Tatuaje Tainos vs. Cabaiguan Imperiales Review

[nem]

Last night, I had the pleasure of beginning my evening with a Tatuaje Tainos, and concluding it with a Cabaiguan Imperiales.

The first Pepin that I ever smoked about half a year or so ago was a Tatuaje Tainos. It is a stick that has never disappointed me since. As always, the one I enjoyed last night had a smooth and oily wrapper, a triple cap, and an excellent draw. It was a rich and complex full bodied cigar with notes of spice, pepper, leather, nuts, and straight tobacco.

Near the end of my evening, after some good food and drinks, I headed to Chivas Cigars in Pasadena, and saw the Cabaiguan Imperiales for $11.99. It seemed like good value given CA taxes, and as I've never tried a Cabaiguan before, I decided to pick it up. It started out slightly peppery, and then after an inch or so, notes of nuts emerged. But this cigar never opened up, and the flavors always seemed muted. It simply lacked the richness and complexity of the Tainos. Maybe it was a dud, maybe it was over humidified, but I was somewhat disappointed.

Maybe I'll try another Cabaiguan some day, but for now, I'll stick to the Tatuaje Tainos over the Cabaiguan Imperiales.

[omowasu]

The Tat is a pretty full bodied stick - if you smoked that first, then followed it with the more medium Cabaiguan the flavors of the latter would seem more muted. Give the Cab a shot in the afternoon as your first cigar of the day. The flavors will be much more distinct.

[nem]

Originally Posted by omowasu

The Tat is a pretty full bodied stick - if you smoked that first, then followed it with the more medium Cabaiguan the flavors of the latter would seem more muted. Give the Cab a shot in the afternoon as your first cigar of the day. The flavors will be much more distinct.

I don't know, I still think I might have had a dud. I had the Tatuaje at around 5:00 pm, and I started smoking the Cabaiguan a little before 11:00 pm. I also had quite a bit of food and some drinks between the two smokes. And normally, everything tastes better after a few drinks!

[vudu9]

Tainos all the way.

[muziq]

Agree with omowasu--give the Cab another try as your first stick of the day, esp if you're gonna eat a large meal or have some drinks. Unless, of course, the lighter/medium body sticks don't really do it for you....