Tatuaje Verocu No.1 Review

Verocu No.1
Made by: Tatuaje
Country: Nicaraguan
Vitola: Toro 6 1/4 by 52

The Tatuaje Verocu No 5 was a go to short smoke of mine for a long time, until a short smoke became a Robusto for me. When I heard that this cigar was going to come out I was naturally excited for it. Lets see what Pete Johnson has created with a Tatuaje Verocu No.1 Review.

Prelight

Pete found a great looking wrapper for this cigar. Dark brown with a little bit of tooth, visible seams, medium sized veins. Large cap that looks like you could not cut it badly if you tried. The foot gives of a deep sweet coffee/cacao note with pepper in the background. It smells thick and creamy, perfect cut no issues with the cap at all. A little more resistance then preferred on the prelight draw. And there are cacao and a mix of pepper notes on the prelight draw. Let’s get this started.

1/3

It took a little while to light, once it did the primary flavor was a dark thick chocolate with lots of creamy smoke. The finish was a mix of all sorts of pepper notes combined with the falling cacao. It actually tastes like I am eating a dark chocolate bar, wonderful blending on this cigar. The mixed pepper finish balances out the primary note of cacao exceptionally. As this third progresses the cacao note holds strong but a cedar comes up on the finish to match the pepper note. Medium to full body and low strength at this point. Not a perfect burn line but nowhere near in need of a touch up. The finish is producing a citrus flavor, the mix of the cedar and peppers are creating that. It’s a clean tangy/sweet that’s a great end to the primary dry dark chocolate flavor. Compact grey ash and the burn line is still performing well. Very slow burn, but that’s a good thing because this thing is on track for full points in the flavor department. The cedar note is coming up and quite powerful, this is nearing the end of the first third. There is a cayenne pepper tingle on the finish to accompany the cedar note. The cacao has died down but is still present. Strength is up to a low-medium.

2/3

As the second third begins the body has reached full and strength is approaching medium. The Cacao not has risen slightly to match the cedar for the primary flavors. Cayenne pepper is the finish now and it is pure, not mixed with black or white pepper notes. Smoke production has dropped a bit but it is still thick and creamy. As the second third progresses the cacao is rising back up over the cedar to the point that it has even covered the pepper finish. The pepper is still present and noticeable on the retrohale. That dark chocolate thick note that was what the cigar started with is back as the second third is coming to an end.

3/3

As the last third starts up the Cacao note holds the main flavor and the cayenne pepper has returned on the finish. The body is still at a full and the strength is at a medium. As the cigar reach the nub and was coming to an end the cedar note came back up to overpower the cacao and take the main flavor. There was still a light cayenne tingle on the finish, very well balanced.

Smoke Time: 1 hour and 35 minutes

Conclusion: 92

The pepper was quite in this blend, in comparison to a lot of Pete Johnson’s other blends, and it worked wonders. The dark chocolate note that kept returning was delicious and the transitions occurred when the cigar needed a change. Wonderful cigar, levels above the original Tatuaje Havana VI line. I am glad that they decided to make this blend into larger vitola’s. Great performance and great flavors justify the score that it achieved 92.

Click on the picture to find this cigar at anthonyscigars.com