Cigar Geeks - Tatuaje Monster Series The Face Redux

Cigar Geeks Geek Critique

Tatuaje Monster Series The Face Redux
Written by Cigar Geeks Member: Barry (benchjockey)

94
Cigar Geeks Rating

Welcome to another Member sponsored Geek Critique generously sponsored by our member Byron (Beegerply). The cigar provided for this round is the Tatuaje Monster Series The Face Redux.

Tatuaje's The Face became recognizable for using a jaggedly cut piece of Ecuadorian Connecticut tobacco to serve as the band, a nod to the movie monster Leatherface from the Texas Chainsaw Massacre series, who was known for wearing a mask made of a person's skin. Like its Monster Series predecessors, The Frank and The Drac, it came in boxes designed to look like coffins, complete with red paint splattered on them to mimic the look of blood. Tatuaje produced 5,000 boxes of 13 The Face Redux 3 — a total of 65,000 cigars — of those 5,000 boxes, 700 are individually numbered, while the other 4,300 are not.

Tatuaje Monster Series The Face Redux

Brand:: Tatuaje
Name:: Monster Series The Face Redux
Length:: 6.375
Ring Gauge:: 56
Country of Origin:: Nicaragua
Filler:: Nicaragua
Binder:: Nicaragua
Wrapper:: Mexico
Color:: Maduro
Strength:: Medium-Full
Shape:: Toro Gordo
Notes:: https://halfwheel.com/tatuajes-the-face-scheduled-for-redux-release-in-october/423182/ https://atlanticcigar.com/tatuaje-monster-series-the-face-redux-3-single-6-3-8x56/

Pre-Light: 10 Points of 10 Possible

This is a good-looking brown stick that is practically vein free. It is slightly oily with a perfectly applied cap which leads to a small mound—sort of like a miniature pig tail, minus the tail.

The stick is solid to the touch with no soft spots. A straight cut goes smoothly.

Lighting and Burn: 14 Points of 15 Possible

Once lit, the draw offers slight resistance but never was a problem. Smoke output was generous.

The ash looked slightly flaky but held on for two inches before being knocked off. It was a slow burning stick.

It required one relight in the final third, which is good performance in the Florida humidity.

Construction: 28 Points of 30 Possible

The slightly resistant draw never changed. The wrapper and cap performed flawlessly.

Twice the burn wandered off but self-corrected. One relight was necessary near the end of the final third.

The Florida humidity is hard on cigars, particularly when you smoke outdoors. But this stick handled itself like a champ.

Flavor and Aroma: 42 Points of 45 Possible

The first puffs had pepper on the retrohale and a heavy dose of sweet chocolate. As the first third continued, the pepper disappeared but a subtle lemon flavor entered.

The second third brought more of the same with milk chocolate and sweet cream dominating. The chocolate flavor lingered on the tongue.

Entering the final third, pepper came and disappeared. Milk chocolate was the consistent flavor.

Summary

All cigars don't have to check every box for me.

Some are sweet and spicy or mainly sweet or spicy. There are full strength, medium and mild. It's good to have a wide variety when choosing a smoke.

This is a chocolate dessert cigar. I didn't find transitions. But what it does it does extremely well. If I ever find these available, I will order more.

My thanks to Adam for his sponsorship and giving me the opportunity to enjoy this cigar.