Tatuaje Gran Cojonu Serie A
Posted on October 25 2021
Vitola: 5x60
Smoking Time: 84 Minutes
Cigars Smoked: 3
Body: Medium +
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
MSRP: $14.00
Tatuaje seems to be a love it or hate it brand. Some people are put off by the limited runs that they love to do, or simply because they have never tried them. I for one, used to just not like them, because I never gave them an opportunity. I smoked my first Reserva Broadleaf no more than a year ago, and was blown away. Since then I have shared them with friends, and I have yet to hear about a bad blend from them. Inexpensive, or $20, the flavors are always amazing, and there are little construction errors. Without further ado, the Gran Cojonu.
Visual Inspection: I’ve always been curious about this blend due to its size, a 5x60 is rather hard to find, but I have no qualms with the ring gauge of it. This cigar has a half inch foot band that accents its closed foot. The wrapper is very oily, covered in tooth, and has a very nice reddish brown hue to it. Nothing about this cigar is subtle, the seams are very noticeable but durable, there are large veins present, but I would say it adds to the appeal of it.
The head cap is very sturdy, and did not break after using a v-cut. The cold draw is very sweet, notes of dried fruit, blueberries and dark chocolate are up front. Even with having a closed foot the draw is quite nice, and not restricted.
First Third: I jumped right into lighting the cigar without toasting it on account of the closed foot, and the flavors started out very full, familiar notes of dried fruit, char, and peanuts, which quickly faded. The closed foot really brought a heavy initial burst of flavors, but didn’t last. The Habano wrapper is the most powerful component of this cigar, I think that you lose some of the power when the cigar is this thick.
The burn line is exceptional, something that doesn't tend to happen with Tatuaje for whatever reason. Ash is rather light in color, and firm, but slightly blooming which hasn’t happened. We will see if it clears up.
Second Third: While the first third was surprisingly mild, immediately once we hit this third, the body got a bit more full. There are new notes of wheat bread, cashew, apple, and a strong finish of cream and char. The sweetness is still present, but no longer from fruit, now from cream, and mixed nuts. The flavors are more bold as well, which is refreshing as it was very mild in the first third.
Ash has slightly weakened in strength, but has retained its color and burn consistency. The retrohale brings subtle spice in the nose and on the tongue. There is a minty mouthfeel that is starting to arrive, it melds ok with the previous flavors, but is a bit odd nonetheless.
Last Third: The body and flavors have shaped up extremely well from the beginning of the first third. As closed-footed cigars go, you expect that initially burst, but it typically does not die down as quickly as it did. Regardless, the body is now closer to the medium + mark, where I would expect it to be. The char notes and mixed nuts are most prevalent, with cream, vanilla, and mint still in pursuit. While I do feel like you lose a lot of the flavor in a 60 ring gauge cigar, I can’t help but think that was the plan for this blend due to both vitolas being the same ring gauge.
Final Thoughts: When I pick a bigger cigar, I prefer them to be shorter. This 5x60 is a solid cigar if you like big ring gauge smokes, or not. If you are a full bodied person, you’ll have to be patient, but it will show up. This cigar really shines in the last third, which I tend to enjoy more than it getting weaker as it progresses. This blend is very different than Tatuaje’s normal offerings, which is refreshing. I would definitely buy a box of these and save them for an occasion when i’m in the mood for a subtle starting stick. I paired it with a cup of black coffee, and i’d suggest the same, but nothing too sweet.
-Sam