Cigar Review: Tatuaje "The Drac"

Torpedo, 6.75" by 52 ring gauge, approx. $19
In 2008, Pete Johnson and Tatuaje started a new tradition of very-limited edition Halloween-themed cigars. While I missed the Frank (short for Frankenstein), I was able to get my hands on The Drac this year. This stick is so limited in release that it does not cast a shadow or show a reflection in the mirror--there is no information about the makeup of the cigar on any website I could find, except for the fact that the wrapper is a Habano Maduro. Since pretty much all of Tatuaje's other offerings are all or mostly Nicaraguan blends, I would say it is pretty safe to say that this stick features Nicaraguan filler and binder and that the wrapper is most likely from the same country.

The wrapper is quite a dark maduro with some rather prominent (jugular) veins visible. It is a little toothy (that wasn't meant to be a pun, but...) and it is very oily. The single band at the foot is affixed upside down--in fact, the entire box of cigars (torpedos shaped like stakes) is shipped upside down in a coffin-shaped box, painted black outside and red inside. The aroma from the wrapper is barnyard and leather; from the foot there is chocolate and compost.

I picked up this stick two days before Halloween, so it was natural for this to be smoked on that night. The nice thing about a rural neighborhood is that the chances of trick-or-treaters accosting the homefront is pretty unlikely. Regardless, I set up shop with a bucket of candy, warm clothes and my Drac on this chilly Halloween. Before heading outside, my wife and I watched Jamie Lee Curtis reprise the role of Laurie Strode in Halloween: 20 Years Later on TV. When I stepped out, I was greeted with dogs howling down the lane howling at the moon. Perfect!

Prelight, the draw met with a little more resistance than I prefer, but it was hard to tell how that would affect things down the line. The flavors were of coffee beans, cocoa powder, and maybe some dried fruit and some citrusry sweetness. Initial puffs brought the cocoa powder and dark roast coffee out immediately. The draw turned out to be an issue right from the start. I initially tried to remedy the situation by clipping more of the head off (one sure-fire way to kill a vampire is to remove its head, then burn it and the body separately); it did not provide much relief, though. I then took the draw poker tool on my Xikar multi-tool and used it like a fang to puncture the tight tobacco near the head; that proved to be the trick to ensure the treat of a copious flow of smoke. I ended up having to reopen it this way every 5 minutes or so the rest of the way, which was a little annoying. On the other hand, I ended up cracking the wrapper a bit when I tried to re-clip it. This ordinarily leads to an immediately tendency to unravel, but the Drac held firm. I was careful the rest of the way and had no unraveling problems. So I would say the construction deficiency of the tight draw was virtually canceled out by the fact that this cigar is one of the few torps that I have had try to unravel on me when I clipped just a tiny amount too much off. The first third was wonderfully flavorful--the Habano wrapper provided the dark coffee and cocoa flavors with just a little pepper spice so far.

The second third continued just as nicely. With the special occasion for which this cigar was produced, not to mention its moniker, you might expect this cigar to be a monster. Instead, if was a full-bodied but extremely smooth with no nicotine kick evident as the second third passed into history.

In the last third, the Drac got more leathery and started to show some strength. Overall, a great smoke although one with a price tag that is prohibitive except as the occasional special occasion smoke. While it would be nice to buy a whole box, the impact on the wallet would be a virtually bloodletting. It is worth an annual purchase, though, and I hope to get in on whatever next year's Halloween offering will be.

Body: 8/10
Strength: 7/10
Complexity: 7/10

AFP Scale:
Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 2/2
Flavor: 4.5/5
Value: .5/1
Total: 9/10