The Good Stuff:

The Tatuaje Jackal is a limited edition cigar created exclusively for Casa De Montecristo in Countryside, Illinois. Casa De Montecristo states that the cigar has been in the making for 3 years, while it features an ancient Egyptian theme based on the god Anubis who was half man, half jackal. Right away the packaging, and even cigar format reminded me of some of the Tatuaje Monster Series making this release even more exciting. The blend starts with the rare Sancti Spiritus that Pete Johnson has relied on heavily as the main wrapper in many of his L’Atelier Imports blends. Keeping with the monster theme the Jackal then utilizes a mixture of various Nicaraguan filler tobaccos used in Tatuaje Monster series blends. The cigar is offered in one size, a 6.75 x 54 torpedo which sports an unfinished foot similar to the Wolfman. Only 2,000 boxes of 10 were produced and the cigar runs $13.99 per stick which you can only get at Casa de Montecristo in Illinois. Huge thanks goes out to the Casa de Montecristo staff for sending these our way.

Size: 6.75 x 54
Wrapper: Sancti Spiritus
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Body: Medium/Full
Strength: Medium
Price: $13.99
Pairing: Stone Xocoveza Charred (Imperial Stout 10% ABV)

Prelight:

The Tatuaje Jackal starts out with a beautifully consistent, milk chocolate brown wrapper. You really have to strain to see any color variations throughout the wrapper. The texture of the wrapper leaf is very rough and toothy, with only some very slight oils. The stand-out characteristic of the Jackal is the unfinished foot which revels a good amount of the binder and filler tobacco extended through the foot of the cigar. There are only a few medium sized veins running through the course of the Jackal’s body leading up to a very sharp, torpedo cap. The wrapper feels very dense, and very firm as the entire cigar is packed very tightly with no soft spots at all. The Jackal is polished off with a simple black and gold band with Pete Johnson’s logo on the front with the words “The Jackal” and “Tatuaje Exclusive Series” printed along the sides.

The wrapper on the Tatuaje Jackal gives off some slight spice and tobacco aromas while the foot of the cigar carries much more spice, pepper, and earthiness. The cap cut clean and easily using my Palio double bladed cutter. The cold draw carries over a ton of spice, sweetness, cocoa, and earthiness.

First Third:

The Tatuaje Jackal starts out with a great little black/cayenne pepper zing that’s heavy enough to leave my lips tingling for a moment. The pepper quickly fades and a much sweeter profile of cocoa, cinnamon, spice, and coffee take over. As the foot burns up to the wrapper much more sweet spice is poured into the equation along with some really nice toffee notes. The draw is flawless, each tiny puff kicks out a great amount of thick smoke while the cigar releases almost no stationary smoke as it rests in my ashtray. the burn line is dead even and razor thin which is always a concern of mine with unfinished feet. The ash left behind is medium and light gray and pretty well compacted as it held on for about and inch before falling into my ashtray.

Second Third:

Into the second third of the Tatuaje Jackal and some of the sweetness has started to take a step back and is now being replaced by some great tea/pine flavors mixed in with the cocoa, coffee, and spice. The retrohale showcases some really bold cedar and sharp spice that you don’t really pick out of the standard smoking experience. It’s a bit too sharp for me though so I don’t find myself retrohaling this cigar too often. The burn line is becoming slightly wavy as I close out the second third, but nothing concerning while I feel nothing in terms of nicotine yet.

Finish:

Into the final third to the Tatuaje Jackal the body and strength have really started to ramp up. The cigar now resides in the medium/full range while the flavors are leading with a bold dark chocolate, spice, and sweetness over the soft coffee, toffee, and pine. A bit of sap built up in the very tail end of the final third causing my to clip a little more off the cap. When I did this, a decent sized crack went through just the wrapper. While this was totally my fault, it didn’t actually change the experience one bit. The cigar still finished nice and clean, creamy, and tasty. It took my about an hour and forty five minutes to take this cigar down to the nub and I experience no harshness, no extra heat, nor did I ever have to reach for my torch to relight or touch this bad boy up.

