Review" Tatuaje Havana VI Angeles

[ghost]

Last weekend I had the oppurtunity to have a number of smokes. One of them is one of my favorite blends out there the Havana VI. I have a box of the Angeles resting in my coolerdor and decided to give one a run.

Setting: Outdoors on my deck. Temps in the high 70s to low 80s; a bit humid. Light up was at 9 PM.

Appearance: Nice brown/tan color. Handsome looking smoke.


Storage: A box of these babies rests in my coolerdor which is kept at about 67% with the help of an Osais XL and some beads. Been in there for about a year.

Cut: Old releiable Palio; Nice clean cut.

1/3rd: Upon light up the cigar produces that peppery spice that Pepin blends are know for. A few more puffs and you would get a nice tobacco flavor with hints of burnt wood, almost cedary at times. The wood flavor continued and melded with this earthy flavor. Burn was excellent. It also produced a nice amount of smoke almost perfect. Draw was excellent. Ashw as about an inch and half.

2/3rd: The earthy burnt wood flavor became the predominant at this point. I kept trying to decipher other hints of flavor here and there all good signs for a complex smoke. A leathery aftertaste would also begin to creep in at this part of the smoke (which I love). A was able to pick up some nutty and very, very subtle berry type of hints. You had to really concentrate to pick these hints up and they were not always there (but I would keep searching for them with each puff). Draw, smoke, burn and ash were all excellent.

3/3rd: The other hints and flavor started to diminish and was left with that earthy burnt wood taste. Peppery spice began to make an appearance. A bit more into this part of the 'gar I started to felt that it was getting a bit harsh but I just wanted to continue to nub it since I was enjoying it so much. At this point in the night (a little past 10 PM) I decided to do something I rarely do when smoking and that is to drink some alchohol. Figuring it was towards the end of the smoke anyway and I was enjoying the night and the cigar I went for it. I decided to pair it with some Booker's bourbon. The result was SPECTACULAR!!! Something about the cigar was bringing out all these weird nuiances in the bourbon making it taste sweet with some fruity hints. I was blown away at how good the pairing was.

Overall impressions:

Smoke: Very nice amount throughout. Not even a thought.

Ash: Nice ash that would stay one for an inch to an inch and a half.

Burn: Excellent for most if the cigar but a bit uneven as I began nubbing but don't think that it is uncommon.

Final Thoughts: I really enjoyed this cigar and consider the Tat Havana VI one of my favorites (prefer it over the regular Tats). It is a very complex smoke if you take the time and simply sit back and enjoy it. This is not a cigar to have when you are doing anything else. In fact I enjoy to have this when I am alone or just with the wife (and the kids are in bed) enjoy a nice spring/summer evening. It is a smoke that you want to almost concentrate on what it is trying to show you and you need to go slow to do so.

The big surprise has to be the pairing of it with the Bookers. My instincts told me that the smoke would go well with a smokey, slightly sweet drink and I was not wrong. I don't like to drink during a cigar (well at least a smoke like this one) as I want to experience everything the cigar has to offer but since it was in the final stages of the last 3rd and getting a bit harsh I felt it was ok. It payed off in the sense that it was the cigar that brought out the flavors in the bourbon. For its part, the bourbon took a slight edge off the harshness but increased that smokey wood flavor. I would recommend a try to some of the other bourbon drinkers on here.

I hope you guys found this review helpful.

Stay strong and happy smokes!

[tzaddi]

Originally Posted by ghost

I hope you guys found this review helpful.

I did and appreciate the time and effort you put into it. This particular cigar is also a favorite of mine. Your beverage pairing results where not a fluke I often enjoyed a bit of rum as I worked through the box.

Here is a link to a very unconventional review of the same cigar that I think you might enjoy, including a few photos.

Tatuaje Havana VI Angeles Deconstructed

Once again thanks for putting your review together.

[ghost]

I am glad you enjoyed it TZ and thanks for providing the link to your review. I appreciate it and also enjoyed it although I did cringe a bit at some of the "deconstructed" pics

[Patrick B]

Great review of a great smoke. This little cigar is my favorite in the Havana VI line. I am glad to hear you found out how great a good cigar and bourbon pair together. It's heaven!

[jedipastor]

This was a really great review! Very extensive and helpful for a noob

This cigar is one of my favorite petite coronas so far (a size that I really love). In the Havana VI line I think I have to give the nod to the Victorias over the Angeles, but only slightly.

I agree that the final third of these cigars is really phenomenal. Even if there wasn't much going on in the first 2/3 of the stick, it would be worth the time and money just for the final smokable inch.

[popNsmoke]

great review on a great cigar. I need 2 get some more of these. Every time they are on Cbid they go above retail.

[azpostal]

Thanks for the review.

[Herf N Turf]

Originally Posted by popNsmoke

great review on a great cigar. I need 2 get some more of these. Every time they are on Cbid they go above retail.

No kidding! I like these too, but everytime I go into my B&M there's something there I like as well for less money. If I could afford them, Id smoke them more.
How much to you feel it benefitted from the nap?

Thanks for the tempting review.

[ghost]

Don,

I think the nap helped smooth and sort of meld the flavors together. It took just a tad of the 'edge' off of it making it a bit more complex of a smoke since the flavors are combining into eacg other.

Kind of hard for me to explain and hope I make sense.

[Herf N Turf]

Thanks, G. Thats the knife edge I ride with napping, or aging NC's. I love the "edge" of the fresh ones, but also enjoy the flavor marrying which can occur...