on fire.  The core profile becomes a delightful array of hazelnut, cinnamon and maple flavors that smack of a french toast finish.  I know what you're thinking, French Toast?  This guy has lost it!  All I can say is smoke it and see, maybe you'll find the same thing.  I hope you do, because it is finds like these in individual cigars that make the pursuit all worth it.  At the back of the palate there is a peppery note that gives the cigar some kick right when you need it most, this is coupled with some robust earthy tones that round out the experience in a very nice way.  The draw stays the same throughout and the burn performs admirably right to the end.

The finish smacked of maple flavors and light pepper long after the smoke and wistful thoughts about the origins of the boutique phenomenon dissipate.

All in all this smoke was not what I expected at all, and in the first half was at time disappointing.  However, it finished strong and I will smoke it again.

Appearance- 92 simple and rustic
Taste- 90 I am going to just eek this into the 90's because of the last half
Construction- 89 some loose draw and early burn issues hurt the score
Strength- 88 medium early, more robust late
Overall- 89.75 a very nice smoke

Davidoff Nicaragua Toro (5.5x54)

One of the cigars that made a big splash at IPCPR was this new release from Davidoff.  The name Davidoff does nothing for me at all, I usually think boring and mild blends with a ridiculously high price tag that screams look at me I like no flavor and I am a douchebag!  I kid of course, you know I am an advocate of smoking whatever you want to smoke (unless it is crack, or meth or dope of any kind because then you really are a douchebag), but the Davidoff name has become synonymous with mild profiles and high price tags.  I can't recall the last time I went out of my to smoke a Davidoff and usually will only smoke one if it is offered to me by someone else.  It just really isn't my thing.

What caught my attention about this cigar was the word Nicaragua.  The implication of a quality cigar manufacturer like Davidoff expanding their boundaries into Nicaraguan tobacco was just too huge to ignore.  Here is what you should know.  Davidoff has big bucks, they pay attention to making high quality cigars (they have to at super premium prices you only get super premium smokers that are picky) and they only grow and buy the best tobaccos in the world to wear their name.  This is a combination that makes for a very interesting proposition, a Nicaraguan version of the timeless and revered Davidoff brand.  They now had my interest!

The cigar itself is impeccable looking.  They have given the band work and cigar a more full bodied look.  Darker wrapper, darker band work and all the visuals add up to this not being the typical rich man's Davidoff in the white, with all the white, surrounded by white.  The wrapper is beautiful and has very few veins and a silky appearance that looks like lightly creamed coffee.  The bunch and roll look very nice, as I expected, Kelner and his boys have an eye for quality and I can't find an issue.  The pre light draw smacks of earth and pepper.  The pre light aroma has dark wood and lighter spice notes that linger slightly.

The cigar opens with a profile that is everything I would expect from a Davidoff product, even the Nicaraguan tobacco can't change what they do.  The core profile is mild/medium, but it does have some very nice flavors.  There are hints of earth and pepper, but most of the core at this point is a warm and light wood note that does not offer much depth or complexity.  Through the nose and at the back of the palate there are some worthy ideas of spice and pepper, but they are too muted at this point to be anything beyond barely noticeable.  The draw is a real dream to this point, performing perfectly.  The burn is ok, but the wrapper loses some cohesion early on and I have to take some off as it unspools.  Upon removal of the unruly piece of wrapper the cigar evens back out fairly quickly.

The first half of the cigar actually picks up some steam.  The core profile takes on a decidedly robust wood flavor and has some interesting anise and spice flavors that lend some sweetness to off set the smoky wood portion.  While not particularly complex or deep, these flavors are nice and play favorably with one another.  The back of the palate begins to show some earthy tones, but I am looking for something more here as it is fairly mundane.  The draw is still spot on.  The burn is a little sloppy in some spots, but it is working itself out.