Overview:

The Tatuaje Jackal is another solid release from Tatuaje and an interesting take on the exclusive series. The flavors are solid, the cigar preformed very well, and the experience was great. This cigar hits on all cylinders without being overpowered by strength. I personally really enjoyed the flavor profile as it is exactly what I look for in a cigar. Due to pricing, and marketing I’d have to compare this cigar to some of the monster releases, and in doing so it fits right in and probably sits right in the middle in terms of favorites. The price is a bit steep, but again, you get what you pay for and in the case of the Jackal its a great, limited edition cigar that preformed from the light of the foot, up to the very last bit of the nub. Since these come in convenient boxes of 10, and are very limited, I’d recommend snatching up a full box from Casa de Montecristo while you still can.

Pairing:

I was all about Stone’s Xocoveza last year, in fact it was probably one of my favorite seasonals. This year, they announced they were making a few variants of the beer and the Charred version was amongst them which quickly turn the idea light on above my head for a cigar pairing. The Stone Xocoveza Charred Mocha Stout is a ale brewed with cocoa, coffee, & spices aged in bourbon barrels. This imperial stout brewed in San Diego, California comes in at a whopping 10%. The stout leads in with some intense sweetness, milk chocolate, cocoa, coffee, and malt with a heavy mouthfeel before finishing even sweeter with creamy milk, chocolate, coffee and a good deal of spice/chile that you only get in the back of your throat on the after taste. As it warms the bourbon starts to come out a bit more, but they hid the booze in this beer very well. The charred chocolate, coffee, and spice paired perfectly with the Tatuaje Jackal. I’d also pair this cigar with a solid Belgian strong ale, quad, or smoked porter.

The post Tatuaje Jackal Cigar Review appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

-Tony

With Christmas looming, I wanted to be sure to get another review in this week, so I decided to go with something that, hopefully, will be rather quick, but worthy of attention.

The L’Atelier MAD maduro series was released just before the 2013 IPCPR trade show and immediately garnered positive notice.   Coming in three vitolas – MAD 44: 4 1/2 x 44, MAD 54:

4 1/2 x 54; and MAD 56: 5 1/2 x 56 – they run from $6.50 to $9.50 for singles, with most box prices lowering the cost by nearly a dollar a stick.  Like all of the L’Atelier lines outside of the bundled ones, these are manufactured at the My Father factory.

I previously reviewed the Ecuadorian Sancti Spritus wrapped LAT 46  several months back, and this MAD 44 came from the same sampler that I bought from Small Batch Cigar back then (the contents of the sampler have changed slightly since then).

I would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone out there a very Merry Christmas, and thank you for coming here to read and take part in the goings on here!

Basics:

Wrapper:  USA Connecticut Broadleaf
Binder:  Nicaragua, Sancti Spiritus
Filler:  Nicaragua
Size:  MAD 44 – 4 1/2x 44
Price:  $6.50
Smoking time:  One hour, five minutes
Pairing:  Victory Storm King Imperial Stout (9.1% ABV)

Pre-light:

The petite corona sized L’Atelier MAD 44 comes clad in an extremely dark, nearly black, wrapper that shows a slight amount of oiliness and a bit of tooth.  It is very firmly packed, and it takes a good look to discern the seams on the wrap.  The black, gold, and silver graphics and lettering on the white background of the band are simple, yet effective, and pops out against the deep color of the wrapper.  The wrapper gives up scents of earth, barnyard, and a bit of smoke, while the foot shows woody tobacco and dark Oolong tea (I swear, that’s what I’m picking up!).  A shallow clip of the cap reveals a good draw with sweet hay and not much more and leaves a peppery tingle on the lips.

First half:

The L’Atelier MAD 44 opens up with a nice mouthful of earthy tobacco, bitter coffee, and smoky oak, backed by a good amount of pepper, which shows even more prominently in the retrohale.  A bit of sweetness and some cocoa are present in the aftertaste.  A tartness soon creeps in and the pepper dials back as the mouthfeel turns rounder and smoother.  The burn line is a bit wavy and the ash falls on me at ¾”.  The pepper picks up in intensity, then again falls back as a definite savoriness enters the picture.  Nearing the tail end of the first half, the MAD 44 has developed what former – and much missed – Casas Fumando reviewer Daniel used to aptly term a “peninsula”, and although tempted to correct it, I allow it to do so on its own, which it mostly does.

