Tatuaje Gran Maravilla (Prerelease)

Next month, the Tatuaje Gran Maravilla will arrive at Silo Cigars in Knoxville, Tenn. It’s the final rerelease of a trio cigars that debuted eight years ago when Tatuaje was still a relatively young company.

We’ve covered the Gran Maravilla since it was announced last September, but it roots go back even further and to another store, Leaf & Ale, which was also based in Knoxville. In 2006, that store received the Tatuaje La Maravilla, a 5 5/8 x 46 corona gorda that featured a Nicaraguan wrapper over a blend of Nicaraguan corojo and criollo fillers.

In the eight years, a lot has changed, most notably—Leaf & Ale is no longer in business. In 2012, the Tatuaje Bombazo was rereleased, preceded and proceeded by the Cohete’s rerelease, which begged the question what would happen to the Maravilla.

Turns out, it would get bigger—now 6 1/8 x 46; head to a different store—Silo Cigars; and feature a different wrapper—Ecuadorian habano. The differences can seen below.

On May 19, Silo will begin offering the boxes for pre-order, followed by an event with Pete Johnson on May 22 and the shipping of all mail order customers on May 27. There will be 200 boxes of 25 sold, as well as 20 50-count cabinets. Customers will be limited to one box of either.

In total, the 2006 releases and their subsequent rereleases now stand at seven total cigars.

• Tatuaje Cohete (4 x 50) — Tower Pipes & Cigars — April 2003 — 50 Boxes of 25 ($1,250 Total Cigars) — $9.00 (Boxes of 25, $225.00)
• Tatuaje Bombazo (4 x 46) — FUMARE — April 2003 — 50 Boxes of 25 ($1,250 Total Cigars) — $7.50 (Boxes of 25, $187.50)
• Tatuaje Maravilla — Leaf & Ale — April 2003 — 70 Boxes of 25 ($1,750 Total Cigars) — $9.99 (Boxes of 25, $249.75)
• Tatuaje Cohete 2009 (4 x 50) — Tower Pipes & Cigars — February 2009 — 100 Boxes of 25 (2,500 Total Cigars) —  $9.00 (Boxes of 25, $225.00)
• Tatuaje Bombazo Capa Especial (4 x 46) — FUMARE — June 2012 — 50 Cabinets of 50 (2,500 Total Cigars) — $6.85
• Tatuaje Cohete 2013 (4 x 50) — Tower Pipes & Cigars — April 2013 — 200 Boxes of 25 (5,000 Total Cigars) —  $9.00 (Boxes of 25, $225.00)
• Tatuaje Gran Maravilla (6 1/8 x 46) — Silo Cigars — May 2014 — 200 Boxes of 25 & 20 Cabinets of 50 (6,000 Total Cigars) — $10.60 (Boxes of 25, $265, Cabinets of 50, $230)

• Cigar Reviewed: Tatuaje Gran Maravilla
• Country of Origin: Nicaragua
• Factory: My Father Cigars S.A.
• Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano
• Binder: Nicaragua
• Filler: Nicaragua
• Size: 6 1/8 Inches
• Ring Gauge: 46
• Vitola: Corona Extra
• MSRP: $10.60 (Boxes of 25, $265, Cabinets of 50, $530)
• Release Date: May 22, 2014
• Number of Cigars Released: 200 Boxes of 25 Cigars & 20 Cabinets of 50 Cigars (6,000 Total Cigars)
• Number of Cigars Smoked For Review: 2

The Gran Maravilla reminds me of a Cuban custom roll. The wrapper probably could not pass, but the lack of band, triple cap, closed foot and modified corona gorda size seems like something you would see from Cuba. There’s some pretty obvious veins on an oily wrapper, less reds than I normally find on a Brown Label. I get a great fruitiness from the cold draw along with some nuttiness, soft and medium.

Freshness is apparent as the smoke first hits the palate. There’s some nuts, a semi-developed creaminess and notes of leather. An rich walnut note emerges over some nutmeg as well as some harsh hay on the back of the throat. Through the nose I get roasted cranberries, cayenne pepper and wet cedar. Construction-wise, the Gran Maravilla is great: easy draw, near flawless burn and big smoke production. My only area of concern is that both my samples seem to require a bit of attention to avoid going out in the first third.

As the second third gets going, the Tatuaje begins to show some added fruitiness that I was getting in the first third. The nutty profile is still there, but a more generic medley of fruit is becoming noticeable. The cayenne pepper has lost all bite through the noise and is joined by a touch of anise and a big espresso note on the finish. There’s more sweetness in the second third, but also a bit clearer red pepper flavor on the back of the throat.

The final third of the Gran Maravilla sees the espresso and creaminess challenge the nutty combination. There’s some added earthiness to the flavor profile, but mostly the flavors are just dying down and mixing together. A rush of black pepper emerges at the once inch mark, not harsh at all, which was a nice way to keep things interesting to the nub.

Final Notes

• The cigars will be wet-packed, i.e. wrapped in foil and then placed in boxes.
• Maravilla means wonder in Spanish. As a boxing fan, it’s also the nickname of Sergio Martínez, the Argentinian middleweight (160 pounds) champion of the world. Personally, I think Gennady Golovkin would beat him at the moment, but Martínez is getting up there in age.
• There’s some youth and harshness present. It never becomes overwhelming and much like I find on the Black Label Corona Gorda 2013, I think there’s a great balance between the more delicate flavors and the harshness.
• I smoked the original Maravilla a few years ago. I have no recollection of what I thought of it then.
• There’s a post here that indicates the Bombazo was also re-released in 2009, that is not correct.
• That being said, this is a medium-plus cigar with medium-full nicotine content.
• Final smoking time was one hour and 40 minutes.
• Cigars for this review were sent to halfwheel by Silo Cigars.
• The pre-order will open on May 19, you can find the cigars here.