Originally envisioned as part of the “Actor Series,” named after the actors who played the Movie Monsters from the “Monster Series,” the Tatuaje Boris Karloff 2025 is an extension of the only release in the line. The latest release is supposed to be the same blend as the 2020 Karloff…Nicaraguan filler and binder, with an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper…although this one is a different size.
The evolution of the basic Tatuaje banding is an interesting thing to note. For many years it stayed the same…plain printed paper and nothing else. Then they added some silver or gold foil accents to some bands. This latest one is white background with black printing and silver accents, but also includes “Boris Karloff” printed on the band, something I can’t remember ever seeing on a Tat.
The wrapper leaf was a milk chocolate brown color with veins that stood out a pale color in some places. The aroma from it was cedar and earth, with a touch of cocoa powder. It also had quite a toothy, raspy feel to it, like a fine grain sandpaper. The foot was very earthy with touches of sweetness and espresso bean. The cold draw had wood and a minty, almost metallic, note.
Firing up the Boris Karloff 2025, I noted tons of pepper spice and cedar right up front, along with some slightly sweet notes that came more into play very soon after. I have a history of really not enjoying Sumatra wrapper that much in general, but especially on Tatuaje blends. I’ve tried to enjoy them, but most of the time it just falls flat for me. This is a great exception to that rule…the slightly mineral or metallic notes that I get on many Sumatra leaves didn’t overpower the flavor profile, but blended in with wood and chocolate and coffee flavors as I went, all the while red and black pepper kept the heat up. I can confidently say this is my favorite Sumatra-wrapped Tatuaje…wish they made it all the time!
