I've had a terrible cold lately. For the past two and a half weeks I've been so stuffed up I could barely breathe. I didn't smoke the whole time; not because I thought it would make the cold worse, but because my sense of taste and smell were so screwed up I figured it'd be a waste of a good cigar.
(On the other hand, it may have been the perfect opportunity to fire up a couple of dog rockets...)
Be that as it may, late last night I went out on the deck and broke my fast with this Tatuaje Cabaiguan (Guapos: 5.6" x 46), a beautiful, sturdy-looking cigar I got from the infamous Shuckins (aka Ron) in this wonderful bomb. The wrapper is a very toothy Connecticut broadleaf, so dark that I thought it was a maduro before I researched it. {Edit: Apparently it was indeed a maduro...} It's very firmly constructed, and triple-capped, but drew easily enough when clipped.
Once toasted and lit, the Cabaiguan was medium-bodied and delicious right from the get-go. Leathery and peppery, like many other blends, but also creamy and quite woody and earthy all at the same time, with a faint sweetness that probably came from that dark wrapper. That's a lot of flavors, but this stick somehow kept them separate and distinct, and I didn't have to concentrate to pick out individual nuances like I usually do.
The Cabaiguan gave off a respectable amount of thick, white smoke, the burn was cool and even and sharp, and the draw stayed consistent all the way through. The ash looked firmer than it was; it never got longer than an inch or so before falling off on it's own, but at least it didn't flake at all. The flavors seemed to vary in strength - sometimes more of this and less of that - but it never got out of balance. The faint sweetness grew a little stronger as it burned, but at no point did any one flavor overpower another. The Tatuaje Cabaiguan is a wonderful smoke: complex and flavorful, but very easy to smoke and enjoyable right down to the nub.
Appearance and Construction: 13/15
Flavor: 23/25
Smoking Characteristics: 22/25
Overall Impression: 33/35
Total: 91/100
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