Tatuaje Escasos HC

When it comes to developing new blends and new releases, one of the many options that a cigar manufacturer has is to swap out the wrapper leaf, giving the core profile a new spin while possibly making some minor tweaks to the binder and filler. It’s most commonly seem when a new line comes out and you have the Line X Natural and Line X Maduro.

But sometimes it evolves and a cigar manufacturer or brand owner will develop some go-to wrapper options and then revisit the portfolio to create multiple new options. Such has been the case with many of Tatuaje’s releases in recent memory, as brand owner Pete Johnson has utilized a handful of wrapper leaves for the majority of his creations, specifically Ecuadorian habano, Connecticut broadleaf, Mexican San Andrés, and in the case of this cigar, an Ecuadorian habano rosado claro wrapper.

In 2018, Tatuaje announced plans for a new line called Escasos, a name that means rare in Spanish, as only small quantities would be produced at any one time. As opposed to being produced in Estelí, Nicaragua at the My Father S.A. factory, Tatuaje had these cigars produced at My Father’s small factory in Doral, Fla.

The announcement of the Escasos Collection grouped a number of cigars together that had previously been a bit disconnected. For instance, Escasos was to include the Gran Tatuaje, a 9 x 55 perfecto that had been announced earlier in 2018 as an informal Tatuaje United States Series. So too, would the Gran Cazador, Petite Église and Clos L’Église be part of the Escasos line, the last two of those being cigars that can trace their roots back to at least 2013, originally as U.S. event-only cigars and then European exclusives.

What was known in October 2018 was that all of the tobacco used for Escasos would be of a Havana-seed origin, and that Escasos would be a way for Johnson to release smaller production cigars from the Miami factory.

Fast forward to March 2019, and Johnson announced a new addition to the Escasos line: the six original sizes of the Selección de Cazador line, more commonly referred to as the Brown Label.

• Tatuaje Escasos HC (6 3/8 x 43)
• Tatuaje Escasos U (6 1/8 x 52)
• Tatuaje Escasos N (5 1/8 x 42)
• Tatuaje Escasos T (7 5/8 x 49)
• Tatuaje Escasos E (7 1/2 x 38)
• Tatuaje Escasos R (5 1/2 x 50)

These cigars would use an Ecuadorian rosado habano claro wrapper with a Nicaraguan binder and filler. While the original line uses an Ecuadorian wrapper as well, this is a different leaf, though exactly how different was never disclosed. The cigars still wear the company’s iconic brown label, but add a secondary gold band with the Escasos name.

When they debuted, pricing was between $10 and $14, though that has increased in the roughly five years since the cigars debuted, and are now in the $12 to $16 range. Each size comes in boxes of 25 cigars.

Here’s what I said about the Tatuaje Escasos HC when I reviewed it in October 2019:

I must admit that I am a bit wary when it comes to putting new wrappers on existing cigars, especially on ones that are already quite good. Thankfully, the Tatuaje Escasos HC manages to do it successfully, giving the cigar a bit milder strength and flavor profile and leading with more of a peanut note than I recall the original having. There’s still the concern about the final third, as I’m hoping the burn issues that I experienced were an isolated issue that will resolve themselves with a bit more time and rest. But the net result of the change is an overall positive, and one I look forward to hopefully enjoying more of and in the full HUNTER range of vitolas.

• Cigar Reviewed: Tatuaje Escasos HC
• Country of Origin: U.S.A.
• Factory: El Rey de los Habanos
• Wrapper: Ecuador (Rosado Habano Claro)
• Binder: Nicaragua
• Filler: Nicaragua
• Length: 6 3/8 Inches
• Ring Gauge: 43
• Shape: Round
• MSRP: $12 (Box of 25, $300)
• Release Date: April 2019
• Number of Cigars Released: Regular Production
• Number of Cigars Smoked For Redux: 1

I don’t know what shade of wrapper leaf I’d pick if told to select one that would approximate the average Tatuaje release, but this one is definitely lighter than average. So much so, it still catches me off-guard as being light for a Tatuaje-banded release. That said, the wrapper looks good, with a matte finish and a network of thin veins that are primarily congregated on the backside of the cigar, so kudos to the person in the packaging department who recognized the best side of the cigar. There is still just a bit of oiliness to the leaf, though part of me wants to call it waxy, but either way, the wrapper isn’t dry to the touch. The clgar looks to be rolled well with no bumps or imperfections, and the head is very well constructed with no excess tobacco and clean lines. As mentioned in my original review, I find this vitola and presentation to be rather elegant, a good-looking cigar that is dressed well and not in need of excess flash or the imposing presence of a bigger vitola. There isn’t much of an aroma left from the foot, other than some very faint smells of dry tobacco, and then stabs at related smells: cereal, newspaper, cardboard, and maybe a dried out wooden cigar box. The cold draw is smooth and easy, and this offers a bit more sensation as it starts creamy and then picks up a bit of sweet Champagne, with a strawberry note standing out most clearly.

The Tatuaje Escasos HC starts with some creaminess, toast and black pepper—an approachable and engaging start that has just the slightest bit of a mouth-drying effect. Retrohales don’t have the creaminess, swapping it out for a fresh wood sensation while keeping the black pepper fairly restrained and imparting just a slight tingle after each exhale. I’m not sure if I’m waiting too long in between puffs or if the cigar might have a bit too much moisture, but the first puffs need some extra attention in order to keep the cigar burning. When burning properly, the Tatuaje Escasos HC puts off a lot of thick, creamy smoke, though it comes with some fairly flaky ash. The creaminess builds ever so slightly in the first inch or so, and, in doing so, seems to engulf the other flavors just a bit. That change holds until just before the midpoint, when some earthiness joins the profile alongside more of the toast and wood, a change that has the smoke sitting heavier on my taste buds while keeping the lingering tingle going. Flavor in the first half is generally around medium, body is medium and strength is mild. Construction hasn’t been perfect, as the combustion really dials back in between puffs and either needs a relight or several puffs to get back to where it should be, while the burn line is uneven and the ash is flaky.

It’s not long into the second half of the Tatuaje Escasos HC that the blend feels like it’s coming together and offering the more complex and layered flavor profile that it is capable of exhibiting. There’s some new earthiness and a brighter expression of pepper, changes that begin to make their way to the front of the profile as the creaminess fades a bit and takes on a bit of a Greek yogurt sensation. Both the burn line and the flavor profile are fairly quick-moving, as the creaminess continues to fade, though makes brief reappearances, while the toast pushes out the woodiness and becomes a bit burnt at times, leading to a more pronounced sensation when combined with the black pepper. Flavor is medium-full in the second half, body is medium-plus and strength is medium-minus. Combustion issues hamper things a bit, and I’m surprised to see a cigar with this kind of age showing combustion and burn line problems, which led to an extended smoking time of two hours and 30 minutes.