2019 Cigar of the Year Countdown #13: Tatuaje - The Bride

“…the flavors delivered were excellent and balanced each other nicely. It’s a very different Connecticut Broadleaf with a smoother profile”

Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Country Of Origin: Nicaragua
Factory: My Father Cigars SA
Vitola: 7 1/8 x 49
Price: $13.00
Review: Tatuaje – The Bride (5/8/19)
Appearances on Countdown (By Year/Brand): 6 (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2019)

Coming in at #13 is Tatuaje – The Bride. The Monsters Series is the line of Tatuaje Monsters which was created by Tatuaje founder Pete Johnson as a tribute to monster and horror movies. Each October (around Halloween) since 2008, a new character was unveiled. The Bride is a character that pays homage to The Bride of Frankenstein. It was the thirteenth blend released in the series and there is some speculation it could be the last (2019’s Tatuaje – The Chuck and The Tiff were introduced as full-sized Monsters of previously released blends). The Monsters Series launched with The Frank, a tribute to Frankenstein; so in a way, if this is the final Monsters blend, the series has come full circle.

Like the original Frank release, The Bride utilizes a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper. The binder and filler of the blend is all-Nicaraguan tobaccos. The vitola is a 7 1/8 x 49 rounded Churchill. Production is handled out of the My Father Cigars factory in Estelí, Nicaragua. Consistent with all of the full-sized Monsters releases, the release was made available in dress boxes and non-dress (cedar) boxes.

The Bride lands Tatuaje on a Cigar Coop Countdown for a sixth year. It’s also the fourth time a Monsters Series release has landed on the Countdown (Joining 2011’s The Wolfman, 2012’s The Mummy, and 2014’s The Jekyll). It’s also the second cigar produced out of the My Father Cigars’ factory to land on the 2019 Countdown.

The Bride delivers notes of coffee, cedar, pepper, and fruit sweetness. The flavors delivered are medium-bodied and countered by medium strength.

One thing that stands out about The Bride, this is a cigar that breaks the mold of traditional Connecticut Broadleaf cigars. It’s a smooth and flavorful cigar that has secured its place on this year’s Countdown.