This review is for the Tatuaje Verocu Red Tubo, another creation from the combo of Pete Johnson and Jose "Don" Pepin Garcia. This cigar also came in a Black tubo as well; I tried the Black tubo in late December on a trip to the Humidour and I really enjoyed that cigar and I was looking forward to giving this cigar a go. Here are the specs of this stick:
- Vitola: 6 1/8" x 52 torpedo
- Strength: Full
- Filler: Nicaraguan Cuban Seed
- Binder: Nicaraguan Cuban Seed
- Wrapper: 1999 Nicaraguan Corojo
Pre-light Draw & Construction
We get right into it and take the cigar from its red tubo and right away you become somewhat enamoured with the dark color of the corojo wrapper. There are some visible veins but nothing that would cause any issues. A little squeeze shows that the tobacco is packed tight and is quite firm with very little give. Give this cigar a little snip with my cutter and the draw is quite good given the fact the cigar is quite packed. The cold draw produced a nice sweet flavor mixed in with a little earthiness so let's get it lit and see what we get!
First Third
Right off the bat after getting this cigar lit is the amount of smoke produced; a lot of white, creamy smoke. It starts off with loads of spice, something I always come to expect from a Nicaraguan puro and/or a cigar with corojo tobacco in it, along with a mix of earth tones and a slight hint of black coffee. The spice is very prominent on the retrohale and on the back of the throat along with the earthiness we got from the cold draw. As I continue the cigar the coffee flavor is starting to creep up a little more really creating an interesting yet pleasurable mixture. One thing to note: I'm not a huge fan of an overly earthy cigar and can never really enjoy it but this cigar has the perfect amount of earth tones mixed in with the spice and coffee that even I can enjoy! =) The construction on this cigar is ridiculously good...burn is very even and the ash is very solid with a whitish-grey color (even my g/f marveled at how good the ash was =]). This is most certainly a full-bodied cigar - feeling a strong nic buzz right now from smoking about 2" of this cigar (BTW I'm a full-bodied cigar fanatic so this cigar is perfect so far!) And just as I'm ready to move into the halfway point I just got a small hit of something sweet almost like ginger or cinnamon...very nice!
Halfway Point
Moving on to the halfway point and the spice has faded quite a bit and I'm still tasting the coffee and earth tones. Burn is still fairly even and the ash is still holding firm and solid (TD SAINTS ON A FLEA FLICKER! Sorry I'm watching the Saints/Cardnials game...very entertaining!) This cigar is still producing a lot of creamy smoke while remaining cool and smooth. Still tasting some earth tones w/ some coffee and ginger notes plus a burnt tobacco flavor. The spice is starting to come back a little bit and the strength of this cigar has not wavered as I'm still feeling a nic buzz!
End of the line
Now moving on to the end of this cigar and I'm still tasting that burnt tobacco flavor w/ a small amount of spice (not as strong as I anticipated or experienced at the start). Construction on this cigar is borderline phenominal...still burning evenly and the ash is still solid. Now I'm getting some sweetness on the pallet (can't quite put my finger on what it is but it's good) and it's starting to mix in with a flavor of walnuts and earth notes as I reach the end of this cigar. The cigar is still burning cool as I get to the end and the flavors are just so pleasant it's a shame that it's the end!
Verdict:
After smoking this cigar I think the verdict is pretty obvious...EPIC WIN!! This cigar is indeed a full-bodied cigar smoker's cigar...plenty of flavor with a strong kick to it to keep you awake and interested...I highly recommend this cigar! It is well worth the price for either a single or a box from your local B&M; one very important note: before smoking this cigar make sure you have a very full meal on your stomach...I had 3 slices of pizza prior to smoking this cigar and was able to barely stand up straight LOL! That's all for now...I shall be back again for another review but until that time keep lighting up those fine cigars and let the smoke take you away...cheers and enjoy!
THE CHAMP
Good review. I plan on smoking mine this week.
ReplyDeleteGreat review! I had this and the black and really liked the Red better so far. Now I did not get the nic buzz like you did or I would have probably not cared for it. I have another of each tubo sitting here, so I will be giving them each another try!
ReplyDeleteMike
Hey Champ
ReplyDeleteThis is Matt - met you at the Humidour today. I was the younger guy with brown hair, told you I have a new site. www.reviewcigars.blogspot.com.
My email is measter29@gmail.com - I put a link to this site on my "Sites I Like" column. I'm also going to start following your site.
I'll look into twitter. Anyways, hit me up on email. Check out my site if you get the chance. I'd love to get your feedback. Also, great review on the Tubo. I'm happy I picked up a box. And I tell you what, that 3-pack is nice. I smoked one and the last half is amazing. So sweet and full. I wish I could get a box of those.
matt