Tatuaje Avion 13 Tuxtla

Today, we take a look at another cigar in Tatuaje’s Tuxtla Series, the Tatuaje Avion 13 Tuxtla. Tuxtla is a region in Mexico where San Andres tobacco is grown and harvested. Tuxtla is an appropriate name for this series as it involves taking some of Tatuaje’s most popular cigars and replacing the wrapper with a Mexican San Andres wrapper. In the case of the Tatuaje Avion 13 Tuxtla, it replaces the wrapper of the Tatuaje Avion 13 with a San Andres wrapper. Today, we take a closer look at the Tatuaje Avion 13 Tuxtla.

Tatuaje’s Avion series is an offshoot of the Tatuaje Fausto series. As many know, the Fausto blend was based on the original Tatuaje T110 blend (which is also a Tuxtla release). In the case of Avion, it was a series of box-pressed perfectos released annually from 2011 to 2013. Each Avion release had a different size and was named for the year it was released. Avion 13 (2013) was a little different in that there were two Avion 13s released. Initially, the Avion 13 was going to use an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper like the previous Avions. Along the way, Tatuaje owner Pete Johnson decided to switch the Avion 13 wrapper to Connecticut Broadleaf. There had already been some Habano Avion 13s rolled, so those cigars were dubbed Avion 13 FF, while the Broadleaf Avion 13 was dubbed Avion 13 Reserva. Production ceased on the Avion 13 FF, so it was a limited release.

Confused? Tatuaje Avion 13 Tuxtla is simply a Mexican San Andres version of the Tatuaje Avion 13 Reserva offering. So, let’s break down this cigar and see what it brings to the table.

SPECIFICATIONS

Blend and Origin

In addition to the Mexican San Andres wrapper, the Tatuaje Avion 13 Tuxtla consists of all Nicaraguan tobaccos for the binder and filler. The Garcia family handles production at the My Father Cigars factory in Estelí, Nicaragua.

Wrapper: Mexican San Andres
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Factory: My Father Cigars S.A.

Vitolas Offered

The following are the six cigars in the Tuxtla Series. We usually list all the sizes of a particular blend in this section. In this case, each of these are separate blends.

The Tatuaje Tuxtla was presented in 25-count boxes. Approximately 2,000 boxes were produced.

Tatuaje Avion 13 Tuxtla: 6 7/8 x 52
Tatuaje 7th Tuxtla: 5 5/8 x 46
Tatuaje Tuxtla T110: 4 3/8 x 52
Tatuaje Lomo de Cerdo (Pork Tenderloin): 5 1/8 x 52
Tatuaje Belle Encre Tuxtla: 5 3/8 x 48 (Perfecto)
Tatuaje Bon Chasseur Tuxtla: 5 3/8 x 52

Appearance

The Mexican San Andres wrapper of the Tatuaje Avion 13 Tuxtla had a roasted coffee bean color. A slight amount of mottling was on the surface of the wrapper. The surface of the wrapper did not have much oil on it. There wasn’t much in the way of visible veins, but some wrapper seams could be seen. Near the head was a short, sharper taper converging to a tip. A gentle taper led to an open footer on the other end of the cigar. The cigar had a Cuban soft-press style to it.

PERFORMANCE

Pre-Light Draw

Before lighting up the Tatuaje Avion 13 Tuxtla, a straight cut was used to remove the tip from the cigar. About 1/2 of the tip was removed to still allow for the tapering effect in the cigar experience. After removing the tip, it was on to the pre-light draw. The cold draw combined mocha (a cross of coffee and chocolate) and mixed fruit sweetness. I deemed this a very good pre-light draw. I then lit up the Tatuaje Avion 13 Tuxtla to see what this cigar would deliver.

Tasting Notes

The Tatuaje Avion 13 Tuxtla opened up with earth, mineral, coffee, and cedar notes. Early on, the earth and mineral notes moved to the forefront. The coffee and cedar settled in the background and quickly were joined by some fruit sweetness and red pepper. There was also an additional layer of red pepper in the background.

During the second third of the Tatuaje Avion 13 Tuxtla, the earth and mineral notes remained firmly in control at the forefront. The coffee, cedar, fruit, and pepper notes remained in the background. Some chocolate notes surfaced from time to time in the forefront. Just past the second half, the pepper notes increased in intensity.

The final third saw the earth and mineral notes still grounded in the forefront. Of the secondary notes, there was more in the way of pepper. While there still were touches of coffee, fruit, cedar, and some residual chocolate notes, they played less of a role. As the cigar experience of the Tatuaje Avion 13 Tuxtla came to a close, the cigar finished with a firm, cool nub.

Burn

The Tatuaje Avion 13 Tuxtla performed exceptionally well. The cigar maintained a straight burn path and a straight burn line and required minimal touch-ups. The resulting ash was skewed toward the firmer side. This was an ash that was light gray. As for the burn rate and burn temperature, each maintained an ideal level.

Burn of the Tatuaje Avion 13 Tuxtla

Draw

A couple of the Tatuaje Avion 13 Tuxtla samples had a slightly tight draw. I usually like a little resistance on a draw, but they had more resistance than I prefer. I could still derive flavor but had to work harder than I like. This was also a cigar that didn’t require anything in the way of re-lights.

Strength and Body

The Tatuaje Avion 13 Tuxtla lives up to the lineage of previous iterations of this cigar as a powerhouse. This cigar started out medium to full in strength and body. By the second half, the Tatuaje Avion 13 Tuxtla is in full strength and full-bodied territory.

Throughout the smoking experience of the Tatuaje Avion 13 Tuxla, the strength, and body balance each other nicely, with neither attribute overshadowing the other.

BANDING AND PACKAGING NOTES

Overall, the Tatuaje Avion 13 Tuxtla’s banding follows what was done with the Tatuaje 7th Tuxtla. Namely, the Avion 13 Tuxtla comes in the same primary band as the regular production version (Avion 13 Reserva). It adds a secondary green band with the text “TUXTLA” in white. I do like what Pete Johnson has done with the banding scheme. It makes it very easy to identify the cigar as a Tuxtla cigar – and precisely what cigar (in this case, Avion 13) the Tuxtla cigar is based on.

OVERALL ASSESSMENT

Final Thoughts

One thing I was happy about is that when it came to an Avion moving into the Tuxtla series, it was the Avion 13. The Avion 13 Reserva was my favorite of the Avion releases to date. That didn’t translate to the same assessment in the Tuxtla series. I still found the Tatuaje 7th Tuxtla to be the more solid offering. The first two-thirds scored nice – but the last third was too much earth, mineral, and spice for me. Ultimately, I recommend seeing if you can try a sample first. The second half of this cigar has a big punch, so be warned.

Summary

Key Flavors: Earth, Mineral, Coffee, Cedar, Fruit, Chocolate, Pepper
Burn: Excellent
Draw: Very Good
Complexity: Medium Plus
Strength: Medium to Full (1st Half), Full (2nd Half)
Body: Medium to Full (1st Half), Full (2nd Half)
Finish: Very Good

Rating

Value: Try a Sample
Score: 88

The Smoking Syndicate Review

Ben Lee and Bear Duplisea combined for a collaborative review of the Tatuaje Avion 13 Tuxtla on both The Smoking Syndicate and El Oso Fumar Takes. Ben scored this cigar a 90 while Bear scored this an 89.

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