SERIES REVIEW: El Triunfador #7 (Pre Release)

So I'm picking up where I last left off with the El Triunfador series review, with the new Pete Johnson pre-release stick El Triunfador #7! For those that are newer to my blog, I did a whole line review of the El Triunfador back in March when the initial 6 sizes were released. It was a great experience for me to smoke all of the different sizes and see just how different cigars within the same line could be. After smoking all six sticks, I really felt like I knew the blend inside and out.

As a refresher, here are some details on the New El Triunfador blend from New Havana Cigars: "A medium bodied blend that gets a ton of flavor from the Seco leaves originating on Pepin's La Estrella farm in Esteli, it features an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper and Nicaraguan filler and is available in 6 sizes, including a lancero. (Not to be confused with the original lancero, which is still being produced with it's dark Broadleaf wrapper.)"

The El Triunfador #7 is by far the biggest vitola in the line and should produce some interesting characteristics of the blend.

Let's get to the review.

Specifics
Vitola: Robusto extra ?
Length: 5 7/8
Ring Gauge: 54
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Price: $8.00
Smoking Location: My back deck
Beverage: water

Pre-Light  

After smoking a lot of smaller-sized cigars recently, the first thing I noticed about my El Triunfador #7 was just how big it felt while holding it in my hand. The cigar is only 5-7/8 in length, but with the tightly packed weight of it, it really felt like a really big smoke. The light brown wrapper was dry and very toothy, with some large veins running around the body of the stick. Some of the veins were quite big, but almost all of them felt like they had been smoothed down, which gave me the impression that they would not cause any burn problems. The pre-lit aroma was sweet tobacco with more of a earthy barnyard smell at the open foot. I clipped the triple cap and the draw was free with slight resistance, and tasted of those sweet, natural tobacco notes.

First Third   

My El Triunfador #7 flavor profile started out with a mild white pepper that tingled my taste buds, mixed with mild cedar notes on the front. On the finish I was picking up a natural sweetness that was really obvious by the taste left on my lips from the wrapper. I also got lots of thick smoke on every draw although the burn was slightly wavy, though I never had to touch it up with my torch. The biggest difference I saw in the first third of my El Triunfador #7 from other sticks in this line was just how much slower this cigar was burning. Some people have complained that the El Triunfador line of cigars just blaze through to the nub. If all of the new El Triunfador #7 sticks are like my sample, that problem may have been resolved with this size. The body was in the mild to medium range.

Second Third

The second third of my El Triunfador #7 was much more flavorful than the first. The profile changed a bit and the strength of the flavors really picked up, with the exception of the pepper. The white pepper notes seemed to back off a bit more and now on the front I was getting a very strong cedar flavor that mixed in with a new almost sweet hay taste. On the finish, things got really interesting because I was still getting slight white pepper, but I also was getting kicks of mint notes. Not that the cigar was burning hot or anything, but with the large volume of smoke that it was producing, the mint was really cooling on the palate and refreshing. Like the first third, the cigar continued to burn very slowly and was very relaxing. The body of the stick was now firmly in the medium range.

Final Third and Final Thoughts

The same strong and rich flavors were what dominated the final third of my El Triunfador #7. The profile was the same as the second third -- cedar with sweet hay on the front,  white pepper and refreshing mint on the finish. It seemed that these were all blending and playing together nicely, creating a excellent finish to a very nice cigar. The body stayed in the medium range and the burn, although not continuously perfect (like a lot of the other Pete Johnson sticks) never needed relighting even after resting for minutes at a time.


My final thoughts on the El Triunfador #7? I love the El Triunfador blend. And I love it for different reasons than I love the brown label or the reserva lines. This stick is just really flavorful and relaxing to smoke. It never over powers you with spice, or tobacco strength. It just smokes cool, and goes about it's business with out disappointing. Being a big college football tailgater I can see the El Triunfador #7 being a great cigar for those occasions,  It burns slowly (over two hours for me on this one) doesn't need a lot of maintenance and most importantly,  I think the flavors would pair well with beer.

Would I buy it again? This is a great cigar for when you have a lot of time to smoke. I will be picking up more of these for before game time come Fall.

Would I buy a box? This is not a size I tend to smoke, but this is box worthy in my opinion.

