In my third review I’ll be smoking the Tatuaje Verocu No. 9. This cigar is one that has kind of slid by the wayside for me and I am just now getting around to smoking it. This cigar is sold exclusively by Holt’s Cigar Company. As of the writing Holt’s has this cigar listed as being on backorder. Currently there is not a date for when (if ever) this cigar will be available again. Like my review of the Frank, this was the first cigar from the Havana VI line I have smoked. In this review (and all future reviews) I will be noting what drink I paired the cigar with. I find that the drink can make a difference and should be noted.


(A note on how I rate my cigars… I track all of my cigars on a spreadsheet. I rate every cigar that I smoke on a second spreadsheet based on five things. The first is construction with ten possible points. Next is the draw with fifteen possible points, followed by the burn, also with fifteen possible points. Fourth on my list is flavor with thirty possible points. Finally I rate the cigar overall with thirty points being the maximum in this category. This is to cover the intangibles that just don’t seem to be covered in any of the other categories.)
* I’ve found several different wrappers listed for this cigar. This seems to be the most common and the one most consistent with others in the Havana VI line. Feel free to leave a comment if I am incorrect.


Construction:
A smaller cigar, chosen specifically for the fact that it’s December and I will be smoking outside. It has a beautiful dark brown wrapper with minimal veins and a well-applied triple cap. The seam is barely visible. There are two bands on the cigar. The first is the red Havana VI band. The second band is silver, red, and white in color with the words “Verocu No. 9” centered under the Tatuaje of the first band. Overall, this is a solid, well-constructed cigar. 9/10

Draw:
The cap is easily cut with my cheap cutter. My other cutter was run over but that’s a whole other story that I won’t get into here. I take a quick draw. Pre-light this cigar seems to be a bit loose although you wouldn’t guess this by the feel of it. My concerns fade away however when I light it and the draw comes through just right. 14/15

Burn:
The cigar lights easily and like the rest of this cigar the burn is great with only one slight touch up. Due to the fact that I was trying to photograph the cigar while I was smoking it this may have been partially my fault. It doesn’t hurt that this cigar has been stored in my home humidor for the last four or five months and not with me in my travel humidor. 14/15


Flavor:
The cigar starts with that blast of Tatuaje spice that while recognizable is noticeably different than the Seleccion de Cazador (brown label). The spice eases up slightly but remains ever present to the very end. Since this cigar is so small (and my palate so unrefined) I’m going to divide this cigar into halves instead of thirds. During the first half the main flavor I detect is the spice it started off with. Let me just add that this is not a bad thing. Occasionally a sweetness came across although I partially credit this to the rum (and hence my addition of pairings). Almost spot on halfway through a dark chocolate flavor poked its head through the spiciness along with what seemed like hints of leather. Like I’ve noted before my palate is not so refined as I’d like it to be and these flavors were not detectable to me every puff. It was a moral victory for me that I was able to detect anything besides spice so I’ll take what I can get. As far as I’m concerned the flavor of this cigar was outstanding. 28/30


Overall:
This cigar was perfect for what I was looking for, a short flavorful smoke that would last 30 to 45 minutes. The flavor was fantastic. If you read my review of the Frank you’ll notice that I also gave that cigar a 28 in the flavor department. Trust me when I say that this is not common for me. The flavor was just that good. While flavorful I would say this cigar is medium to medium plus at best. It is not overpowering like some other smaller Tatuaje cigars (M80 anyone?) and while each have their place this was just right for today. So if you’re in the market for a fantastic winter smoke this will fit the bill rather nicely. 27/30

Total 92/100

(On a side note this is the first time I’ll be using my own photographs in my review. If any of you are photographers and would care to shoot me some pointers I’d greatly appreciate it.)
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Great review and great pics. I love the Havana VI. I haven't had the Verocu No. 9 yet but I hope to soon.
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Thanks for the review. I've been smoking a good number of the Tatuaje Havana VI Verocu No.5s and have been wanting to try these. Appreciate it.. I'll be getting some to try. That rum is a good choice.. I have their 23 and XO and I think a little neat 23 is really nice in lieu of scotch at times. And IMHO better than the XO with a cigar.
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Great review Dan.......sigh another Tat I have to seek out, at this rate I am just going to have boxes and boxes of tats.
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Thanks all,
jdp... if you smoke the No. 9 let me know how you like it compared to the No. 5. I stil haven't tried a No. 5.

irratebass... I keep checking at Holt's but no luck. This will be a box purchase for me for sure if/when they get them back in stock.
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Great review and great pics of one of my All Time Favorite Tat's. I always have these on hand.
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That is a problem?






Great review and pics!
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I love that stick!!!
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