Back in the mid-late 2000s, Pete Johnson had a cigar made at Tabacalera Tropical called the Nuevitas. This happens to be the name of a port city in Cuba, and also claimed by many historians to be a place where Christopher Columbus landed in 1492. Legend has it, the native people shared the act of puffing on burning rolled up leaves with Columbus and his crew. I suppose the rest, as they say, is history. Nonetheless, since the original release Nuevitas cigar from Pete Johnson was basically impossible to find after all these years, and the FDA made it more and more of a necessity for companies to resurrect old facings, Tatuaje decided to bring the Nuevitas back to market much to the excitement of dedicated Tatuaje fans.
Tatuaje Nuevitas Esteli
MSRP: $8.50
Size: 5 x 52 Robusto
Origin: Nicaragua (My Father Cigars S.A.)
Wrapper: Corojo 99 (Nicaragua)
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
This time, The Nuevitas was released in two forms, all made at My Father Cigars S.A. in Esteli, Nicaragua. The Jibaro version comes with a shaggy foot and in a No. 1 (5 x 54) and a No. 2 (6 x 52). The Esteli version comes only in a 5 x 52, and is without the shaggy foot. The blends differ slightly, as the Jibaro is amped up with a bit more ligero, but the Esteli is meant to have more nuance. This review is for the Nuevitas Esteli, and we hope to publish reviews of the other formats as well.
Prologue
The cigar has a lovely sheen from the oil in the wrapper leaf. The color reminds me of a cinnamon stick, with a deep reddish-orange color. It smells like cedar and leather, especially at the foot. The cold draw is open, with notes of dry grass, wood, and cinnamon.
Act I
The flavor profile starts off right away with a snap of black pepper and a slightly sour note. As the burn moves along the flavors settle in to core notes of leather, baking spice, and a little bit of cocoa. The retrohale still has notes of pepper that give the nose a real wake up call. It has a great draw and plenty of rich smoke.
Act II
The middle of the cigar keeps up with those core flavors, but a few nice additions come in to join the party. I get little bits of roasted nuts and toasted wood, but those central flavors are still the baking spice and leather. The texture of the smoke is nice. Although it is rich, it is not heavy. The retrohale starts to get a little leather along with the pepper. The whole profile is tagged with a sweetness that seems to bring everything together.
Act III
The final third of the cigar just continues to please. It is mellow and sweet with nuttiness, sweetness, and clean transitions. The pepper amps up at the end and the sour note from the beginning makes a return appearance. For the most part the baking spice and leather have faded at this point. The retrohale is now mostly pepper and citrus.
Epilogue
Many people celebrated the return of Nuevitas, and for good reason. The cigar has a historic name and the brand power of Tatuaje behind it. Although Tatuaje is known as a boutique brand, it is a part of the Garcia/My Father Cigars family. That comes with the benefit of a massive factory, distribution operation, and powerful marketing group. More important, it comes with the quality that comes from the My Father Cigar factory. It is a well built cigar that is beautiful, cleanly construsted, flavorful, and reasonably priced. With flavors that are pleasing, and transitions that stay interesting, it is a cigar that anyone can enjoy any time of the day.
Tatuaje Nuevitas Esteli – How Bout That Cigar
Rating: How Bout A Box?
Overall Score: 92
PAD: +1.0
Flavor Summary: Cinnamon, Leather, Cedar
Strength Assessment: Medium
Source: Cigars for this review were purchased by HBT Media LLC
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