Cigar Review: Tatuaje Pudgy Monster Chuck

Two months ago, Tatuaje shipped its Pudgy Monsters sampler, a follow-up to its Little Monsters sampler, which was comprised of smaller versions the Monsters Series Halloween cigars. The $95 Pudgy Monsters sampler features ten cigars, six being smaller versions of the prior Monsters, with the remaining four comprised of two each of two new blends.

The two new cigars are both based on the Child’s Play villains: “Chuck,” after the main character Chucky; and “Tiff,” after his bride, Tiffany. Last month I reviewed and enjoyed the Ecuador Connecticut-wrapped Tiff. Now I turn to Chuck, four of which I smoked (from three different Pudgy Monsters sampler boxes) for this review.

Chuck features a dark Ecuadorian Habano wrapper around Nicaraguan binder and filler. It’s a petit robusto size (4 x 50) with a sky blue band with Tatuaje in white centered and “Pudgy” and “Monsters” in blotchy red typeface on the sides. Like virtually all new Tatuajes, Pudgy Monsters are all made at the My Father Cigars factory in Estelí.

Once lit, I found lots of milk chocolate, damp earth, cinnamon, and notable pepper spice flavors. It’s a medium- to full-bodied cigar with a decent amount of spice and a powdery finish. It’s hardly the most complex cigar around, although it’s a robust, flavorful blend.

Construction was solid in the samples I smoked. My only complaint was the draw was a bit tight, though nowhere near plugged, but there was still a decent amount of resistance, especially in two of the samples. The ash was notably solid.

When I first smoked Tiff and Chuck, I was a far bigger fan of Chuck, but my thoughts have reversed over time. Chuck is a solid, tasty cigar, but Tiff is more refined, more elegant, and more balanced.

Still, Chuck is a fine cigar. And since you can’t buy Chuck by itself, only as part of the Pudgy sampler, I can definitely say that at $95 it is worth seeking out the ten-pack of Pudgy Monsters. (My favorite Monster blend remains The Face, and this sampler is no exception.) As for Chuck, it’s a very solid cigar, which earns it a rating of four stogies out of five.

[To read more StogieGuys.com cigar reviews, please click here.]

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys