Pre-light Experience

The wrapper on the Tatuaje Cabaiguan No. 52 is dark tan and has some slightly raised veins present. The seams are very smooth and hardly visible while the head is well wrapped and finished with a flag. The band is gold and cream yellow along with the line name and logo and the parent brand below it. The aroma from the wrapper is pretty light and is a mix of wood, hay and cream. The foot brings a fuller mix of wood, bread and spice. The pre-light draw brings a nice, aged cedar note.

Pre-light Experience

With a new band, which I think is an improvement, The Tatuaje Cabaiguan No. 52 is firm in hand and lovely in appearance. It has a nice little tail and the wrapper has a lovely coloring between Natural and light Colorado. There are veins present throughout, but they are small in size. In terms of aroma, the cigar is giving off some tobacco, black pepper, sweet spices, chocolate and earth.

Pre-light Experience

The Tatuaje Cabaiguan No. 52 has a nipple cap complication and a smooth silky wrapper. For aromas, I was able to pick out sweet graham cracker and light hay, with sweet tobacco from the foot.

Pre-light Experience

The Tatuaje Cabaiguan No. 52 has an even claro wrapper shade. Veins are well pressed, seams tight, bunch and roll even and flared head is well wrapped. Aromas from the wrapper give chalk, cedar and barnyard. Aromas from the foot give rich red pepper spice and stale nuts. Cold draw gives cedar shavings and faint red pepper spice.

First Third

The cigar begins with aged cedar, black pepper and mustiness. At a quarter inch in, a light floral note joins the profile. The retrohale is musty cedar. As the third comes to a close, the floral note has picked up a bit as the profile is becoming a bit dry. The strength in this third was right at medium.

First Third

The first third opens up with a body and strength level around medium and I am picking up flavors of cedar and cream. There are some hay notes present as well and the finish has hints of black pepper, lemon zest and some mustiness.

First Third

Sweet hay opens up the first third, with a medium plus strength baking spices on the retrohale. Cedar and medium baking spices take up the post draw, with graham cracker adding to the retrohale as it settles in.

First Third

The first third gives a mixture of toasted cedar, cinnamon and red pepper spice. There’s a long and lingering toasted cedar and cinnamon combination on the finish. Retrohaling gives amped red pepper spice and stale roasted nuttiness. Strength and body is medium.

Second Third

As the second third begins, some dry earth joins the profile. At a quarter inch in, the black pepper mellows a bit. At a half inch in, the aged and musty cedar and dry earth are even up front with the floral note and black pepper in the background. The retrohale remains musty cedar. As the third comes to a close, the dry earth has a slight lead over the musty and aged cedar and the profile has picked up in dryness. The strength remains at medium.

Second Third

The second third shows a demise in the flavors being delivered. I am picking up some wood and pepper notes, and there are hints of lemon and minerals. Sharp while smoking around a medium level in strength and body.

Second Third

The second third kicks off with light hay and sweetness. Graham cracker returns to the retrohale, with lingering cedar on the post draw. The post draw has lingering pepper as the cigar moves towards the last third.

Second Third

The second third adds a sour citrus component to the profile. Also, the stale roasted nuttiness is further highlighted, making it now a mixture of sour citrus, stale roasted nuttiness and red pepper spice. Strength and body are still medium.

Final Third

As the final third begins, the floral note and black pepper have become very light. At a quarter inch in, the cedar gains a toasted note as the black pepper increases and the floral note departs. The retrohale is now musty cedar along with a decent amount of black pepper. As the cigar comes to a close, the dry earth, toasted cedar, mustiness and black pepper are all even. The strength in this third bumped up to slightly above medium.

Final Third

The final third makes a push to deliver some quality flavors, but in the end it is too little too late. I am picking up some cedar and hay notes, and they are paired with some earthiness and pepper. There are some smoky mineral qualities on the finish, and like before it is medium in strength and body.

Final Third

Dry cedar comes through the last third, lingering well into the post draw. A hay center takes hold by the halfway point. Mild bitterness defines the post draw as the last third begins to heat up.

Final Third

There’s no changes from the second third to final third. Still a mixture of sour citrus, stale roasted nuttiness and red pepper spice. Strength and body finishes medium.

Burn

The burn was slightly wavy at times, but never needed any attention. The ash held on in near two inch increments.

Burn

Great burn from start to finish. Lovely construction.

Burn

Straight burn with a significant flakiness to the ash. The ash consistently holds on in one inch increments and then drops.

Burn

A couple minor things making the burn not perfect: flowery ashes and uneven burn. But the bigger takeaway is, I never had to touch-up or re-light the cigar.

Draw

The draw was perfect, with just the right amount of resistance that I prefer.

Overall

The cigar had a nice start with the aged cedar, mustiness, black pepper and floral note. Unfortunately, some dry earth joined in the second third and built up throughout to drop the enjoyment level and the cigar was fairly average the rest of the way. If the dry earth could be blended out of this cigar, it could be a real winner. I might come back to the Tatuaje Cabaiguan No. 52 on occasion, but I’d also be interested in trying the No. 54 vitola to see what it offers. It’s definitely worth a try to come back to this line and see what you think.

Draw

Solid draw. A little loose for me, but good.

Overall

The Tatuaje Cabaiguan No. 52 looked promising with the size and new packaging, but in the end the blend was lacking. It never took off, it went downhill in the second third and barely made a return to average in the end. Great construction, but in the end a disappointment. Nice packaging upgrade, but in the end that means nothing.

Draw

The draw is slightly resistant, roughly 1 to 1-1/2 notches into the resistant spectrum.

Overall

The Tatuaje Cabaiguan No. 52 was an above average flavor experience that demonstrated a great subtle range in the first third, but settled into a fairly average, albeit pleasant profile for the remainder of the review. A combination of the price point and the flavors that were delivered would likely have me speaking about other offerings from Tatuaje. Construction and draw were very good, with only the slightest resistance to the draw. Total smoking time was a respectable 1 hour and 26 minutes.

Draw

The draw was perfect, giving the ideal resistance and air flow.

Overall

The BHK 52 format brings back great but expensive memories of Cohibas. But for the Tatuaje Cabaiguan No. 52, it’s not the size for me. The profile had a good amount of earth, spice and citrus, but it heavily lacked sweetness to tie the profile together. Not a bad blend by any means, just a mediocre one.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

6.00

Cost/Point

$1.54

Scoring System

Seth Geise

SCORE

5.10

Cost/Point

$1.81

Scoring System

John McTavish

SCORE

5.95

Cost/Point

$1.55

Scoring System

Jiunn Liu

SCORE

5.65

Cost/Point

$1.64

Scoring System

Team Cigar Review: Tatuaje Cabaiguan No. 52