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Tatuaje Anarchy
alienmisprint
Posts: 3,964 ✭✭✭
I rarely do reviews (because I suck at them, lol), but this cigar was so good I feel like I have to tell somebody about it.
I broke off the pig-tail and drew on it before clipping, and it actually did have a decent amount of airflow. Looking at the end, however, it was a pretty small opening, so I decided to clip it to prevent possible tar build-up. Initial light-up produced a blast of peppery spice and a ton of smoke. I got a quality I wouldn't exactly call harshness, but it is (IMO) a sure sign of the aging potentianal these have. I agree with Jozer 100% about that. After the first few puffs, the spiciness dropped down a good bit, but stayed just present enough to give it a little kick on the palate. I really couldn't pull out any individual flavors for the first half inch or so, just an overall awesomeness.
Towards the end of the first inch, I am already feeling it in my stomach. I ate McDonald's earlier, just a Bacon/BBQ Angus meal, but I didn't think it would be an issue because I was under the impression that this is a medium body cigar. Maybe it is, but the gut feeling I was getting made me slow down more than I normally do. I also really need to comment on the draw and smoke production at this point. The draw, from the beginning, has been precisely what I want the draw on a cigar to be: very easy but with just enough resistance so that you don't feel like you are sucking on a straw and producing volumes, of thick, white, almost palpable smoke. I seriously had to wave my hands in front of my face to clear the smoke away so I could get some clean breaths in.
A little less than halfway in (about 45 minutes or so), the flavors have settled down a bit and the dominant flavor seems to be an anise with just a bit of something else, an earthy, woodsy flavor that isn't exactly earth or wood. The pepper is still underlying, but it is just barely noticeable. I am also picking up just a bit of citrus and maybe almond or amaretto on the long finish. Very nice. The smoke continues to be exceptionally smooth as it has been since about a half inch in, and the draw and smoke production is still excellent. I still have a rumble in my gut, and I find that I am letting the cigar sit longer and longer between draws.
As the last third begins (well over an hour by now), the cigar is still performing excellent. It has maintained an almost razor-sharp burn the entire time, requiring no touch-ups whatsoever. I'm still getting that anise flavor, and now I'm almost certain that mystery flavor on the finish is almond. It seems to have moved a little forward while the citrus receded. If I hadn't noticed it earlier, I may not have noticed it at this point, but it was still there on the finish. There are some other competing flavors going on, but the one that still dominates, although barely, is the anise flavor. Normally I wouldn't want that as the main flavor, but the rest of the smoke balances it out so well that is actually very nice.
Less than an inch left and it is still burning and performing perfect. The cigar is cool when I pick it up due to the long stays in the ashtray between puffs, but the draws are starting to get increasingly warmer. The flavors do start to deteriorate somewhat as it nears the very end (less than half an inch), but I 'm sure that is due to the heat. My fingers are getting burned every time I draw, to the point that I start using my cutter to hold it. As the cigar came to an end, the heat over-powered it and it started getting a little soft. I put it down with less than half an inch remaining, and really didn't want to. I probably held on a little too long, but it was so damn good.
My overall impression of this cigar is fantastic. From a construction standpoint, the cigar's draw was perfect, the burn was perfect, and the smoke was voluminous and plentiful (in short, perfect). As far as flavor, although I have picked up some of the same flavors in other cigars, I have never had a stick that was like this one. I wouldn't even compare it to any of the other Tatuaje lines, but I am certainly going to get another box just to throw in the bottom of my humidor and forget about. As I said above, I am in 100% agreement with Joe that these have an excellent aging potential.
I broke off the pig-tail and drew on it before clipping, and it actually did have a decent amount of airflow. Looking at the end, however, it was a pretty small opening, so I decided to clip it to prevent possible tar build-up. Initial light-up produced a blast of peppery spice and a ton of smoke. I got a quality I wouldn't exactly call harshness, but it is (IMO) a sure sign of the aging potentianal these have. I agree with Jozer 100% about that. After the first few puffs, the spiciness dropped down a good bit, but stayed just present enough to give it a little kick on the palate. I really couldn't pull out any individual flavors for the first half inch or so, just an overall awesomeness.
