Ask your cigar store customer what TAA is they would be hard pressed to guess anything but Tits & Ass. Ask a cigar geek and they would tell you TAA is a limited edition release that comes out each year. Some might know there is more then Tatuaje that do these releases, but many would have a hard time naming the others after The Angels Anvil. Right or wrong, this is the perceptions for many cigar smokers.
In reality, TAA stands for Tobacconist Association of America. It’s a good ol boys club of retailers that have a mini trade show where they collectively buy in volume at discounted prices raising their profit margins and in some cases allowing them to compete with the big mail order guys who are not allowed in the group.
In order to be a member of the group you need to be recommended by other members within the group and this goes for both retailers and manufacturers. No matter what your thoughts are the TAA is good for the cigar industry even if it is just for limited edition cigars in the eyes of the smoker.
Cigar Review: Tatuaje TAA 2023 Limited Edition
Size: 6 3/8 x 54 (Toro)
Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
Binder: Nicaragua (Double Binder)
Fillers: Nicaragua
Factory: My Father Cigars S.A.
Release Date: April 2024
Box Count: 20
Production Size: 2500 boxes
The Cigar: I can’t help but look at any LE from Tatuaje and hear either the theme from Rocky or Eye of the Tiger. The secondary exclusive band is reminiscent of the title belt Rocky Balboa wore. Also give me the fleur-de-lys over the artist formally known as logo Pete Johnson uses today. The cigars a mottled looking Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper with some subtle oils, tooth and rustic appearance. The wrapper fully engulfs the foot of the cigar and under the fingers it feels both coarse and velvety. In the hand the cigar is balanced with a nice weight to it.
The Taste: The cold draw of the Tatuaje TAA 2023 has rich German chocolate on the cold draw with a touch of orange marmalade. The foot of the cigar and wrapper has a manure like aroma to it which believe it or not is the ultimate compliment you can pay to a tobacco grower. Since the foot of the cigar is covered we pull on it as we toast the cigar and some of that chocolate sweetness shows it self before that stereotypical Pepin pepper blast My Father Cigars S.A. is known for.
As we smoke the first third the burst of pepper slowly pulls back and balancing out to showcase notes of chocolate, walnuts, cashews and coffee. It’s robust with darker hearty flavors with a hint of leather on the finish. The retrohale is eye watering with an abundance of black and white pepper that also has a touch of nuttiness as well.
The second third sees the cigar develop some earthiness as a base note with coffee and some subtle nuttiness. Additional there is a fleeting caramel and chocolate component that is reminiscent of a caramello candy bar. The retrohale continues to offer up pepper though it is a bit more tame now and offset with some cedar notes.
Smoking the last third of the Tatuaje TAA 2023 the cigar is a combination of leather and earth with espresso beans. The sweetness of the first two thirds has disappeared with the exception of a quick glimpse. The retrohale has some red pepper and cedar that definitely quickly jolts you awake anytime you pass it through the nose.
Conclusion: In today’s cigar market 54 ring isn’t big by any stretch of the imagination but it feels big in this cigar. There is a lot of tobacco packed into this smoke so it probably played into the size when then cigar was being blended. However I wish it could be compacted into something like a 48 ring smoke. I can’t put my finger on way, but the size bothers me in this one.
Despite that it is Tatuaje at his finest. It almost reminds me of a T110 in terms of the strength and spice. However fans will note that this cigar features a Broadleaf wrapper while that one featured a Habano wrapper. For now this will answer my question of what the T110 might have tasted like covered in Broadleaf.
Score: 93
Price: $15.00 (Before any local or state taxes)
