Initial Thoughts:
I walked into my local shop and asked if they had anything brand new. “Yep, we sure do!” said the sales rep. And he pulled out a box of Tatuaje TAA 51st robustos.
These cigars are meant to commemorate the 51st anniversary of the Tobacconists' Association of America, and they feature a Nicaraguan filler and binder, and a Mexican San Andres wrapper. From the very beginning, the Tatuaje TAA 51st (a.k.a. the “51th”) is a very peppery cigar.
The first 1/2 inch is like the heat of cayenne pepper, and the first third finished with the full flavors of cracked black pepper. The construction seems to be pretty good on this cigar, though the box press is a little inconsistent.
CigarScore:
Brand: Tatuaje
Line: Tobacconists' Association of America, 51st Anniversary
Size: 5 x 52
Cut: Punch
Light: Torch
Price: $11.99
Wrapper: Mexican San Andres
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Final Thoughts:
To be perfectly honest, this cigar felt like an afterthought for Tatuaje. Any great flavors that kicked off the cigar soon fall away to rather bland and understated flavors that I didn't love.
The label had a typo, the box press was only half-pressed, and the Tatuaje TAA 51st didn't feel like it was worth $12 (or more, depending on taxes). And, the Tatuaje TAA 51st didn't seem up to par with other cigars made by Tatuaje.
Because I didn't really like the cigar (despite enjoying it at the start) and wouldn't want to grab a couple to enjoy with you, I have to give the Tatuaje TAA 51st a CigarScore of 2.