Towards the end of the first inch, I am already feeling it in my stomach. I ate McDonald's earlier, just a Bacon/BBQ Angus meal, but I didn't think it would be an issue because I was under the impression that this is a medium body cigar. Maybe it is, but the gut feeling I was getting made me slow down more than I normally do. I also really need to comment on the draw and smoke production at this point. The draw, from the beginning, has been precisely what I want the draw on a cigar to be: very easy but with just enough resistance so that you don't feel like you are sucking on a straw and producing volumes, of thick, white, almost palpable smoke. I seriously had to wave my hands in front of my face to clear the smoke away so I could get some clean breaths in.
A little less than halfway in (about 45 minutes or so), the flavors have settled down a bit and the dominant flavor seems to be an anise with just a bit of something else, an earthy, woodsy flavor that isn't exactly earth or wood. The pepper is still underlying, but it is just barely noticeable. I am also picking up just a bit of citrus and maybe almond or amaretto on the long finish. Very nice. The smoke continues to be exceptionally smooth as it has been since about a half inch in, and the draw and smoke production is still excellent. I still have a rumble in my gut, and I find that I am letting the cigar sit longer and longer between draws.
As the last third begins (well over an hour by now), the cigar is still performing excellent. It has maintained an almost razor-sharp burn the entire time, requiring no touch-ups whatsoever. I'm still getting that anise flavor, and now I'm almost certain that mystery flavor on the finish is almond. It seems to have moved a little forward while the citrus receded. If I hadn't noticed it earlier, I may not have noticed it at this point, but it was still there on the finish. There are some other competing flavors going on, but the one that still dominates, although barely, is the anise flavor. Normally I wouldn't want that as the main flavor, but the rest of the smoke balances it out so well that is actually very nice.
Less than an inch left and it is still burning and performing perfect. The cigar is cool when I pick it up due to the long stays in the ashtray between puffs, but the draws are starting to get increasingly warmer. The flavors do start to deteriorate somewhat as it nears the very end (less than half an inch), but I 'm sure that is due to the heat. My fingers are getting burned every time I draw, to the point that I start using my cutter to hold it. As the cigar came to an end, the heat over-powered it and it started getting a little soft. I put it down with less than half an inch remaining, and really didn't want to. I probably held on a little too long, but it was so damn good.
My overall impression of this cigar is fantastic. From a construction standpoint, the cigar's draw was perfect, the burn was perfect, and the smoke was voluminous and plentiful (in short, perfect). As far as flavor, although I have picked up some of the same flavors in other cigars, I have never had a stick that was like this one. I wouldn't even compare it to any of the other Tatuaje lines, but I am certainly going to get another box just to throw in the bottom of my humidor and forget about. As I said above, I am in 100% agreement with Joe that these have an excellent aging potential.
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Comments
Are there any other sticks that you know of with a anise flavor?
I knew you'd enjoy the Anarchy based on what I already know you like Tony, glad to hear you really enjoyed it. I absolutely agree with that assessment that it's really unlike anything else Tatuaje, whereas a lot of them have similar components, Anarchy stands firmly on its own.
As for age on the Anarchy, I am pretty sure these were a one time run, so whatever stock is left for sale, has been "aging" since they were released, so they already have a few months of age on them (though the question of when a cigar begins to truly "age" is a totally different, much more complicated issue, that I actually think Kuzi has written a good bit on). I've smoked a few Anarchy sticks, and I think they are smoking great now, but that they also have the potential to start evolving, blending, mellowing (in a good way) in a year or two's time. I don't think they are going to be much different in 3 months. I think they will be different in a year. And beyond that as well. If you only get one, smoke it now. If you get 5, smoke two now. If you get a box, smoke 5 now.
All of that babbling said, there's no right answer, since everyone has their own palate and preferences within that arena.