Tatuaje Verocu Black Tubo Cigar Review

Food: none

Beverage: none

Cutter type: Dual Blade (Colibri)

Lighter: Tripple Flame Butane Torch (Nibo)

Appearance: The cigar looks absolutely gorgeous, in it's own rustic way. The wrapper is rough looking, and the veins make it seem that way. While the wrapper is not seamlessly rolled, it just adds to the raw appearance of this stick. It's dressed with a simple bla

Presence of veins: Two major veins running from the foot of the cigar down to the band. A few medium sized veins can a

Humidity: 65%

Cigar draw: Slight resistance, but loose enought to produce plenty of smoke with every puff.

Cigar feel: Medium

Oily or dry: Oily

Ease/quality cut: The first cut was easy, but didn't produce a good draw. With a second snip, I was all set.

Pre-light flavour: A peppery, woody sweetness emerges upon a dry puff. The three notes are in perfect harmony, further growing my anticipa

Country of origin: Nicaragua

Origin of wrapper: Nicaragua

Origin of binder: Nicaragua

Origin of filler: Nicaragua

    

Initial Light

I have been anxiously awaiting the day I will light up this special cigar. Certainly the 14$ MSRP from Tatuaje should be worth something. The brand is well known and appreciated, known to produce quality products. I had only the best of expectations going into this cigar...

It took a few minutes to get the cigar going with a triple-flame torch, but once I had it, the palate was in for a treat. I started to sense notes of black tea, with a woody background. Here and there, a little sweetness kept coming through, along with a little pepper. Even though these flavors might clash, the cigar presents them in a very balanced fashion.

First 1/3:

The ash looks very appealing, holding strong for an inch. The flavor profile has shifted away from the woody sweetness towards more pepper and light spiciness, almost clove-like. Tea notes still flux in an out of the mix, further enhancing the experience.

The smoke is wispy and light, but rich in all of the flavors it carries. Upon retrohale, the tea notes are even more apparent then before.

However, I started running into a significant burn issue right about 2 inches into the cigar. The wrapper would not stay lit, especially right around the veins. The filler proceeded to burn and dish out a good amount of flavor, but the wrapper would not budge.

Second 1/3:

The wonderful flavors linger for a long time on the palate in between puffs, leaving behind an oily film full of dark mocha notes.

I have been trying to relight the cigar to achieve a consistent burn, but with no luck. The filler burned almost an inch, but the wrapper was was just shriveling and staying put (the burn "dug" it's way under the wrapper, which eventually killed the flame on the filler, as well). To me it seems that the cigar is still very green, and the oils of the wrapper are yet to marry with the rest of the tobacco. The burn issues were most prominent around veins, which are a source of moisture in any leaf. Maybe with more aging, the issues would not arise, and the amazing flavor profile can still be further enjoyed.

Final 1/3:

Sadly, I was unable to enjoy this cigar down to the very nub. I bet if I would have hit that sweet spot, the flavor profile would have been even better. I will give this Tat the benefit of and say that it would be a pleasing experience, burn issues aside.