After Frank, Wolf, Drac, and Face this is the fifth review of the Tatuaje Monster Mash Series. Today I am smoking the Mummy. Originally released as a 7 ¾ x 47 in October 2012, the Mummy is based around the Tatuaje Black Label blend. This is the Monster I believe I have heard the least amount of talk about, to the point that I always forget it was a Monster blend. The wrapper, band, and overall appearance of the cigar seems unfitting for the series, as it gives me an impression of elegance. Then again, the whole concept of a mummy type burial is pretty elegant.
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Factory: My Father Cigars S.A.
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Sun Grown Criollo
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Vitola: 6 ¼ x 47 Short Churchill we’ll call it.
Release Date: September 2021
Company Website: https://www.tatuajecigars.com/
Expectations
I expect this cigar to be an excellent representation of Nicaraguan tobaccos. Full in flavor and body with notes of earth, pepper, and a citric like sweetness. I won’t be surprised by some cocoa at times. The strength will probably creep up with burn time, but I doubt it’lll ever reach full. Interestingly, my expectations came from my experiences with the Black Label, however, I am typing this sentence in the final third because I did not read an excerpt from Pete Johnson regarding the Mummy being based on the Black Label until now. I can see the similarities, but I would not have guessed it to be the same blend.
Prelight Characteristics
I really like this wrapper leaf. It is medium brown with an oily sheen. The pack is quite lumpy throughout. It seems like it wanted to be box pressed around the band, as there is an odd flat spot. The foot is covered and there is a small crack in the wrapper at the foot. I also really like the band and font coloration. This Monster Mash box is killing it with color combinations. The cold draw is very light with no discernible flavors. The cigar smells kind of like a pastry - bready but a little sweet.
First Third
First light is medium full in flavor, medium in body, with notes. The draw is very bready with a pretty good pepper kick at the end. The retrohale brings in a little citrus and some cocoa. Fairly quickly the pepper on the draw turns more towards a baking type spice. There is some sweetness on the finish that is more of a honey sweetness, but the retrohale is still more citric. The smoke is very full in body, but the flavor profile is a solid medium. About an inch in and the burn wants to canoe a bit, but it seems like its holding on. The flavors have shifted pretty drastically. The draw is more earthy, but in the way darker coffee can be. There is a touch of bitterness, but in a nice way and there is a mild sweetness. The retrohale is like a burnt caramel. The finish is malty. The burn seems to have corrected itself so far. The ash dropped right at the end of this third. When the ash dropped, the draw flavors brightened up a bit more with the sweetness showing more honey characteristics. The draw and performance have been great.
Flavor - 3.25/4
Performance - 3/3
Experience - 2.5/3
Overall - 9/10
Second Third
This third is starting out still in the medium flavor range. The draw flavors, interestingly, are still similar to coffee, but instead of an earthy, darker coffee, it’s brighter and a bit more citric. The retrohale accentuates the citrus components. There is some breadiness and pepper coming back in. Entering the halfway point and the flavor is coming up to a medium full. The burn and draw have been great. The draw is still bready with honey, but there is a nice bitterness in there to balance the sweetness. Some maltiness and burnt caramel are showing back up in the retrohale. This third remained pretty consistent from the halfway point. The only flavor change worth noting is the addition of a dry almond on the finish. Still performing great. There may be a little strength coming in, we’ll call it medium for now.
Flavor - 3/4
Performance - 3/3
Experience - 2.25/3
Overall - 8.5/10
Final Third
The final third is still medium full in flavor and full in body. I am getting a ton of mouth coating, honey-like sweetness with a bit of toast and citrus that hang on through the finish. There is a mild, floral coffee through the nose. There is a little sting. About an inch from the band and some pepper is coming in, but not much. The floral note from the retrohale is becoming present on the draw and finish, but in a kind of soapy way. Soapy sounds bad, but it’s not. There is a cream coming in on the draw now and a general nuttiness on the finish. The smoke is leaving a pepper kind of bite on the lips. The draw flavors are staying consistent while the retrohale is becoming creamier in texture and flavor. Nearing the end the finish is becoming like a chocolate taffy. The draw started showing some woodiness with the floral component. There is a bit of honey present. The retrohale is showing some of the burnt caramel again.
Flavor - 3.5/4
Performance - 3/3
Experience - 2.5/3
Overall - 9/10
Overall Experience
I don’t mean to bring up another company in a review, but this was like Dion from Illusione and Pete from Tatuaje worked on this blend together. It was like an Epernay D’Aosta met a Black Label. This was a wonderful cigar with a lot of flavors and complexity. This was a lot more nuanced than most Tatujae cigars I have smoked and delivered a different profile than any other I have had, especially within this Monster Mash series. The balance of sweetness, bread, and bitterness was perfect. The floral notes in the final third were really well done as well. There were components that I would consider similar to the Black Label, but it was not a Black Label. Could be the size, or could be a slight tweak in the ratios of tobaccos. Whatever it was, I wish there were more of these readily available. This cigar smoked great, and burned for about an hour and 50 minutes. I think it is interesting to note that this profile was not what I would classify as something I look for or expected, but sometimes cigars surprise you and just hit the mark.
Final Score - 8.83/10
This Monster Mash box was purchased by me through UpDown Cigar in Chicago. Feel free to reach out to me with questions, concerns, criticisms, or just to talk at @guitarsandcigarsfarm on Instagram, or via email at trevor@whiskeyandwhitetails.com.