Tatuaje Skinny Monster Cazadores Hyde SEP- - 2020 PJHC (49SRW)

[Sir Diggamus]

I picked up this sampler of 10 cigars recently because of a really positive experience I had with a couple of the Skinny Monster Lanceros after their release last year. For those that don't follow Tatuaje, they do a limited release of the "Monster Series" every year around Halloween with the cigars named after horror movie villains. It started with a couple of different blends and the number in the series has grown throughout the years. After several of the blends were out they released variants alongside the standard sizes, which were the same blends but in different vitolas (Little Monsters, Pudgy Monsters, and Skinny Monsters). I somehow missed trying any of these cigars all these years, but when I was in a shop/lounge last year I picked up a couple of the Lancero sizes (the Frank and Chuck) to smoke while hanging out and really liked them. So this year when I saw that Tatuaje offered a sampler in not only the Lancero but also the Cazadore size, I grabbed the Cazadore size so I could get a chance to try them all. 

 

The Hyde blend is Nicaraguan in filler and binder, and has an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper that was a darker shade of colorado in color. The smell at cold is earthy mushroom. Once I fired it up the opening notes are baking cocoa and a little cedar. Later in the first third I get wheat notes and a tad of leather. 

Starting off the second third I get a corn sweetness a spice I can't put my finger on. Notes of licorice begin to emerge at about the halfway point with some of the previously mentioned notes jumping in and out. There was A LOT going on in this smoke. 

In the last third I started to notice more of the wheat notes back in the mix as well as oatmeal. Some roasted nuts on the finish. 

Construction and draw was near perfect on this smoke, just enough resistance in the draw to keep it interesting. I found the amount of grain type notes in the cigar very unique and not something I pick up a lot of in other cigars. 

I tried the "Face" blend last week and really didn't like it until the last third, but this one had my interest from start to finish. Too bad they only offer the Cazadore size in the sampler as of now, they would be box worthy. A very interesting and complex smoke. 

 

91 points 

 

[saltbox]

They've actually got a lancero sampler around as well, with the same cigars/blends in standard lancero size. I actually happened to order one of each earlier tonight!