Vitola: Robusto- 4.875” x 50 ring gauge
- Available only with purchase at certain events
Background
One of the fun extras available during the latest Tatuaje tour was “Halloween,” a cigar that has been through a couple iterations. From what I could find out, Halloween was announced at the 2014 IPCPR show as a cigar that would be available at the 2015 show…but only for those who showed up at the Tatuaje booth on Day 1 of the show. I was at the 2015 show in New Orleans and saw the Halloween sign installed on the booth…right before Pete Johnson and someone else came along and decided to remove the sign because plans had changed for the cigar. It wasn’t long before it was revealed that Halloween would only be available at special events where Pete or one of the other Tat/Lat principles (basically, KC or Dan) was in attendance…and then only when you bought a certain amount of product.
For the latest “I’m Lost” tour, anyone who bought a box of 20 or more sticks got a 3-pack of Halloween cigars. I bought a mixed box of sticks so I got my 3-pack. I smoked one on the evening of the event and saved the other two. As I sit here to review this second one from the pack, it’s hard to believe it’s been nearly a month since the event. (I’m saving the last one for some other “special occasion”).
The Halloween blend uses Nicaraguan fillers and binder leaves, along with a Connecticut Broadleaf maduro wrapper.
Prelight
The shape of the Halloween is, I believe, the same thing used for Tatuaje’s Exclusive Series…a circle with regular squared-off arms tying together in the back. The circle is in black but it seems to have the same round row of embossed dots and the arms have the same basic “stripes” effect, though in white, orange and black here. In the center of the circle, where the TAA cigar would have an Indian head printed, or another Exclusive Series might have the name of the shop printed, this cigar has a sinister jack-o-lantern with a face owing as much to Jack Skellington as anything else. “Tatuaje” and “Halloween” are rendered in a “dripping blood” looking font around the pumpkin head.
The wrapper was a dark chocolate brown with typically ugly veins for a Broadleaf, along with a slightly oily and slightly velvety touch to it and an aroma of natural tobacco, earth, and cocoa powder. The foot had a stronger cocoa note, along with some espresso bean and light earthiness.
After cutting, the pre-light draw was excellent and the cold flavors were a typical Broadleaf mix of earth, cocoa powder, coffee, and dried fruit.
Flavor
At the outset, the Halloween was full-bodied with anise and cocoa powder, earth and dried berries. I got a red pepper burn on the nose, though only a bit of pepper on the palate. The finish was dry and woody. As the first third progressed, some of the pepper and some of the sweetness ebbed away, leaving more cedar and anise to come forward.
In the second third, anise, cedar and cinnamon notes led the way, with espresso bean and cocoa powder following close. Dried fruit sweetness was more of a slight finishing note than anything else at this point and pepper spice had died down to a low-level burn on the nose and palate.
The last third of the Halloween saw the body fall to a medium-to-full place while the flavors of cedar and anise stayed steady, along with an increasing sweetness and an almost cola-like note.
Construction
I had a very good draw, solid ash and even enough burn line for a Maduro.
Value
If you love Tatuaje Broadleaf cigars, then this is definitely worth the price…even if that price is buying a whole box of something else just to get your hands on these…and then you get a bunch of Tatuajes to smoke in the bargain!
Conclusions
The Halloween isn’t my favorite Broadleaf-wrapped cigar from Tatuaje, but it is different, possessing more complexity in terms of anise, cinnamon and cola flavors wrapped up in the familiar dark chocolate and coffee notes. I wouldn’t be surprised if this came out as a regular release someday, but for now, I would say it’s worth the price of buying a box of some other Tatuaje favorite to get some of these…if you are already a Tatuaje Broadleaf fan.
By-The-Numbers
Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 2/2
Flavor: 4/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 9/10
