Tatuaje Tainos

[Vetteman]

Size: 7 5/8 x 49

Wrapper: Nicaragua Corojo 99

Binder: Nicaragua

Filler: Nicaragua

I’ve read a lot of favorable comments about this fairly young brand and was looking to try it. This was gifted to me by a very generous BOTL.

I smoked it Sunday here in central New Jersey. Saturday weather was terrible, cold and rainy, but today is beautiful with a cloudless blue sky, light wind and temps near 60F degrees. That’s about 15C for the rest of the world.

Pre-light: The Tainos has a smooth, medium brown wrapper with a light sheen to it. The construction is excellent and the prelight draw is satisfactory. I don’t note any special flavor, and there is no pepper sensation on the lips that I get with some cigars.

The smoke: The first few puffs are strong, almost harsh. It seems to mimic that Cuban twang, but this is definitely not Cuban tobacco. It quickly levels out and becomes what I would consider a smooth, medium body smoke. The draw is very nice, and produces volumes of smoke. In general, I don’t experience the myriad of flavors in cigars some people do. On occasion I pick up a note of cocoa or coffee, but mostly just various tobacco tastes. When I do detect some subtle flavor, I’m usually unable to identify it. The Tainos is no exception. There is a flavor in the backround I just can’t put my finger on. About a 1/3 of the way thru, the profile changes slightly, but again I can’t identify it. The ash is light grey and taps off easily.

The finish: The finish was a bit disappointing. The cigar ended on an unexciting, rather one dimensional note. A whimper, not a bang. I smoke mostly Cuban tobacco, and my review may be prejudiced. Overall I considered this a pleasant, but unremarkable smoke. I’d probably rate it in the low 80’s and don’t think I’ll be buying any.

[El Presidente]

Overall I

considered this a pleasant, but unremarkable smoke. I’d probably rate it

in the low 80’s and don’t think I’ll be buying any.

I would have the same opinion of 98% of NC Cigars. Notable exceptions being Padron Anny', Fuente Don Carlos and some OPUS.

[Loki]

» I would have the same opinion of 98% of NC Cigars.

I thought this was a cuban cigar forum?

[jjwright]

I find Nicaraguan tobacco to be the most similar to Cuban tobacco. Going with that assessment, they need aging. Your review is spot on in regards to the flavor in my experience. Nicaraguan tobacco has a unique nutty/earthy quality to me. I would give them a little more time to develop though.

Tatuaje is the only non Cuban I have any interest in anymore. The construction and thought being put into these cigars is second to none in my book. The triple seam cap and date codes on the boxes really add to the experience of this cigar.

[Jimmy2]

Tatuaje,Padilla and Don Pepin Garcia blue labels are made from Master Cuban Roller Don Pepin Garcia who defected from Cuba i think over 5 years ago.

These cigars are all out standing and worth having in your humidor all the time.

For someone to make a Decision on just smoking one cigar from anyone of these line's should smoke a little more of them to make a final decision on these Garcia Rolled sticks.

Great Cigars that can roll with the Cubans hands down would not even blink twice about it.

La Flor Dominicana Cigars

La Aurora 1495 Cigars

La Aurora 100 Anos Cigars

Padron Cigars 26 and 64 ( i used to love them but my taste have changed)

Fuente some Opus X

Also one sleeper of a cigar as it would have not even come across my mind but i will give almost any cigar a chance was the.

Cusano 18 Churchill Maduro

Trust me on this one this cigar is full of FLAVOR and smooth a great cigar to mix it up from the same old thing was very impressed.

[Jimmy2]

» Tatuaje,Padilla and Don Pepin Garcia blue labels are made from Master Cuban

» Roller Don Pepin Garcia who defected from Cuba i think over 5 years ago.

»

» These cigars are all out standing and worth having in your humidor all the

» time.

»

» For someone to make a Decision on just smoking one cigar from anyone of

» these line's should smoke a little more of them to make a final decision

» on these Garcia Rolled sticks.

»

» Great Cigars that can roll with the Cubans hands down would not even blink

» twice about it.

»

» La Flor Dominicana Cigars

» La Aurora 1495 Cigars

» La Aurora 100 Anos Cigars

» Padron Cigars 26 and 64 ( i used to love them but my taste have changed)

» Fuente some Opus X

»

»

» Also one sleeper of a cigar as it would have not even come across my mind

» but i will give almost any cigar a chance was the.

»

» Cusano 18 Churchill Maduro

»

» Trust me on this one this cigar is full of FLAVOR and smooth a great cigar

» to mix it up from the same old thing was very impressed.

And i am mainly a Cuban cigar smoker at least 4 a day are being burned..

[sloth]

Being a poor boy in the US I was weened on NC cigars. Right now I have more Cuban cigars than NCs (which really isn't saying much). The more I smoke Cuban cigars the more the taste to NC repel me. Most people, who had a Cuban cigar before I did, say the taste has a "twang" to it... well I guess you can call it that, but if Cubans have "twang" most NCs have a "thung". And to me "thung" taste like paint thinner.

That said, I do like Tatuaje. I bought a box of Reserva SW on special from a shop in Chicago. I think they taste alright, but the burn is horrible! I thought about selling them, but decided to sit on them for a while... see what happens.

[Ken Gargett]

so that would be Nicaragua, the small town just outside pinar del rio?

