Stogie Reviews: Tatuaje Black (CRA Exclusive)

21 Oct 2009

Tatuaje Black CRA I don’t like to write a full review based on only one stick, but there are times when it’s unavoidable. Case in point: this Tatuaje Black, which is exclusively available in the sampler for Cigar Rights of America (CRA) members (limit one per member).

Like the original Tatjaue Black, known as Tatuaje founder Pete Johnson’s personal cigar, the CRA Sampler edition of the Black is a Nicaraguan puro, made by Don Pepin Garcia. The most obvious difference between the two is that the CRA version is slightly larger (6 x 50) than the regular version (5.6 x 46).

The Tatuaje Black CRA edition features a dark and oily (though not particularly shiny) wrapper that is folded over the foot, fuma style. Below the plain black Tatuaje band is a second CRA band that reads “Become a CRA Member – CigarRights.org – 818-541-1535” on the side that faces the cigar.

This toro has a delicious pre-light aroma of roasted nuts, a pre-cursor to the roller coaster of flavor that follows.

The profile starts with a burst of heavy leather, followed almost immediately by a strong burst of pepper. Then, about an inch in, it transforms again into a medium- to full-bodied woody combination with some lingering leather. The finish includes a ramped-up combination of leather, licorice, and earth.

This is an impressively complex cigar, even though it’s not always balanced or particularly nuanced. With so many twists and turns, the Tatuaje Black CRA edition is an immensely interesting smoke.

Thanks to excellent construction, which leaves those flavor shifts to speak for themselves, the Tatuaje Black CRA Sampler Exclusive earns four and a half stogies out of five.