The rest of the way:

Sweet spice and the return of the pepper ushers in the second half of the L’Atelier MAD 44, which at this point is at a medium-full body, but no more than medium in strength.  The mouthfeel is somehow paradoxically smooth, yet bitey.  Savory charred oak, coffee, and earth continue to run the show, while the burn wavers and self-corrects.  With and inch and a half to go, the sweetness has fallen back and the tanginess har mover forward, only to soon change places once again.  The MAD 44 smokes cool and without harshness down to where I can no longer hold onto the small nub.

Final thoughts:

The L’Atelier MAD 44 turned out to be something I wasn’t quite expecting in that I thought it would be more of a typical sweet maduro.  Instead, it was a much more serious smoke with a decent amount of complexity with a definite amount of edginess to it.  It’s a cigar that kept me on my toes while delivering a different kind of maduro experience.  The construction on it was less than perfect, but acceptable, and the price, while on the slightly higher side for a small stick, was certainly in line with the results.  I can’t say that this would be a cigar that would exhilarate those who prefer a sweet, chocolate driven maduro, but I think it is a one well worth looking into.

Pairing:

The Storm King Imperial Stout by Victory Brewing Company clocks in at 9.1% ABV, and is a very hop forward example of the genre.  Not having had either before, I was expecting a bit more sweetness from both the beer and the cigar, so it wasn’t the ideal match I was hoping for.  Couple that with the fact that the cold weather outside refused to let the beer warm up to show its true self, and things fell a bit flat.  The L’Atelier MAD 44 would do much better with a sweeter version of a stout, or perhaps a darker Belgian ale.  A nice deep tawny  or reserve port would be an ideal match for this cigar.

The post L’Atelier Imports L’Atelier MAD 44 Maduro appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

L’Atelier Imports is a company co-founded by Pete Johnson along with Dan Welsh (New Havana Cigars), K. C. Johnson, and Sean “Casper” Johnson.   The partnership produces the vaunted L’Atelier flagship line, Selection Speciale, and Maduro, as well as the Surrogates and budget oriented El Suelo and Trocadero lines.  The Extension de la Racine ER 13 was released at the 2013 IPCPR trade show and reportedly would be limited to those retailers placing orders at the show.  This line is said to be an annual release, with each year introducing a different vitola.  As can be inferred, “ER 13” refers to the Extension de la Racine 2013 version.  With the unveiling of the ER 14 at this year’s show and recent shipments to retailers, I figured I’d better get this review in before it becomes irrelevant.

The L’Atelier Extension de la Racine (French for “extension of the root”) refers to this cigar being a derivative of the flagship line.  While researching the components of the cigar, I came across a confusing variety of information as to its makeup.  Some sites say that it is all Nicaraguan, but since it utilizes the Sancti Spiritus tobacco, that would not seem to be correct, as that tobacco is grown in Ecuador, at least as far as I know.  Since the L’Atelier website doesn’t list the Extension de la Racine, it’s difficult to be precise on this, so I’m just going to go with what I think makes sense.  So what I’m seeing is that the filler is a combination of Nicaraguan and Sancti Spiritus, the binder is a double layer of Sancti Spiritus, and the wrapper is a Nicaraguan Sun Grown Criollo.  It comes in a single size, that being a 5.875”x52 toro type size called a cañonazo, and is manufactured at the Pepin family’s My Father factory in Nicaragua.

Wrapper:  Nicaraguan Sun Grown Criollo
Binder:  Double binder – Sancti Spiritus
Filler:  Nicaraguan and Sancti Spiritus
Size:  5.875 x 52
Price:  $9.25
Smoke time:  1 hour, 40 minutes
Pairing:  Fort George Brewery North VII (North the Seventh)

Pre-light:

*Note:  Yes, the photo with the green paper background is a different cigar than the one being reviewed.  Being a forgetful old fart, I neglected to take a shot of it by itself and had to hurriedly shoot another one that I had in my humidor.

