Agile Cigar Reviews are cigar assessments where we use a lightweight, shorter format. These will never take the place of our comprehensive reviews. They are only used on blends we have previously assessed. This might be a blend we are re-scoring or giving a score for the first time. It might be a blend we are looking at in a different size. Today we look at the Tatuaje Monster Mash Bride. This is a cigar blend previously assessed back in May 2019 in the “The Bride” size.
Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Factory: My Father Cigars S.A.
Monster Mash Bride: 5 5/8 x 49
As we wind down our look at the Tatuaje Monster Mash Sampler, today we take a look at the Tatuaje Monster Mash Bride. The Monster Mash Sampler is based on the Tatuaje Monster Series, which is an annual series that pays homage to horror film characters with unique blends. Typically Tatuaje has released each installment just before Halloween. Over the years, Tatuaje has also released many offshoot samplers of the series, each containing a different theme. The Monster Mash is actually the seventh sampler that was introduced into the series. It contains one of each of the 13 blends in the Tatuaje Monsters Series (plus an additional unreleased blend known as The Creature). The Monster Mash cigars would be the same ring gauge as the Halloween-released “monster,” but each Monster Mash cigar was 1 1/2 inches shorter than the Halloween release. In the case of the Monster Mash Bride, it measures 5 5/8 x 49.
Some of the Monster characters have been based on classic horror film characters and others are based on more contemporary characters. In the case of the Tatuaje Bride, it is based on the character in The Bride of Frankenstein.
The chart below shows the complete history of the Tatuaje Monsters series and what is offered in one sampler. Note the Tatuaje Monster Mash includes a new “monster” known as “The Creature.” It does not have a corresponding Halloween character and at press time is exclusive to the Monster Mash series.
| Character/Collection | Full Monsters (The +) -Annual |
Little Monsters |
Pudgy Monsters | Skinny Monsters | Skinny Monsters Cazadores |
Skinny Monsters Lancero |
MBS | Monster Mash |
| Frankenstein (2008) | Frank (*) | Frank Jr. | Frank | Frank | Frank | Frank | Frank | |
| Dracula (2009) | Drac (*) | Lil’ Drac | Drac | Drac | Drac | Drac | Drac | |
| Leather Face (2010) | Face | Baby Face | Face | Face | Face | Face | Face | |
| The Wolfman (2011) | Wolfman | Wolfie | Wolf | Wolf | Wolf | Wolf | Wolf | |
| The Mummy (2012) | Mummy | Mini Mum | Mummy | Mummy | Mummy | Mummy | Mummy | |
| Jason Voorhees (2013) | JV13 | Jason | Jason | Jason | Jason | Jason | ||
| Dr. Jekyll (2014) | Jekyll | Jekyll | Jekyll | Jekyll | Jekyll | |||
| Mr. Hyde (2015) | Hyde | Hyde | Hyde | Hyde | Hyde | |||
| Freddy Krueger (2016) | Krueger | FK | Krueger | |||||
| Chucky (2019) | Chuck | Chuck | Chuck | Chuck | Chuck | Chuck | ||
| Tiffany (2019) | Tiff | Tiff | Tiff | Tiff | Tiff | Tiff | ||
| Michael Myers (2017) | Michael | Michael | ||||||
| “The Bride” (2018) | Bride | Bride | ||||||
| “The Creature (from the Black Lagoon)” (2021) | Creature |
* Also Re-released as Redux
The Monster Mash Bride uses the same tobacco components as the other sizes that utilize the Tatuaje Bride blend. This consists of an Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper over all-Nicaraguan fillers. Given the “Bride” is the “Bride of Frankenstein,” the Bride shares some bonds with the “Frank”. Both Frank and Bride use the Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper. In the case of the Frank, it is a darker Broadleaf in a box-pressed format. With the Bride, it is a lighter Connecticut Broadleaf Rosado wrapper in a rounded format.
The Monster Mash Bride opened up with notes of coffee, wood, cream, and a slight fruit note. Early on the coffee notes took control with the wood, cream, and fruit notes settling in the background. As the cigar moved through the second third, the pepper and fruit notes increased in intensity. The coffee notes remained in control going into the final third. The fruit and pepper notes were close secondary notes. Meanwhile, there still were touches of wood and cream present.
Flavor-wise the Tatuaje Monster Mash Bride delivered medium-bodied notes. This was countered by medium-bodied strength. Both the strength and body balanced each other nicely. The burn was low maintenance, requiring minimal touch-ups to keep a straight burn line and burn path. While normally I like a little resistance on a draw, I found the draw of the Monster Mash Bride to be a little tighter than I prefer.
OVERALL ASSESSMENT
Final Thoughts
The Bride has been one of my favorite releases in the Monsters series – and the Tatuaje Monster Mash Bride does not disappoint me. This is a cigar that excels in the most important category – flavor. In particular, I really liked the coffee note that this cigar produced. Much like the original Bride, I found the Monster Mash Bride responded nicely to some short-term aging. As I have said when it comes to the Monster Mash series, because the Monster Mash Bride comes only in a $150.00 sampler, it’s still a “Try a Sample” for the individual cigar. However, after smoking 13 of the 14 blends in the sampler, the sampler is something I would easily recommend purchasing as a whole. At the same time, with a 90-point score, the Tatuaje Monster Mash Bride earns the Cigar Coop Standard of Excellence designation.
Summary
Key Flavors: Coffee, Fruit, Pepper, Cream, Classic Wood
Burn: Excellent
Draw: Very Good
Complexity: Medium Minus
Strength: Medium
Body: Medium
Finish: Very Good
Rating
Value: Try a Sample
Score: 90
Cigar Coop Standard of Excellence
REFERENCES
Previous Review: Tatuaje – The Bride
News: Tatuaje The Bride Unlucky 13 Retailers Announced
Price: $150.00 for a sampler that includes 14 different Monster Mash cigars (which includes one Monster Mash Bride)
Source: Purchased
Brand Reference: Tatuaje
Photo Credits: Cigar Coop
