Tatuaje Havana Hermosa
Jun 11, 2009 Cigar
Havana VI was created in 2006 and boasts six vitolas (thus the VI in the name). Referred to as the ‘Red Label’, the band duplicates the classic Cabinet band in red. It is made in Esteli Nicaragua at the Tabacalera Cubana factory. It is medium to full bodied and is truly a Nicaraguan Puro, consisting of Nicaraguan filler, binder and wrapper. The Angeles recently received a 93 rating in Cigar Aficianado. The Exclusivo Verocu No.1 and No.2 will add 2 more special vitolas to the line in 2007 – one sold exclusively in the Eastern states, and one sold exclusively in the Western half of the U.S. About the Verocu, Pete says “This blend will have a Cafe Rosado Oscuro wrapper (as opposed to the Cafe Rosado in the Havana VI classic line) and we are adding Ligero tobacco to the blend to give the cigar a more robust taste. Basically, it’s a Havana VI on steroids”.
And now, on to the review.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Size: 5 5/8 x 46 (Corona Gorda)
Origin: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Nicaragua
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
APPEARANCE and CONSTRUCTION -
Dark brown wrapper with a nice triple cap. Clean looking wrapper. No blemishes or anything negative to speak of on the overall construction. Feels firm and well constructed. No soft spots.
SMOKING CHARACTERISTICS -
Wrapper has a light cedary aroma. Nothing too heavy or intense. Foot has a distinct smell of toasted wood. Burn was initially uneven but corrected itself fairly quickly. Perfect draw with good amount of smoke. Ash started to flower at the midway point but held firmly. Dense smoke. Nice toasty aroma coming off the stick as it burns.
FLAVOR -
Starts out with a cedar flavor. Interesting dry walnut flavor builds around the midway point. Nice light spiciness appears around the midway point as well. Clean finish that’s lightly creamy.
OVERALL IMPRESSION -
The Havana line is a very nice alternative to the Cazador for those who find the brown label a bit too pricey. Havana line offers a lot of that Pepin character at a lower price and with a little less power. I enjoyed the corona gorda size a lot. After smoking so many of the new Reservas and the Triunfador, these sticks seem simple and mundane to me. I think I’ve been a little spoiled by the amazing stuff Pete Johnson has been producing recently. That being said, I’d definitely reach for this stick again.
TOTAL SCORE - 87
