It’s my favorite wrapper type (still…more than a decade after declaring it to be so) from one of my favorite Nicaraguan factories and wearing the branding of one of my favorite companies…so why did it take me more than a year to get around to reviewing this one? Honestly, the first couple of these I had were less than breathtaking…tight draw or extremely uneven burn…whatever…I just wasn’t enjoying them as much as I should when it’s a Tatuaje LLE Broadleaf Reserva, adorned with a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper, and issuing forth from the My Father Cigars factory in Nicaragua. But I thought I’d buy another one…let it sit for a while, then review it.
The first thing that struck me about this one was how dark the wrapper leaf was. Many Tatuaje Broadleaf Maduros are dark, but this was a dark, dark chocolate brown, just a few steps short of going over the line into “mostly black.” Speaking of dark chocolate, I got that exact aroma note from the wrapper, along with some espresso bean and earth. The foot was sweeter and earthier, and just really delightful smelling.
The cold draw was a bit tight, but not prohibitively so…I fired up the cigar and got full-force earthiness, cocoa powder, espresso bean, mild sweetness, and a bit of red pepper spice in just a few draws. And that is why I love Tatuaje’s Connecticut Broadleaf Reserva blends so much…so much body, strength, and complexity right from the beginning. This size has a bit more of a propensity to have a tight draw, but if you can get past that…maybe store it at a slightly lower humidity rate than you would some of your other cigars…it’s a delight. I paired this one with Rebel Small Batch Reserve Bourbon…another favorite of mine, although this is one that is a much more recent favorite.
