Rating:
Brand:		- Tatiana
Origin:		- Dominican Republic
Price:		- Around $2 per cigar

If smoking Tatiana cigars was an Olympic sport then the Missus, aka “the Boss”, would probably be in the running for a medal. However, the large number of Tatiana’s smoked at mi casa are not my wife’s doing alone, it has been I must confess a dual effort. Yes I too have been guilty of putting away quite a few of these tasty little treats and can completely understand my better half’s obsession with these cigars. I’m sure the Boss would probably be rolling her eyes if she ever were to read this review but to be frank it is the only cigar she really wants to smoke. I really can’t say that I blame her either, out of all the vanilla flavored cigars that we have tried Tatiana sits high above the rest.

When I’m in the mood for a flavored cigar the vanilla Tatiana is the one cigar that I usually reach for in my humidor. Tatiana offers a variety of different flavors but their chocolate, rum and cinnamon cigars although good are not in the same league. Maybe it’s just my preference of flavor, however as much as I do like to smoke some of the other flavors I still fall back to the faithful vanilla. I’ll save the details for what I like and do not like about the other flavors in another review, however for the remainder of this one I’ll outline why I really like these cigars.

About the Tatiana cigars
I think that it is important to talk a little bit about the Tatiana brand before I dive into the review for the vanilla flavored Tatiana cigar. The Tatiana cigars are hand-rolled in the Dominican Republic and made with Dominican fillers that are draped in an Indonesian wrapper. The combination of tobaccos creates a great flavor that enjoyed throughout the entire cigar.

The Tatiana vanilla cigars also come in a few different sizes and this review will specifically cover the 6 inch, 44 ring and the mini 3.5 inch, 26 ring cigars. I’ve smoked both sizes and have to admit that there is a clear distinction between the smaller and larger cigar. I’ve broken down the differences in the flavor, construction and the appearance for both of these cigars below.

The Flavor
There is a distinct relationship between taste and smell in that your sense of smell is keen to your ability to pick up different flavors. The Tatiana vanilla cigars, both the mini and 6 inch, have an amazing aroma. Before the cigar is lit the vanilla odor is quite noticeable and the taste of the wrapper is also equally as strong. Lighting the cigar reduces the intensity of the vanilla flavoring as it begins to mix with the smoke. However, there still is a hint of the vanilla aroma in the smoke and a mild vanilla aftertaste that dances around the palate after each puff. All of the flavored cigars that I have tried dramatically change in flavor between the lit and unlit cigar. Tatiana seems to have found a balance between these two worlds in that the cigar is equally if not more enjoyable after it has been lit. Not all cigars are capable of pulling this off, some cigars like the CAO Cherrybomb have an incredibly great smell and taste that drastically disappears once the cigar has been lit. The Cherrybomb is still a decent cigar, just not nearly as good as what Tatiana has to offer.

The mini cigars (3.5 X 26) initially have pretty much the same flavoring as the larger 6 inch cigars. The key difference is when the cigar is lit. The vanilla flavoring is consumed more by the smoke in the smaller cigar and overall it does not contain the same full flavor that is found in the 6 inch. Don’t get me wrong, the 3.5 inch cigars are still great for a quick fix but they are not as good as th larger sibling.

The Construction
The overall construction of both the 3.5 and 6 inch cigars is pretty decent. The draw is a little loose compared to some of the other cigars that I have tried but overall I thought the construction was good. Also, the burn was even but every now and then I had to touch up the cigar with my lighter (not an issue for me).

The key difference between the mini and 6 inch stick is that the mini is a much more delicate cigar. The mini’s also seem to burn quite a bit faster in proportion to the larger 6 inch cigar. They feel almost as if they were wrapped a little looser and heat up quickly when you start approaching the end of the smoke.

Appearance
The appearance of both the 3.5 inch and 6 inch cigars in my book is equal. Overall the 3.5 inch and 6 inch are good looking cigars, they are golden brown with a multicolored gold, red and yellow wrapper.

Price
Depending on your location the Tatiana Classic Vanilla (6.0″ x 44) run around $42 to $50 for a box of 25 cigars. A few of the Specs liquor stores in my area sells them around $1.75 to $2.00 each but the real challenge is being able to find a store that has them in stock. The Mini Vanilla (3.5″ x 26) cigars are a little cheaper costing around $1 per stick. You can pick up a tin of 10 of these for around $10 and larger bundles are also available tending to yield a much better price break . I’m always on the lookout for a good deal and was once able to pick up 100 of the mini’s for about a third of the original price.

Final Comments
Out of all the flavored cigars that I have tried the Tatiana vanillas are by far my favorite. The cigars are inexpensive and can easily be used as a daily smoker by those that prefer a flavored cigar. There is enough of a difference between the mini’s and the 6 inch cigars to make me recommend the larger cigar over the smaller version. However, the mini’s are still good for a quick smoke and contain a hint of the greatness found in the larger one. Overall if flavored cigars are your thing, if you are looking for a good flavor cigar to try from time to time or if you want to try out cigar smoking and want to start with something mild and sweet then the vanilla Tatiana is a great cigar to invest in. The Tatiana cigars are one of the top flavored brands for a reason and their vanilla flavored cigar is an example of what a great tasting cigar should be.

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