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.
Pre-light, the cigar seemed to be nicely constructed and wound pretty tightly, with a few veins in the wrapper. The wrapper was pretty bumpy and had a bit of an oily sheen to it. The cap was well constructed and did crack a bit when cut which was a concern that, thankfully, did not come undone during the smoke. At this point the worry set in that this was going to be a difficult smoke due to the crack (most likely from user error when cutting), but it didn't, which was nice. The pinch test revealed that the cigar was super solid, with no give to it. One of the concerns when a cigar has that amount of firmness to it, is the draw, but again, the concerns were unfounded. The cigar had aromas of earth and spice with a slight bit of cocoa and a bit of raisin-like sweetness.
Lighting and Burn: 14 Points of 15 Possible
Lighting the cigar was very easy, especially with the semi-closed foot. There were no burn imperfections during the critique, maintaining a super sharp edge all the way throughout. The smoke volume was strong and delivered a ton of flavor. The ash didn't hold up very well and was a very light gray while the cigar had a nice, slow burn.
Construction: 28 Points of 30 Possible
The pre-light draw was ample and indicated that there would be no problems throughout the smoke. Consistency being key and performing just like the pre-light draw, the draw during the burn was nice, and provided a perfect amount of enjoyable smoke that delivered great flavors. The wrapper was well constructed but with no major veins but was a bit rough and bumpy. Also, the wrapper was wound extremely consistent and was a uniform dark color all the way around the cigar.
Flavor and Aroma: 43 Points of 45 Possible
The strength of the cigar was medium-full to full but not over powering. The flavors that came forward at first were a marshmallow-y sweetness and deep earthiness that was super smooth. Also, there was a little coffee and cream hint that came through at the end of the 1st 3rd of the cigar. As the coffee and cream started to wane, there was a plum like sweetness that came to the forefront. The cigar was just super consistent to my taste throughout the whole 2nd third and was very pleasant. It was really hitting all the right notes that I absolutely love in a great cigar. For the final third, it was much of the same. Not to say that it was monotonous, but was more of the things I loved in this cigar. While not overly complex in my mind, this is cigar was super consistent and had many enjoyable qualities throughout.
Summary
A big thank you to Ryan (Adwinistrator) for selecting me for this review and providing this great cigar. This was a wonderful smoke that I am super grateful for the chance to review. For my money, this cigar is definitely box worthy. The cigar was very well constructed and well blended (balanced) and offered a nice, consistent flavor profile throughout. Overall, this cigar rates an A to A+ level smoke in my book.