The final half of the cigar becomes truly Nicaraguan.  The core profile becomes a solid array of pepper and wood, with some notes of spice.  There is depth here and the profile becomes more complex.  The back of the palate and the nose show some fantastic earth flavors and there is some nice spice here as well.  All in all this is rounding into quite something in the last third of the smoke.  The draw stays solid all the way through the smoke.  The burn evened out nicely in the last half.

The finish was a touch short, but had some earth and spice notes that were satisfying.

This is by far the best Davidoff I have smoked.

Appearance- 93 a very nice looking smoke

Taste- 89 very strong in the last third, but the first half left something to be desired

Construction- 88 nice draw throughout, but the burn was wonky in the front half

Strength- 89 a nice mild early and a nice medium late, for Davidoff devotees this would be full

Overall- 89.25 a very nice score, for a good smoke

Arturo Fuente Don Carlos Edicion de Aniversario 2007 (6.25x48)

Every once in awhile I stand in front of my humidor, much like a woman in front of a closet claiming nothing to wear, saying aloud that I have nothing to smoke.  After some derisive snorts from the wife and the accompanying rolling of the eyes I usually decide that it might be time to plumb the depths of the the monster humidor and find out what is lurking in the dark corners.  Recently I came across this artifact from cigar days long past.  I am not even sure when I got it, or how long it was hiding waiting for it's name to be called, but there it was like the ever ready soldier waiting for it's call to glory.

To say that I was excited would be an understatement, how often do you get to smoke something like this?  The only thing sapping my enthusiasm was the hefty price tag that was still on it, north of $25 bones.  Cigars of this price often scare me because I so seldom smoke one that I think is worth the price.  As I remove the fittingly yellowed cello I take in the smoke.  It is breathtaking.  This is the highest form of Fuente craftsmanship, beautiful wrapper, perfect bunch, perfect cap and elegant band work that implies this is really something special.  The pre light aroma is full of luxurious cedar essence and has some wonderful spice notes as well.  The pre light draw shows some wonderful spice notes, cinnamon mostly, and has a very nice cedar flavor as well.

The cigar opens with a profile that has depth and complexity running wild.  The core profile shows wonderful cedar notes that have a sharpness to them that is incredible.  Additionally, there is a crisp tobacco note here that is so clean and tasty that I can't recall ever having an experience like this before.  Through the nose there is an excellent note of cinnamon that rounds out the front of the experience very nicely.  At the back of the palate there are excellent tones of wood and spice that only add to the depth of the experience.  The draw is dead solid perfect, if I could design my ideal draw this would be it.  The burn is also stellar, nary an issue and razor sharp.

The first half of the cigar continues to please.  The core profile morphs from a show of cedar to a more muted presentation of cinnamon and light wood, there is also a light creamy note in this portion of the cigar that adds some depth and nuance to the overall presentation.  The back of the palate shows some nice spice and there is a light pepper note coming in here as well.  The draw stays perfect to this point.  The burn continues to be excellent as well.

The final half of the cigar is where the money is.  The core profile takes on a more sweet flavor that has some floral essence, there is also a creamed coffee note here that adds to the overall experience nicely.  The back of the palate delivers wonderful pepper notes that ratchet up the strength quotient a few notches, there are also some more fully developed wood notes here.  The draw and burn are spot on right to the end.

The finish was an absolute dream, showing lingering notes of cedar, coffee and wood.

I do not hesitate to rank this in the top 25 cigars that I have ever smoked.

Appearance- 95 an absolute beauty
Taste- 93 excellent, not quite classic
Construction- 100 the finest example of cigar craftsmanship
Strength- 97 a wonderful array of mild, medium and late trending medium/full experiences
Overall- 96.25 and an instant classic in my world

Padilla Connecticut Churchill (7x50)

If you had asked most people six years ago who the one person they would most like to be in the cigar industry you probably would have gotten several answers, but one of the names that would have come up most often would have been Ernesto Padilla. 

