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To some people, it would be best to check out the labels that they come with. The years specified in each box or label have a purpose and this is to show how long the cigar has been preserved thus for people to expect a higher quality taste for them.

Aging cigars may draw negative conclusions. But this would depend entirely on how educated the person who will be lighting the cigar is. There is no basis for waste when one talks about the length of storage a cigar has. The longer a cigar is kept, the better the taste it will provide once it is lit and smoked.

Tom Johansmeyer recently reviewed this cigar at Luxist, and this is what he has to say:

The box alone suggests that the contents are fascinating. Slick black with orange trim, the only reason you disturb the presentation is because you know what’s inside. The Gurkha Black Dragon Tubo cigars sit within, each encased in a frosted glass tube. Slide the metal cap from the case, and extract the cedar-wrapped cigar … the ritual itself shapes the smoking experience that follows.

Packaging and wrapping aside, does the Black Dragon deliver on taste? Johansmeyer continues:

The Black Dragon is far more powerful than most of the Gurkha cigars you’ve smoked. The dark wrapper belies its fuller taste, which is just a bit north of medium-bodied. Like any sophisticated cigar, the flavor does evolve from one end to the other, as the cigar gains momentum especially after the first two inches. The fullness stays with you to the end, maintaining its potency to the end rather than receding to a disappointing mildness.

More than the powerful flavor that you get at the beginning, I like how the flavor continues to satisfy you till the end. This is perhaps one cigar that you can enjoy to the fullest. Naturally, we should expect to pay for this kind of experience. I am willing, are you?

Naturally, being a Montecristo, you already have an inkling of the high quality of the cigar. On the outside, the White Especial No. 1 is firm to the touch, without a doubt packaged excellently. But what about the flavor and the smoking experience itself?

The initial draw will give you a very light tobacco flavor. That’s about it, really. You do not get any hint of woodsy flavors or anything else. It’s pure tobacco, albeit very mild. As you continue smoking the cigar, you might find yourself expecting the flavor to develop or perhaps intensify. To be honest, though, the mild tobacco flavor stays consistent down to the last draw. Now this is not a bad thing if that is what you are looking for. However, if you want something stronger, then you might not be satisfied with this cigar. On the upside, the cigar burns very well all throughout.

There are also other variations of the white cigar at Altadis USA. Check them out and tell me what you think.

Preference for quality smoked cigars is a given and it is no mystery why people would prefer buying cigars as individual sticks rather than in bulk. The bundled or second cigars will still possess the same smoke and tobacco, but for the experts, identifying the difference can be determined in the taste that these cigars would have.

Cigars are usually tagged depending on their point of origin such as Nicaraguan Bundles, or brands such as National, Baitoa and La Floridita. Building brand awareness in the category of cigars takes time, ironically similar to smoking quality cigars which would preferably take 6 to 8 weeks of aging before they are offered for sale to the cigar enthusiasts today.

So what is the Tatuaje Black all about? When it comes to the physical appearance, it makes the top of the list. The Cigar Spy says:

What about the taste? Zen and the Art of Cigar gives a great review:

As I bring the smoke in through my sinuses I get flavors of rich dark chocolate and espresso bean with not a touch of harshness at all. It has a nice long salt and pepper ash that seems like it could hold on forever.

The smoke is actually dry, which is somewhat surprising, as well as smooth and refined, I expected a lot of oomph from this cigar, but its real nice and refined.

As I smoke, the espresso flavor intensifies but fades to a nice anise and woody mix and rich tobacco at the heart of the flavors.

The draw was nice and easy as I began to really enjoy this smoke. The burn was dead-on even the whole way through, a sign of top notch construction.

Convinced yet?

Aside from assessing the wrapper of the cigar that you are blind tasting, try to get a feel of how the cigar was made. Roll your fingers around the diameter and across the length of the cigar. Feel for sports which are soft, this means that the packing was not done perfectly. Also weigh the cigar in your hand – is it densely or loosely packed? These factors would definitely affect the way the cigar burns as you smoke it. As you light the cigar and take your first draw, pay attention to how easily you can puff from it. Also pay attention to the ashes that form as you smoke.

Of course, the most important factor that you are to consider when blind tasting a cigar is the flavor and taste. Is the cigar full bodied? Does it have a tinge of sweetness to it? As you continue smoking, does the cigar’s flavor become more intense? Less intense? No change? Another thing that you should consider is the after taste that smoking leaves in your mouth. What is the after taste like? How does it make you feel?

Pay particular attention to all that your senses tell you and note them down.

There is no definite reason why such has been practiced, but to this day, cigars have been considered a form of announcing the arrival of a baby boy. The cigars passed do not have to be the quality cigars. They are merely distributed for the reason of announcing the arrival of the baby boy and not really to be smoked as what cigars are known to be for.

So the next time you find yourself getting a baby boy, consider that cigars are mainly acts of souvenirs and not really for appeasing the people who share the light moments of being a proud father. Any form of cigar will do just to announce that you are a father of a healthy bouncing baby boy!