Quick Smoke: Tatuaje Exclusive Series Proto 1 (Saints & Sinners 2011)

Each Saturday and Sunday we’ll post a Quick Smoke: not quite a full review, just our brief verdict on a single cigar of “buy,” “hold,” or “sell.”

For $150, I signed up for Pete Johnson’s Saints & Sinners club, entitling me to discounted merchandise, exclusive cigars, and access to members-only forums. I was mailed a care package of Tatuaje swag and 15 cigars upon registration. Included was this unreleased size of the Fausto. At 4.75 inches in length, it packs a powerful taste of pepper, raisin, and espresso from its Nicaraguan tobaccos and Ecuadorian wrapper. While this blend and format isn’t Johnson’s finest, it’s a good pairing with bourbon after a heavy meal. If you didn’t sign up for the 2011 Saints & Sinners club, keep an eye out for the 2012 registration; at the very least, it’s a pleasure to get to taste blends and sizes that are unavailable to the general public.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys