Zen & the Art of the Cigar

Size: 7 5/8″ x 49

Vitola: Double Corona

Wrapper: a frighteningly toothy Connecticut Broadleaf

Origin: Nicaragua

Age: just arose from its coffin

The Frank.  You may have heard of it.  The Frank (short for Frankenstein’s monster of course) is 1^st of a hopefully long line of Monster Series cigars released by Pete Johnson of Tatuaje fame for Halloween.  Thirteen evil cigars are stuffed into a blood-splattered coffin and were distributed to only 13 ghoulish retailers randomly selected from a drawing, 666 terrifying boxes total.  Empire Cigars was lucky enough to be one of the thirteen stores selected to carry the Frank.

The Frank is adorned with an eerie green band that separates it from all of the other Tatuaje lines.  The Frank is slightly box-pressed (very Frankenstein-y) and is long and big.  Pete has revealed (at Brothers of the Leaf) that the Frank is actually a Tatuaje Taino with a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper.

Here’s a picture from last year’s review:

As I write this and smoke another Frank, I am also looking at last year’s review at the same time for comparison.

Looking at last year’s post I say, “Right away the Frank shows me it is truly a monster.  I am punched in the face with a strong pepper core.  Also present is an underlying sweetness in the aftertaste, which must be due to the CBL wrapper.”  A year has definitely made a difference with the pepper factor.  That is noticeably gone from my first few puffs of the old Frank.

I go on to describe the burning characteristics, “The ash holds tight and is dark gray and black and holds on for over an inch.  The burn is spot-on even.”  Not surprisingly, this has not changed in a year.  This stick lights easily, takes a flame like it wants to burn and delivers voluptuous plume after plume of smoke.  The ash stays on for as long as I felt comfortable having it on.

I go on and about the flavors I taste saying, “… I know this is going to sound pretentious but I can only describe [the flavor] as marzipan, a combination of cream and nutty (almond) flavors.  It’s unusual, but good.”  I didn’t get a lot of nuttiness this time around.  What I got was some orange peel and tea notes, reminiscent of a standard Pepin-made cigar.  There is also something there that is a bit surprising.  I taste some Ecuadorian Habano type flavors.  There is a smooth and subtle earthiness with just a touch of sweetness and leather.  Almost makes me think I’m smoking a La Flor for a minute!

I ramble further and add that, “As I smoke the first third of the cigar, I am slightly surprised that there are no cocoa or coffee flavors yet, which I would expect out of a CBL-wrapped cigar.”  This has changed, there is definitely some cocoa present in this cigar from the get-go.

I then try to get real creative with my description and ask, “Have you ever tried some of that funky gourmet chocolate, the one with dark chocolate and cayenne peeper, that’s all the rage these days?  Or maybe Mexican chocolate?  This to me is what I’m getting in the second third of the cigar… with a strong helping of coffee.”  Sigh.  I hate reading my own “work”.  I always find it annoying.  Am I reviewing the cigar or reviewing the review of the cigar?  To get back on track, there isn’t much pepper still, more of a slight bitterness like a dark or bittersweet chocolate.

I go to describe the second half of the cigar writing that, “Halfway in, the cigar has changed again, the spicy pepper has now moved to the backburner, but you know its still there when you blow the smoke through your nose.  Now it’s mostly cocoa powder and coffee with some nuttiness with a little leather that gives it a tannic bite.”  Hmm, not a bad sentence or two – whoops, reviewing my writing again.  Thankfully that tannic bite isn’t as prevalent as I have not grown fond of that at all, the flavors described above are still present just smoother and more muted.

As I near the home stretch a year ago, I describe the last third of the cigar as a gentle giant saying that it “is a little smoother and a little more refined.  But there is more than just cocoa; there is a subtle strength, which lets you know this fellah could open up at any minute.”  Don’t get me wrong, this is still a full-bodied cigar, tons of flavor and complexity, it just doesn’t tell you anymore by it’s up front spice – it let’s you feel it.

I conclude my original review by saying that, “I really enjoyed this cigar right down to the end.  Pete has provided yet another great cigar (albeit in sadly limited quantities).  My only complaint was that every now and then I got just a little bit of youth to the cigar, which will certainly disappear as the cigar ages.  I want to wait and smoke the rest, one every subsequent Halloween until I’m out!”  Well, one year is through and the youthfulness is gone, but so has some of the “flash and zip”.  What I liked about the fresh Frank was the sweet and chocolatey-ness of the Broadleaf wrapper paired against the zippy and peppery blend in the filler.  So in a way, the Frank is now lacking a little bit.  It will be fun to keep tracking this cigar as the years go by.  Until next Halloween!

Rating: 91 (A-)