For those of you that don’t know…

While perusing some of the boards, I found out that Pete Johnson of Tatuaje had released a very Limited stick to a good friend of his, Jose Agosto from Gloucester Street Cigars in Boston…Jose is the person who (along with Pete) came up with the idea of the “Monster” series (the “Frank” was released last October, and the “Drac” will be released this October). The name of this new cigar, the “Porkchop” came from Jose’s nickname, which he has had for quite some time…

There will only be 100 boxes of 25 sticks each produced, and as of this review, about 45 boxes have been sold.

The wrapper is slightly oily, and has some veins in it, and is caramel in color. The Wrapped foot is a Great look, and I am glad it has only been put on a few specific sticks…It keeps it special:)

But enough of that, let’s get down to business, shall we?

• Cigar Reviewed: Tatuaje Porkchop
• Country of Origin: USA
• Factory: El Rey de los Habanos
• Wrapper: Nicaragua
• Binder: Nicaragua
• Filler: Nicaragua
• Size: 4 Inches
• Ring Gauge: 46
• Vitola: Petit Rothschild(?)
• Est. Price: $9.00
• Number of Cigars Released: 100 Boxes of 25 (2,500 total cigars)
• Release Date: May 2009

For the the First Third, the Porkchop lit very easily, and the first three puffs are filled with that “Tat Twang”, ie, a mix of pepper and spice that made my mouth tingle…This calmed down after a few puffs, but the pepper stayed on…The taste at first was slightly sweet, an almost Cubanesque taste, and mixed with the pepper, I was in cigar heaven…

During the Second Third, the pepper and spice dropped about 80%, and the sweetness took over, with the main flavor being a creamy caramel, with a bit of citrus thrown in…

During the Final Third, the cigar started burning hot, and a taste of cedar was very apparent…The spice picked up quite a bit, and so did a nice earthly flavor that continued until the end… All in all, a GREAT stick, one that I enjoyed quite a bit…Great flavor, and with just the right contrast between the Pepper/Spice and the sweetness…

Final Notes:

• The Porkchop is a blend of Esteli and Jalapa tobaccos and rolled in Miami.
• The Wrapper is similar to the wrapper on the J21 (according the Pete, “Similar priming but just a lighter shade”)
• The Wrapped foot KICKS ASS.
• This was a short, fast smoke, taking just 43 mins to smoke to the nub.
• This stick is VERY complex, despite it’s size.
• Although this stick has been compared to the Bombazos by some people (in relation to it’s strength), it is not THAT strong…it is a Strong cigar, but unlike the Bombazos, it retains flavor without overpowering the smoker with it’s strength.
• If you are looking to buy a few, the only place you can get them is at Gloucester Street Cigars (617)-424-1000. Just ask for Jose

The Bottom Line:  I have another box on the way, if that tells you anything

Final Score: 92