Cigar Geeks - Tatuaje Tuxtla Lomo de Cerdo LE

Cigar Geeks Geek Critique

Tatuaje Tuxtla Lomo de Cerdo LE
Written by Cigar Geeks Member: headfirst

89
Cigar Geeks Rating

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.

Tatuaje Tuxtla Lomo de Cerdo LE

Brand:: Tatuaje
Name:: Tuxtla Lomo de Cerdo LE
Length:: 5.125
Ring Gauge:: 52
Country of Origin:: Nicaragua
Filler:: Nicaragua
Binder:: Nicaragua
Wrapper:: Mexico
Color:: Maduro
Strength:: Medium-Full
Shape:: Robusto
Notes:: https://foxcigar.com/shop/cigars/tatuaje/tuxtla-lomo-de-cerdo/

This cigar was enjoyed with Willett Family Estate Straight Rye

Pre-Light: 9 Points of 10 Possible

The cigar seems like about a 5x54 in size, a firm round shaft from head to foot. The wrapper is medium brown in color with some veining, a pigtail cap and a mostly closed foot. The wrapper has a toothy texture and a slight sheen. The wrapper aroma is basically sweet hay and honey.

A V-cut reveals a tight draw but it's difficult to say if that's a construction issue or just the closed foot restricting air flow. Pre-light taste is leather/grains, no sweetness.

Lighting and Burn: 13 Points of 15 Possible

The light was fairly easy for the most part, but one side was slow to get going, and the burn stayed slightly askew until the final 1/3 when it finally straightened out, but never so bad that a correction was needed. The ash was nice and solid, no mess at all and held on for over an inch at a time until tapped.

I forgot to time the smoke, but the burn rate was about right for the size, never got hot. I did have to stoke a little with each puff but nothing too laborious. Smoke volume was medium.

Don't know where to put this exactly but worth pointing out that there was never any evidence of tar at the head; the head stayed fairly dry the whole smoke.

Construction: 27 Points of 30 Possible

The construction was fine overall. Zero issues with the wrapper or cap. My only complaint is the draw was a little tighter than what I prefer though still very smokable. I wonder if just a little more openness would've really changed the smoke volume/body, which both stayed right around medium.

Flavor and Aroma: 40 Points of 45 Possible

Initial flavors are the same leather and grains as the pre-light and maybe a little pepper on the palate. Retro featured the honey sweetness with some pepper spice there as well. Very long red or black pepper pepper finish early on. The foot aroma is oak, pepper and a little floral, very nice.

Half an inch in and some sweetness creeps into the palate, which is a nice change, and the pepper is already backing off to the background . The finish is now more grain and slight pepper.

In the second third I'm noticing a hint of peanut added to the profile. The retro is lively with that honey sweetness and what is now more like a cinnamon/clove baking spices feel as opposed to the pepper at the start.

The final third starts with everything dialing back on flavor intensity except grains and pretty much stays that way to the end, which was a little disappointing. But on the positive side the smoke smoothed out, much more velvety.

The body was medium the whole way, and the strength was in the medium-full neighborhood.

Summary

Thanks to Ryan for the opportunity to review this one. Seemed like a well made habano leaf cigar that I'd guess hails from Nicaragua. It had a fairly balanced flavor profile thanks to the retrohale balancing out the blend with some sweetness. I'm looking forward to finding out what this is.