Pre-light: To me, this has a classic cigar taste and smell prior to lighting. The J21 gives off that tough presence early, and I think, leaves you pleasantly surprised later on with its smooth character. All things earth are very apparent with this ligero wrapper. I can taste leather and wood from the start, before I strike a match. The draw was incredibly easy, and I would have to classify it as a bit loose. I knew this would be a fast burner before I even lit it.
I opted to use a match instead of my lighter, because I wanted to preserve as much flavor as possible without overheating right away. I knew I'd get to play with my lighter soon enough.
First Stage: Right away I was challenging myself to draw the cigar in deeper and deeper. I would instantly say this cigar is a true medium. It doesn't begin to show any real strength until later on. Wood and leather are present immediately, and they'll stay throughout.
Earlier in the week I watched the video posted here that has Pete Johnson saying, "You've got a lighter -- use it!" He tells it like it is. I touched this cigar up several times (five I think) just to keep it straight. The strange thing is -- the flavor here is so rich, I don't mind all the lighter action. I appreciate a cigar burning evenly, but the ruggedness of the J21, is almost needing a different classification system. It wouldn't be fair to say, "I give this a 6 out of 10 for its poor construction" simply because that is the way Johnson has intended these cigars to be. Some may rally against this -- it's almost an Emperor Wears No Clothes scenario. But, I for one, appreciate the complexity and taste of the J21, and can look past the need for maintenance with a lighter.
Second Stage: The cigar has remained remarkably smooth, but the burn is still uneven. I wanted to stay very true to this review, and only touch when needed. You can see from the 2nd pic that the cigar wants to burn out of control. I like this picture because the cigar is naturally creating one of the folds of the Flur de Lise. I don't think Pete planned for that.
I can smell the cedar as I puff away, and for the first time, a solid spice kick hits my lips. The early leather starts to give way to a bit of coffee flavoring, while the wood remains.
Third Stage: With about 2.5 inches left, the cigar finally evens out. Long ashes haven't been a problem (I'll only ash 3 times in total for this J21), and I'm finally safe to put down the Colibri for good. At this point, the nictoine kicker starts to make my heart pound a bit, and I'm smiling. The stick takes on a medium-full strength, and holds true to its woody characteristic. The spice wasn't overwhelming, and I was able to enjoy the J21 down to the nub.
If the robusto is my favorite vitola, and the Tatuaje Reserva J21 has some of my favorite tastes, and great smoke density, I have to say this is currently one of my favorite cigars. Put it this way: My 5'er from last week is now a pair sitting top shelf. Luckily, some Cojonu 2006's are on the way, for I fear these will be gone before weeks end.
I will openly admit to being caught up in the whole Pepin/Tatuaje craze, but this cigar was meant for me.
Appearance and Construction: 11/15
Flavor: 25/25
Smoking Characteristics: 20/25
Overall Impression 33/35
Total: 89
I opted to use a match instead of my lighter, because I wanted to preserve as much flavor as possible without overheating right away. I knew I'd get to play with my lighter soon enough.
First Stage: Right away I was challenging myself to draw the cigar in deeper and deeper. I would instantly say this cigar is a true medium. It doesn't begin to show any real strength until later on. Wood and leather are present immediately, and they'll stay throughout.
Earlier in the week I watched the video posted here that has Pete Johnson saying, "You've got a lighter -- use it!" He tells it like it is. I touched this cigar up several times (five I think) just to keep it straight. The strange thing is -- the flavor here is so rich, I don't mind all the lighter action. I appreciate a cigar burning evenly, but the ruggedness of the J21, is almost needing a different classification system. It wouldn't be fair to say, "I give this a 6 out of 10 for its poor construction" simply because that is the way Johnson has intended these cigars to be. Some may rally against this -- it's almost an Emperor Wears No Clothes scenario. But, I for one, appreciate the complexity and taste of the J21, and can look past the need for maintenance with a lighter.
Second Stage: The cigar has remained remarkably smooth, but the burn is still uneven. I wanted to stay very true to this review, and only touch when needed. You can see from the 2nd pic that the cigar wants to burn out of control. I like this picture because the cigar is naturally creating one of the folds of the Flur de Lise. I don't think Pete planned for that.
I can smell the cedar as I puff away, and for the first time, a solid spice kick hits my lips. The early leather starts to give way to a bit of coffee flavoring, while the wood remains.
Third Stage: With about 2.5 inches left, the cigar finally evens out. Long ashes haven't been a problem (I'll only ash 3 times in total for this J21), and I'm finally safe to put down the Colibri for good. At this point, the nictoine kicker starts to make my heart pound a bit, and I'm smiling. The stick takes on a medium-full strength, and holds true to its woody characteristic. The spice wasn't overwhelming, and I was able to enjoy the J21 down to the nub.
If the robusto is my favorite vitola, and the Tatuaje Reserva J21 has some of my favorite tastes, and great smoke density, I have to say this is currently one of my favorite cigars. Put it this way: My 5'er from last week is now a pair sitting top shelf. Luckily, some Cojonu 2006's are on the way, for I fear these will be gone before weeks end.
I will openly admit to being caught up in the whole Pepin/Tatuaje craze, but this cigar was meant for me. Appearance and Construction: 11/15
Flavor: 25/25
Smoking Characteristics: 20/25
Overall Impression 33/35
Total: 89