The L’Atelier Extension de la Racine ER13 comes draped in an oily, uniformly reddish brown wrapper, showing a few small to medium veins, a firm pack, and the signature neatly wound Pepin triple cap.  It is adorned with a striking band of candy apple red, gold, black, and pearl silver/gray which coordinates beautifully with the color of the wrapper.  Taking a sniff off the wrapper, I pick up cedar, leather, and a slight grassiness, while the foot mostly shows the cedar and tobacco.  After an easy cut, the slightly snug draw displays a light spice and (surprise!) cedar.

First third:

The cigar seems to want to take its own sweet time getting lit, but after a nice slow toasting, the first draws lead into an initial blast of cedar, sweet citrus, and Asian spices ( anise, coriander, and cardamom), along with a white pepper sharpness on the tongue.  Besides the cedar, the retrohale features a hint of leather and a lot of pepper sting.  The burn has started out a bit wavy and the gray/white ash looks to be compact. An inch in, the draw has opened up to a comfortable point, and the pepper has backed off considerably, leaving the cedar to lead the way, with the spice and fleeting glimpses of leather playing in the background.  The body is just at the point of medium at this point and there is no nicotine to be felt.  The burn has evened itself out and at 1 ½” the ash has taken a tumble into my lap, revealing a small tunnel that, fortunately, doesn’t seem to be affecting the performance or flavor of the cigar.

Middle third:

Getting into the second third of the ER13, the cedar has become very smooth and the leather has all but disappeared, while a savory, somewhat meaty component has emerged.  The pepper has returned on the retrohale along with a powdery sweetness.   The spice element, meanwhile, has morphed into more of a floral sensation, although I am somewhat saddened to have the Asian tinged facet fade.  These flavors weave in and out, providing a nice complexity to the smoke, while keeping the medium bodied experience going.

Final third:

The powdery sweetness in the retrohale has now moved to the draw of the ER 13, and while the smooth cedar continues to be a major factor of the smoke, it has stepped back to allow more of the floral spice to come through and the citrus tang remains in the mix.  The body has climbed above the medium mark to medium-full and there is now some nicotine strength showing, not a lot, but enough to let you know it’s there.  A spicy tingle on the tongue and lips, along with some charred toast (hmm, isn’t toast already charred?) has come into play with 1 ½” left, as the body and strength continue to push upward.  The ER 13 smokes absolutely cool all the way down to the last ¾”, coming to and end after one hour and forty minutes.

Overview:

A tasty and relaxing medium-full bodied smoke with low-medium strength – hell yes!  I have really enjoyed the several L’Atelier Extension de la Racines that I have smoked, with flavors that are certainly not run of the mill providing a good amount of complexity without pounding you over the head with them.  Construction was pretty much spot-on, with just one small correction required and no re-lights.  The price is entirely in line with a cigar of this quality, and even more so with the limited availability.  My only misgiving is that I only have a couple of them left, as I would love to revisit them in a year or so to see how they develop.  Fortunately, even as a limited edition smoke, there seems to be a few online purveyors, such as Smoke Inn and Bonita Smoke Shop, who still have them in stock at the time of this write up.  I will look forward to picking up some of the newly shipped ER 14 – supposedly the same blend in a different vitola (torpedo) – sometime in the near future.

Pairing:

The North VII by Fort George Brewery in Astoria, Oregon is a Belgian influenced Imperial IPA that has been aged in bourbon barrels and is a one-off release.  With an ABV of 9%, it noticeably displays its Belgian side, complementing, rather than overwhelming, its IPA base.  Pouring forth a full and smooth mouthfeel with a load of orange zest and grapefruit, herbs, fruity sweetness, and just a slight hit of vanillan oak, it finishes with IPA bitterness without going overboard with the pine.  This beer was a great foil for the flavors presented by the L’Atelier Extension de la Racine ER 13.  Be forewarned, however, if you happen to get a bottle of this great ale:  a slow and deliberate pour is required, as it will produce an amazingly huge head of foam if you are not careful!

This cigar seems to beg for a Belgian style brew; a light, elegant bourbon such as the standard Four Roses; or a fruity red wine like a Zinfandel, Australian Shiraz, or a Garnacha (Grenache) from Spain.

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