Today, we look at the Tatuaje 10th Anniversary Belle Encre Tuxtla. Tuxtla is a series of limited-edition cigars that Tatuaje has released over the past two years. It involves applying a Mexican San Andres wrapper to existing Tatuaje offerings. In 2013, Tatuaje released the Belle Encre and Bon Chasseur as special vitola offerings in its Brown Label line to commemorate its 10th anniversary. With Tatuaje celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2023, Tatuaje opted to revisit these sizes—but this time under the Tuxtla line with the Mexican wrapper.

The following are the seven Tuxtla releases. At press time, each has been limited to a single production run.

Tatuaje T110 Tuxtla
Tatuaje 7th Tuxtla
Tatuaje Avion 13 Tuxtla
Tatuaje Lomo de Cerdo
Tatuaje 10th Anniversary Belle Encre Tuxtla
Tatuaje 10th Anniversary Bon Chasseur Tuxtla
Tatuaje La Riqueza SE24 Tuxtla

The Belle Encre Tuxtla is the third release under the 10th Anniversary brand. Alongside the original Belle Encre, there has been a limited edition called the Tatuaje 10th Anniversary Belle Encre Reserva, which featured a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper.

Tatuaje 10th Anniversary Belle Encre Tuxtla – Agile Cigar Review

SPECIFICATIONS

In addition to the Mexican wrapper, the Belle Encre Tuxtla features 100% Nicaraguan tobacco. Production comes from 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.
Belle Encre: 5 3/8 x 48 (perfecto)

PERFORMANCE

The Belle Encre Tuxtla opened up with notes of cocoa, earth, mineral, and hints of citrus and white pepper. As the cigar moved through the early stages, the cocoa became a mocha note (a term I use to describe a fusion of cocoa and coffee). The retro-hale delivered an additional layer of white pepper. As the cigar moved through the second third, there was a gradual shift from mocha to coffee notes. Both the citrus and white pepper increased in prominence. By the final third, the coffee notes displaced the mocha. The pepper was the most prominent secondary note; mineral, earth, and citrus notes were still rounding out the flavor profile. The cigar finished with a soft, cool nub.

The flavors delivered were medium-bodied in the first half and progressed to medium-full in the second half. This was countered by medium strength that didn’t have much variance in intensity. The burn required little maintenance to maintain a straight burn path and straight burn line. The draw had a touch of resistance, making it ideal.

OVERALL ASSESSMENT

Final Thoughts

The Tatuaje Tuxtla series has gained a lot of attention over the past couple of years, but I think the Belle Encre Tuxtla has been mostly overlooked. The Belle Encre is the best Tuxtla release in the series to date. This cigar excels in the flavor department and has enough complexity to satisfy. Add in its excellent construction and this cigar has all the qualities of a truly great smoke. The good news at the press time of this assessment is that you can still find the Belle Encre Tuxtla. This is a cigar I would recommend to any cigar enthusiast. As for myself, it’s a cigar I would smoke again and buy multiples for my humidor. Coming in at 90 points, the Belle Encre Tuxtla earns a Cigar Coop Standard of Excellence designation.

Summary

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