Cigar Review: La Verite 2008 From Pete Johnson of Tatuaje
smokinghotcigarchick.com While at Santa Barbara Cigars in Houston, TX, I had the pleasure of tasting the just released La Verite, 2008 single farm vintage cigar, from Pete Johnson of Tatuaje Cigars. The inspiration of wine can be seen everywhere from the presentation of the box, the label and style of aging, and can be appreciated in the blend. This is a single farm vintage cigar with all the tobacco coming from a single crop in Esteli, Nicaragua. Once proper fermentation was completed, the tobacco was rolled into cigars and then set to age until their release. Though ready to be smoked upon purchase, this is a cigar that will be interesting to age. I think it is great to see this perspective of the wine world enter into cigars, and Pete Johnson has done a wonderful job in this creation. One thing I really enjoyed was the aroma of this smoke. It was beautiful through the nose, intensifying the flavor without being overpowering. The entire smoke was consistently smooth. There was a bit of a dry finish but nothing harsh or unpleasant to me. Cedar was especially prominent at the beginning of the smoke, but more complexity with earth built in nicely as the smoke continued. This is not a powerhouse, but a medium bodied smoke with some lovely characteristics. At a stick it isn’t a daily smoke, but one for special occasions. As they are from a single crop and vintage, they are limited. I think this will be a nice addition to the Tatuaje line.