Tatuaje Exclusivo Zona Del Este

jaydub13 · 05-06-2010, 01:38 AM

Alright, Inmates, please be gentle, as this is my first review...

I have been hanging onto this one for a while, since I knew just how hard it would be to replace, but tonight I just couldn't help myself.

Appearance: This is a gorgeous stick. Great looking wrapper, firm, with no soft spots or knots inside(god i hate plugs), and that perfect knockoff of the CC RE band on it.

Cut and Prelight Draw: I cut it with my new Palio(gift from a very generous friend) and it cut well, leaving me with a perfect prelight draw. The taste was citrusy with a definite sweetness, but nothing was particularly overwhelming in it. Great rich tobacco taste.

First Third: Very nice spiciness to it, along with the citrus and sweetness as well. It lit well, but wasn't producing a ton of smoke. The overwhelming flavor here is just rich, full bodied tobacco, and I really have to search for anything else. Still, very enjoyable, and it burns very evenly.

Second Third: The smoke has opened up, and I am now able to produce nice, dense clouds of fragrant smoke(my gift to the other patrons of the coffee shop), which makes me happy. I love a good smokestack of a cigar. The sweetness wanes, and spice takes over a bit, but I still can't put my finger on quite what it is. It is like a mix of nutmeg, cinnamon, and pepper, with a little cayenne on the tail end of it. This is accompanied by a slight woodiness, which mellows the spice a bit. Very nice, in spite of a bit of an uneven burn to it.

Final Third: The spice fades, and the sweet, rich tobacco taste comes back in full force, with a bit of a bitter cocoa taste to it. The burn never quite evened out, despite my best efforts, but it didn't get anywhere near bad enough to affect my enjoyment of it. I took this one down to the last inch.

Overall Impression: A great stick, although, to be honest, my opinion could have been impacted a bit by the cache it has due to its rarity. As a matter of fact, that very rarity would make me inclined to take off a point or two, just because, well, once it was done, I couldn't help but be a little frustrated at the prospect of trying to procure another! Nonetheless, this is a very nice, complex, sophisticated stick. Definitely a step up from the rest of the Havana line(I would call this the most developed and refined of the bunch). I do love me some Tatuajes, and this one just reaffirms that opinion.

Overall Score: 93/100

::Sorry for the lack of pics. I tried, but my camera just wasnt up to the task, and they came out blurry::

tomc3084 · 05-06-2010, 02:41 AM

Awesome review brother, keep up the good work!

Smokin Gator · 05-06-2010, 03:09 AM

Thanks for the review brother. The Eastie is one of my favorite sticks. Keep your eyes open and you may run across a few here and there.

kelmac07 · 05-06-2010, 05:49 AM

Nice review for your first one Jason.

jaydub13 · 05-06-2010, 11:55 AM

Thanks for the encouragement, guys!

BFallehy · 05-06-2010, 12:25 PM

Very nice review. Now to hunt high and low to try and find one of these sticks. I knew I shouldn't have read the review.

05-06-2010, 01:38 AM	#1
jaydub13 aka Little Pickle Join Date: Feb 2010 First Name: Jason Location: Orange County, CA Posts: 227 Trading: (5)	Tatuaje Exclusivo Zona Del Este Alright, Inmates, please be gentle, as this is my first review... I have been hanging onto this one for a while, since I knew just how hard it would be to replace, but tonight I just couldn't help myself. Appearance: This is a gorgeous stick. Great looking wrapper, firm, with no soft spots or knots inside(god i hate plugs), and that perfect knockoff of the CC RE band on it. Cut and Prelight Draw: I cut it with my new Palio(gift from a very generous friend) and it cut well, leaving me with a perfect prelight draw. The taste was citrusy with a definite sweetness, but nothing was particularly overwhelming in it. Great rich tobacco taste. First Third: Very nice spiciness to it, along with the citrus and sweetness as well. It lit well, but wasn't producing a ton of smoke. The overwhelming flavor here is just rich, full bodied tobacco, and I really have to search for anything else. Still, very enjoyable, and it burns very evenly. Second Third: The smoke has opened up, and I am now able to produce nice, dense clouds of fragrant smoke(my gift to the other patrons of the coffee shop), which makes me happy. I love a good smokestack of a cigar. The sweetness wanes, and spice takes over a bit, but I still can't put my finger on quite what it is. It is like a mix of nutmeg, cinnamon, and pepper, with a little cayenne on the tail end of it. This is accompanied by a slight woodiness, which mellows the spice a bit. Very nice, in spite of a bit of an uneven burn to it. Final Third: The spice fades, and the sweet, rich tobacco taste comes back in full force, with a bit of a bitter cocoa taste to it. The burn never quite evened out, despite my best efforts, but it didn't get anywhere near bad enough to affect my enjoyment of it. I took this one down to the last inch. Overall Impression: A great stick, although, to be honest, my opinion could have been impacted a bit by the cache it has due to its rarity. As a matter of fact, that very rarity would make me inclined to take off a point or two, just because, well, once it was done, I couldn't help but be a little frustrated at the prospect of trying to procure another! Nonetheless, this is a very nice, complex, sophisticated stick. Definitely a step up from the rest of the Havana line(I would call this the most developed and refined of the bunch). I do love me some Tatuajes, and this one just reaffirms that opinion. Overall Score: 93/100 ::Sorry for the lack of pics. I tried, but my camera just wasnt up to the task, and they came out blurry::

05-06-2010, 02:41 AM	#2
tomc3084 Feeling at Home Join Date: Dec 2009 First Name: Tom Location: Baden, PA Posts: 710 Trading: (26)	Re: Tatuaje Exclusivo Zona Del Este Awesome review brother, keep up the good work! __________________ [SIGPIC]

05-06-2010, 03:09 AM	#3
Smokin Gator Just plain insane! Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: The Swamp Posts: 6,237 Trading: (106)	Re: Tatuaje Exclusivo Zona Del Este Thanks for the review brother. The Eastie is one of my favorite sticks. Keep your eyes open and you may run across a few here and there. __________________ Check out the Cigar Asylum Newbie Sampler Trade

05-06-2010, 05:49 AM	#4
kelmac07 Resident Maduro Whore!! Join Date: Apr 2009 First Name: Mac Location: Newport News, VA Posts: 27,322 Trading: (218)	Re: Tatuaje Exclusivo Zona Del Este Nice review for your first one Jason. __________________ Dom in the MLB thread "I could probably get you to wear a Yankee hat for a Maduro!"

05-06-2010, 11:55 AM	#5
jaydub13 aka Little Pickle Join Date: Feb 2010 First Name: Jason Location: Orange County, CA Posts: 227 Trading: (5)	Re: Tatuaje Exclusivo Zona Del Este Thanks for the encouragement, guys!

05-06-2010, 12:25 PM	#6
BFallehy Feeling at Home Join Date: Feb 2009 First Name: Brian Location: Santa Rosa, CA Posts: 587 Trading: (12)	Re: Tatuaje Exclusivo Zona Del Este Very nice review. Now to hunt high and low to try and find one of these sticks. I knew I shouldn't have read the review.