"A broken heart is what makes life so wonderful five years later, when you see the guy in an elevator and he is fat and smoking a cigar and saying long-time-no-see." -Phyllis Battelle
Welcome to another Member sponsored Geek Critique generously sponsored by our member Adwinistrator (Ryan). This was done as a blind review so there were no pre-concieved notions about what anyone was smoking. The cigar provided for this round is the Tatuaje Tuxtla Lomo de Cerdo LE.
Lomo de Cerdo means "pork loin" in Spanish, and Pete Johnson has cleverly packaged these in butcher paper, included safe handling instructions! The Tatuaje Tuxtla Lomo de Cerdo is a limited edition cigar that is based on the Pork Tenderloin (a cigar that was originally released in 2010 as a shop exclusive to a Boston, Massachusetts retailer and gained a cult-following). Fast forward to 2023, the Tatuaje Tuxtla Lomo de Cerdo is back with a Mexican San Andres wrapper replacing the original Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper. Like the Pork Tenderloin, the Tuxtla Lomo de Cerdo uses Nicaraguan tobacco for the binders and fillers. Its handmade in Nicaragua by My Father Cigars.
This cigar was enjoyed with Kavalan Solist Vinho Barique
Pre-Light: 10 Points of 10 Possible
Oily wrapper with light veining. A well applied twisted cap. Very uniform roll. The wrapper extended past the foot and was tucked in for a partially closed foot. Cut cleanly with a new Palio cutter. There's a slight give to the cigar but not so that it feels under filled.
Lighting and Burn: 15 Points of 15 Possible
The closed foot took to flame easily. The ash is slightly flakey but holds strong. Lighter ash with some dark spots. Ash holds very strong and straight. Even burn that does not require any touch up. Just the right amount of smoke volume that doesn't billow while resting. The first ash fell cleanly into the ashtray at about the halfway point. It was a 2 ash cigar with no need for a touch up.
Construction: 28 Points of 30 Possible
A cigar with an exceptional draw. Great dark looking wrapper with minimal veining topped off with a nice pigtail cap and slightly closed foot. Not entirely perfect but nothing to complain about. Nice oily smooth wrapper.
Flavor and Aroma: 43 Points of 45 Possible
Started with baking spices, pepper, leather, and cedar. Some sweet smoky wood notes, a bit of bbq aroma, continued leather, followed by the lower toned pepper notes. Slightly salty at times. The smoky wood and leather stay in the mix consistently. The salty note comes through more after a sip of the Kavalan Vinho Barique. The final third is a bit muddled. The smoky wood is in the forefront, baking spices come back in. There's a bit of wet earth enzyme flavor. Some pepper and continued leather on the end.
Summary
The Kavalan paired really well. This is definitely a cigar to have on hand. I didn't have any issues nor were there any off notes. I can see these aging really well and will be an even more enjoyable smoke after a few years. Thank you for having me on board with this one!