Padilla was the it brand in the boutque world back then with classics like the 8&11 and the Signature 32 (Of which I still have boxes hoarded in my humidor, and no I won't tell you where I live), it of course helped that his smokes were being made by one of the other guys whose name would have been on the list mentioned above, Jose Pepin Garcia.  Something happened on the way to the fair though and Padilla fell off the map.  Pepin stopped making cigars for Padilla (I will let you research why on your own), Padilla started to farm out production to companies with inferior tobacco, rolling and quality and the lilly stopped blooming.  Then the day of horror for all boutique enthusiasts arrived, Padilla Cigars started appearing in CI, this is the death knell for cigar makers in my world because it means you have become another bulk brand that people buy on the cheap because they are made on the cheap.  I was depressed and Padilla continued to slop around the industry looking for a home like a stray dog. 

I heard awhile back that he hitched his wagon to Oliva, this caught my attention because they are reputable company with a long history of making quality smokes.  I then kind of forgot about it because I am so involved in finding and smoking boutique offerings.  Fast forward to IPCPR and I find an old friend of mine that used to work for General repping in the Oliva booth, he and I caught up for a bit and he slapped this bad boy on me.  Now in full disclosure, this guy knows how I write reviews and I have killed some of his cigars before so when he gives me a cigar he already knows that I might write it's obituary and he is ok with that.

I waited awhile to smoke this because, well, it is a Connecticut and despite being told that it had some power and wouldn't be what I expected I had to find the right time to give it a whirl.  The cigar is beautiful to look at.  The wrapper is a wonderful blond/brown and smacks of everything that anyone should love about Connecticut wrapper.  Few veins, silky smoothness and that wondeful dusty wood and light spice smell that is the epitome of the Connecticut wrapper in my mind.  The cigar is very well constructed and I can't find a single issue in it at all.  The pre light draw is smooth and fluid and shows some nice cinnamon tones.  The pre light aroma smacks of dusty earth and wood and has some spice notes as well.

The cigar opens with a profile that is wonderfully complex.  The core flavors have light wood and cinnamon notes, but there is a molasses sweetness coming in here that complements the main flavors wonderfully.  I am being transported to my family cabin in the Upper Peninsula in Michigan where kitchen always smells of wood and molasses, I love cigars that take me on nostalig trips through my younger days.  At the back of the palate and through the nose there are some very nice light earth tones and a light brush of white pepper that tickle the palate subtly.  The draw is nearly perfect, maybe just a little too loose for me.  The burn is solid and a nice, crisp ash is forming.

The first half of the cigar really ramps up.  The core profile begins to show a more pronounced wood flavor, that is still light but more flavorful.  There are some crisp cedar notes here off set by a more subdued balsa wood that provides a nice back drop for the main wood flavors.  The cinnamon notes have really taken off here as well and the robust character of these flavors is something to note.  My only complaint is that I have lost that molasses note that was so splendid early on.  The back of the palate is still earthy but threatens to turn grassy, this makes me wary because I don't care for grassy, but I plow on searching for more meaning.  The pepper notes are really kicking up as I approach the halfway point and I am anxious to see where this goes.  The draw is still just a touch too loose, but I am not getting any heat so I am good with it.  The burn is rock solid.

The final half of the cigar is unlike any Connecticut experience I have ever had.  The core profile becomes all cedar with light brushes of something like caramel, but with a toasty quality.  I have never experienced this in a cigar before and I want it again and again.  The back of the palate becomes a fantastic show of pepper flavors that are so astounding in a Connecticut smoke that I can't put my head around it all right away.  The draw stays acceptable to the end.  The burn was a star throughout the smoke.

The finish was smooth and full of pepper and toasty caramel notes.

This is the cigar that could put Padilla back on the map, I was very impressed.

Appearance- 92 a wonderful cigar to look at, even the band was elegant
Taste- 94 there is just so much going on here, a wonderful smoke
Construction- 92 some reductions for the loose draw
Strength- 97 starts medium and ramps to just on the low side of full, all complementing each stage of the smoke beautifully
Overall- 93.5 an absolute must smoke in my mind...