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. Agosto is the person who, along with Pete Johnson, came up with the idea of the Monster Series. The name of this new cigar, the “Porkchop” came from Agosto’s nickname, which he has had for quite some time.

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

The wrapper is slightly oily and has some veins in it. It is caramel in color. The covered foot is a great look.

Tatuaje Porkchop 1.png

  • 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 Corona
  • MSRP: $9.00 (Boxes of 25, $225.00)
  • Number of Cigars Released: 100 Boxes of 25 Cigars (2,500 Total Cigars)
  • Date Released: May 2009

For the the first third, the Porkchop lit very easily and the first three puffs are filled with that “Tatuaje twang,” i.e., 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, almost Cuban, and mixed with the pepper.

Tatuaje Porkchop 2.png

During the second third, the pepper and spice dropped about 80 percent and the sweetness took over with the main flavor being a creamy caramel with a bit of citrus thrown in.

Tatuaje Porkchop 3.png

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 and the sweetness.

Tatuaje Porkchop 4.png

Final Notes:

  • The Porkchop is a blend of Estelí and Jalapa tobaccos and rolled in Miami.
  • The wrapper is similar to the wrapper on the J21. According to Pete Johnson, “Similar priming but just a lighter shade.”
  • The foot kicks ass.
  • This was a short, fast smoke, taking just 43 mins to smoke to the nub.
  • This stick is very complex, despite its size.
  • Although this stick has been compared to the Bombazos by some people in relation to its strength, it is not that strong. It is a strong cigar, but unlike the Bombazos, it retains flavor without overpowering the smoker with its 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.
92 Overall Score

I have another box on the way, if that tells you anything.

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Brooks Whittington

I have been smoking cigars for over eight years. A documentary wedding photographer by trade, I spent seven years as a photojournalist for the Dallas Morning News and the Fort Worth Star Telegram. I started the cigar blog SmokingStogie in 2008 after realizing that there was a need for a cigar blog with better photographs and more in-depth information about each release. SmokingStogie quickly became one of the more influential cigar blogs on the internet, known for reviewing preproduction, prerelease, rare, extremely hard-to-find and expensive cigars. I am a co-founder of halfwheel and now serve as an editor for halfwheel.