Tatuaje Verocu Tubo

Origin : Nicaragua
Format : Torpedo
Size : 6 1/8 x 52
Wrapper : Nicaragua
Filler : Nicaragua
Binder : Nicaragua
Hand-Made
Price : ~$10-11 each
More info about purchasing Tatuaje Verocu cigars...

Many thanks to Austin from the 7th Street Reserve for taking these excellent pictures for my series of reviews.

Pete Johnson is the genius cigar producer behind the Tatuaje brand. Towards the end of 2009, he released a new cigar, the Tatuaje Verocu Tubo. For those of you who do not know, the Verocu is an addition to the Havana IV, with the Verocu Tubo as the fourth of the line.

Appearance :
The tube mentioned above comes in a soft red color, with a silvery inscription of the Tatuaje brand. The cigar itself feels rough, stiff, without any soft areas. Right as you pull the cigar from the tube, the wrapper will attend to your olfactory sense and assault you with notes of spice, leather and hints of cedar.
Few thin veins run through the surface of the wrapper, which sports a dark shade of brown and contains a fair amount of oils.

Construction :
The Tatuaje Verocu maintains the high quality standards of the brand, having a near-perfect construction.
This Nicaraguan puro has a flawless draw and produces a considerable amount of smoke. The cigar has an equally great, straight burn, having no problems staying lit throughout the entire smoking session.
The Verocu leaves behind a bright gray ash that held on strong, requiring minimal interference from my side.
The reason I’m saying the construction is “near-perfect” is because I was a bit disappointed to find out that towards the end, after reaching the band, the cigar gets a tad softer.

Flavor :
The pre-light draw revealed a faded coffee nuance. If you have smoked the previous Verocus, then after lighting, the scent will be familiar. The cigar will greet you with a familiar flavor of spice, cedar and leather.
At first, a powerful blast of spice will flood your senses, but as you progress through the first third, you will notice a quick fading into calmer notes of coffee. Smoking through the second third, the creamy coffee flavor becomes dominant, while the spice remains only through the nose.
The last third of the Verocu will witness a resurface of the initial, strong spicy aroma. Powerful notes of earth and black pepper take over the flavor, while a subtle hint of chocolate and leather can be faintly felt through.
Throughout the smoking session, random hints of cocoa / chocolate mingle with the primary flavor, while a cinnamon aftertaste will delight your palate.
Overall, the cigar is a fairly balanced, complex and robust smoke, although its end can feed you an overly strong sensation.

Value :
At $11 a stick, this Tatuaje goes into the premium category. A near-flawless construction, great appearance and a complex flavor profile make this cigar well worth the money.

Overall Rating :
For this review, I have smoked two fresh cigars that a friend insisted on me to try out (actually, there was no need to insist – I was immediately excited upon hearing what I was going to smoke). Both were great, but I could distinguish a slight difference between them: while the first one was good, the second one surprised me with a smoother flavor. In regards to aging, I think this Tatuaje has great potential – I can’t wait to see how they turn out after some time in the humidor.
The Verocu line is one of Pete Johnson’s finest blends, and the Tubo is no exception, as it successfully carries on the excellent legacy of the Verocu No.1 and No.2.