Cigar Review: Tatuaje Black

Corona Gorda, 5.625" x 46 ring gauge / Priceless

Tatuaje's Black Label cigars are a highly sought-after limited edition that was first released in the famous "jar" in 2008. Because of the controversial re-selling practices of some retailers, Pete pulled the Black Label (at least that's the story I was told by a couple retailers). Since then, it has shown up in the form of a few special releases including the Tubo and the Robusto 3-pack. Late in 2010 a "Private Reserve Black Sampler" was given away when you bought a box of The Face. This Corona Gorda is from that 3-pack and is a Nicaraguan puro. I smoked the first stick from this sampler when Pete was in town and mentioned offhand to him that it was "rough." He kind of chuckled and said, "Yeah, that's a ballsy cigar." That was when I knew I needed to reserve one of these sticks for a more thorough review.

The Tat Black has a classic Tatuaje look: dark--but not overly dark...it's not dyed!--wrapper with a simple black band. The wrapper leaf had a few medium-sized veins and a bit of mottling, but it had a nice oily touch to it and the aroma was awesome even before I brought it to my nose. Held up close, I got aromas of cocoa powder and earth on the body, and more of the same--only more intense--on the foot. The cold draw was easy and had a strong cocoa powder taste that I really loved.

Early puffing on the Tat Black revealed some of that intense cocoa powder along with a cayenne pepper and strong black coffee on the tongue; the retrohale was an intense black pepper. It was immediately evident that this would be a full-bodied smoking experience. The first third quickly became predominantly earthy with strong overtones of dark coffee and cocoa powder. After having had one each of the Torpedo/Tubo and Robusto size of the Tat Black, I have to say this Corona Gorda was really surprising me--while I liked the other sizes, this one was just great so far: lots of flavor without the same level of harshness I got in the other sizes (the reason I referred to it as "rough").

The second third continued with full-bodied earthiness but I started to get a re-emergence of some cayenne pepper on the tongue. The pepper retrohale had settled down to a very mild burn with a bit of roasted nuts. So far the burn line had been very even and the draw nothing short of flawless. The ashe was almost white in color and held on for a little more than half an inch at a time. The cayenne note built fairly steadily through the rest of the second third.

The final third was still earthy but the cayenne pepper provided a very interesting and welcome addition until the end. There were still hints of cocoa powder from time-to-time as well. This Corona Gorda Tat Black proved to me once again the power of smaller ring gauges in delivering superior flavor. While I liked the Black Label in other sizes, this size was something I would purchase again on a regular basis if it were available. With that in mind, I make this request to Pete Johnson: please release this size again, even if just as a semi-special edition. Maybe once a year a couple size of Tat Blacks could be released...one year a Corona and a Toro, next year a Lancero and a 6x60. I know there are fans of the larger ring gauge cigars and I would not ask any manufacturer to ignore them, but I'd love to see fans of the slimmer vitolas get some love as well. This is not a stick that novices could completely appreciate, but the Tat Black is definitely a blend that experienced smokers and Tat fans should seek out.

Note: After writing this review, it did come to my attention that the Tat Black will be available as a Petite Lancero sometime in the near future, an exclusive offering of Tobacco Grove. I look forward to trying it!

Body: 8/10

Strength: 7/10

Complexity: 7/10

AFP Scale

Prelight: 2/2

Construction: 2/2

Flavor: 4.5/5

Value: 1/1

Total: 9.5/10

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