[cigarnv]

I have actually been gifted a few Tatuaje's in the corona size that have not been bad for a NC. The problem I find with all "respectable" NC's is that the price performance is still poor when compared to their Havana counterparts. In effect why try to find a cigar that is close to a Havana when you can have the real thing for less $$... JMO

[cigardawg]

»Th problem I find with all "respectable" NC's is

» that the price performance is still poor when compared to their Havana

» counterparts. In effect why try to fins a cigar that is close to a Havana

» when you can have the real thing for less $$... JMO

I have to agree about the price comparison. The NCs that I keep, collect, and smoke are all considerably more expensive than the Habanos that I have. Why do I keep them? Well, I like them sometimes. There are times that I am just in the mood for an Opus, an Anejo, an Ashton VSG, or a Padron 1964 or 1926. Not often, but sometimes. That said, my collection consists of 5 Cubans to every 1 NC.

[Jimmy2]

» Tatuaje,Padilla and Don Pepin Garcia blue labels are made from Master Cuban

» Roller Don Pepin Garcia who defected from Cuba i think over 5 years ago.

»

» These cigars are all out standing and worth having in your humidor all the

» time.

»

» For someone to make a Decision on just smoking one cigar from anyone of

» these line's should smoke a little more of them to make a final decision

» on these Garcia Rolled sticks.

»

» Great Cigars that can roll with the Cubans hands down would not even blink

» twice about it.

» VSG Torpedo is the winner in this bunch

» La Flor Dominicana Cigars

» La Aurora 1495 Cigars

» La Aurora 100 Anos Cigars unreal flavor

» Padron Cigars 26 and 64 ( i used to love them but my taste have changed)

» Fuente some Opus X

» Anejo Way overrated cigars only the 77(SHARK) is any good tried them all many times over.These are not high end cigars most can be had for under $12.00.

»

Also one sleeper of a cigar as it would have not even come across

my mind but i will give almost any cigar a chance was the.

»

» Cusano 18 Churchill Maduro

»

» Trust me on this one this cigar is full of FLAVOR and smooth a great cigar

» to mix it up from the same old thing was very impressed.

[SuperT]

I love the Tatuaje line, one of the cleanest tasting NCs out there. Like others have mentioned, they run as much if not more than their Cuban counterparts (similar sizes) which deters me from smoking more of them. I will say that the Tainos is my LEAST favorite in the line.

I still smoke 10% of so NCs right now, but those that I'll smoke are dwindling fast. My favorites are:

Ashton VSG (LOVE 'EM!)

Padron (any, regular line or anniversary)

La Unica Cameroon

Tatuaje

That is about it!!

As far as other NCs like Anejo, Opus, etc - GARBAGE! I've smoked a few dozen Opus and have YET to see what makes them special. I find them nasty and offensive. I've smoked fresh ones, I've smoked aged ones, I've smoke little ones, I've smoked DCs, THEY ALL SUCK! The Don Carlos line is one of the few Fuentes I can smoke (but I won't buy them), I guess the Signature line isn't too bad either. . .

Left to right: 2 - Tatuaje RC 233 Limited Perfecto (Diademas), 3 - Tatuaje Especiales (No.1 / Cohiba Lancero, MC Especial), 1 - Tatuaje Tainos (Tainos), 2 - Tatuaje RC 184 Limited Perfecto (Salomon), 1 - Tatuaje Noellas (Mareva)

[Lemon]

I like many NC lines. My favorites are Padrons (regular or anniversary), Diamond Crown Maximus, Arturo Fuente Chateau, FF Opus X. These are all great cigars imo, and to me they are equally good compared to Cubans.

[idesign]

I really don't smoke many NC's, maybe one every couple months. (but I had a humi full of aged smokes :-D )

I've had one Tatuaje, the Unico, but I can say that it's EASILY THE BEST NC ON THE MARKET!

too bad it's also WAY overpriced..........

[cigarnv]

As with most things in life cigars are a matter of personal taste ... and the only real mistake is letting others define what you should like. Havana's and NC's are as different as French Claret and California Cab .... neither is better, they are just different. Truth be told in blind tastings most folks can't tell red from white wine with a high degree of accuracy let alone Californian from French ... as I would suspect would occur with a Havana / NC blind tasting...JMO

[idesign]

» As with most things in life cigars are a matter of personal taste ... and

» the only real mistake is letting others define what you should like.

» Havana's and NC's are as different as French Claret and California Cab

» .... neither is better, they are just different. Truth be told in blind

» tastings most folks can't tell red from white wine with a high degree of

» accuracy let alone Californian from French ... as I would suspect would

» occur with a Havana / NC blind tasting...JMO

I disagree 100%.

It's not hard to tell the difference between Habanos and any other NC's.........deaf, dumb, or blind :-D

[El Presidente]

most folks can't tell red from white wine with a high degree of accuracy let alone Californian from French

It didn't take you long to work Ken out :-D

[Jimmy2]

100 Anos ...

[NJLimoDriver]

Too limit one's smokes is to live too small - there are so many different smokes out there with different flavors and tastes - as mine tend to wander so do the smokes I partake of - every one is entitled to opinions and I happen to think there are many great ones out there - cheers Mike

[Arkay]

Smoked a tatuaje tainos the other day. It was ok but aagain just not as complex as a fine habano.