Dan     

SERIES REVIEW: Tatuaje Seleccion de Cazador 7th Natural (Pre Release)

Today's Pete Johnson pre-release cigar review is the first dive into his main bread-and-butter Seleccion de Cazador line, more commonly known as brown label (no reserva). Other than some of Pete's special releases, the brown label is what most Tatuaje cigar fans reach for first when browsing online or at their local B&M. I put myself into that category, as I prefer the brown label sticks, but they tend to be a little tough on the budget. One main difference between these brown label cigars and others in the line is these are being produced at the My Father factory in Esteli, Nicaragua and not in Miami. I was told that the Miami factory is already producing at 100% capacity, so any new projects would not be able to be made there.


Specifics
Vitola: Corona Gorda
Length: 5 5/8
Ring Gauge: 46
Wrapper: Nicaragua Habano
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Price: $9.00 in full boxes
Smoking Location: My back deck
Beverage: water

Pre-Light  

I love the way the classic Tatuaje brown label line looks. The simple bands and the somewhat rustic wrappers make me think of the old-style sticks you read about in Havana cigar books. My brown label #7 looked exactly the part. The wrapper was a consistent medium brown color with lots of little veins. None of these veins really stood out over another, but they gave the cigar a very natural look. I pinched the cigar from head to foot and, as you would expect from a Johnson/Pepin stick, there were no soft spots. The pre-lit aroma was subtle and smelled of graham cracker, with some more sweet tobacco scents near the open foot.  The triple cap clipped easily and the cold draw had a strong taste of cedar.

First Third 

My Tatuaje brown label 7th opened up a little differently than I expected. The flavors I got from the first third of the cigar were a mild cedar and sweet honey on the front, with just a small kick of Nicaragua black pepper on the finish. The finish was very clean and didn't leave a film or any unpleasant feeling in my mouth. I was expecting more of the pepper that you normally get with brown label sticks, but it was only coming in very slightly. It was definitely there, but not in my face or exploding on my palate. The burn line on this cigar was one of the darkest I had seen in awhile. You can see in the picture how it almost looked like a woman's eyeliner surrounded the cigar right where the wrapper met the ash. Speaking of the ash, it held on for just over an inch before crashing into the ashtray by itself. Don't go for extreme ashes with this guy or you'll be dusting yourself off in no time. The body was in the medium-full range.

Second Third 

The second third started out pretty much the same way it had been smoking in the first third, except for the honey flavor. The sweet honey I had tasted before was now more of a undefined natural sweetness. If I had to label it, I would say it was more of a raw sweet tobacco flavor, but even that might be off the mark a little. If anyone reading has a better term, I'm all ears. The finish on the cigar was still a mild black pepper that, after resting on my pallet between puffs, turned into more of a cinnamon taste. The burn was still spot on and body rested more in the full range. Toward the end of the second third, I had another flavor change on the front end of the profile. The cedar notes backed off and were replaced by a distinct roasted pecan taste. This change up was very interesting and was a glimmer of what was to come.

Final Third and Final Thoughts

My Tatuaje brown label 7th's final third is where things got back to the classic. The flavors in the last third ramped up in strength and were now producing the classic Tatuaje brown label profile that a lot of us know and love. The front end was much richer, creamier, and darker (if you can use that for a flavor) and tasted like roasted nuts mixed with earthy notes. The finish was biting with delicious strong black pepper that coated my palate, lasting well over the time between normal draws. This was more like what I was expecting the stick to taste like the whole way through, but it seemed  it wanted to show up to the party fashionably late. The cigar never got hot or harsh, and the body was definitely in the full area.

My final thoughts on the Tatuaje Seleccion de Cazador 7th (Pre Release)?  The cigar started out good, but different than what I normally think of brown label Tats, and then grew into the monster that I love.  If these sticks keep this somewhat milder start, I think a lot of people will be wanting more spice. I like the way the stick really turned it on in the final third and gave a grand finale. It let my palate not be overrun from the beginning and pick up more of the sweet, more subtle flavors.

Would I buy it again? For the size alone, I would grab a few more of this stick. Petite robusto and Corona Gorda sized cigars are my two favorite sizes. It's nice to have at least one of them now available in the brown label.

Would I buy a box? I wouldn't buy a box at this time because there are other sticks in the new releases from Pete that I have enjoyed more. But in the future, I could see a box purchase no problem.

Dan