Tatuaje La Verite

***I am honored to present my second guest review, this time from Jon (Kidrock on the forums)

I often don’t do cigar reviews because I’m not an expert. In April 2009 Pete Johnson posted a photo of a cigar with a 2008 band on it saying it would be a limited released cigar that was a tribute to his passion for vintage wines. I rarely believe in hype or marketing, and was very skeptical when the price of the La Verite (5X50) would be 16.00 dollars. This is a steep price to pay especially since I left the work force recently to peruse my graduate degree in Secondary Education at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. Mark Just, the owner of Tower Cigars & Pipes (www.towercigars.com) in Sacramento, California was extremely gracious in giving me the chance to access a box of 25, and sent a fiver of Angelenos along that I will be reviewing in the future.

Construction: The wrapper is a tad bit fragile and had a little cracking during the smoking process. However, I firmly believe that it was based the fact that the cigar was so fresh and a tad bit wet.

Ash: The ash held nice and tight the entire time I enjoyed this cigar. The La Verite was smoked in 65 minutes.

Flavor: The beginning of this stick hits you with the Pepin spice that Tatuaje cigars are known for. At the halfway point, I got a few notes of carmel and bread. This is a very distinctive note that I absolutely love. The last part of the cigar mellowed out; the spice was there and my palette found it quite favorable. I nubbed this cigar :)

My verdict: I would easily rate this cigar in the low 90’s and would buy another box if given the chance. Also, A HUGE THANK YOU to Mark at Tower Cigars & Pipes (www.towercigars.com) and to AJ as well for letting me contribute to his wonderful blog.

Until next time, may your ashes be long and your humidor full,

Jon “Kidrock” DiBartolomeo