Tatuaje El Triunfador Original Lancero

In April 2014 Pete Johnson released the Limited Lancero Collection featuring 10 highly acclaimed Tatuaje cigars all in a 7 ½ by 38 Lancero vitola. The Limited Lancero Collection is made in small batches on a regular basis and is readily available. Today, I bring to you the ninth installment of my Tatuaje Lancero Series with the Tatuaje El Triunfador Original Lancero .

Included in the Lancero sampler:

• Tatuaje (Brown Label)
• Tatuaje Havana VI
• Tatuaje Black Label
• Cabaiguan
• Cabaiguan Guapo
• La Riqueza
• El Triunfador Original
• El Triunfador
• La Casita Criolla
• Fausto

Originally released in 2008 to secure the “El Triunfador” trademark, the El Triunfador Original differentiates itself from the later released El Triunfador line by using a U.S.A Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro wrapper rather than an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper. The  El Triunfador Original is manufactured at My Father Cigar factory in Esteli, Nicaragua in a single vitola, the 7 ½ by 38 Lancero. The cigar features Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos wrapped in a U.S.A. Connecticut Broadleaf maduro leaf. A box of 25 El Triunfador Lanceros will run you just over $200.

The Facts

A gift from my bride
Price: $95.00 per box of 10 / $9.50 per cigar
Vitola: Lancero
Size: 7 ½ by 38
Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Smoke Time: 1 Hour and 35 Minutes

Pre-light

The El Triunfador comes dressed in a not too pretty wrapper that varies in color, contains medium and large veins, and is very bumpy and I am loving every second of it. Small sugar-like crystals can be seen glistening all over the leaf. Right in the middle of the cigar, I find a small void in the filler tobacco.

The El Triunfador Original has an extremely pungent wrapper aroma with notes of vinegar, barnyard, earth, and an underlying sweetness. The foot shows off a mixture of earth, wood, and cocoa. Upon clipping the small pig-tailed cap, the cold draw highlights rich notes of cedar and potpourri spices. A medium spice heat is felt on the lips and the resistance on the draw is right in the sweet spot.

First Third

The introductory profile is straight-up Nicaraguan with some sweet woodsy notes, black pepper, and coffee. Behind the scenes, there is a faint grassiness and saltiness to the profile. The richness carries over from the cold draw and is immediately noticeable in the profile. The spice heat is medium in the mouth and sharp through the sinuses. An almost white ash is being produced as the El Triunfador Original burn evenly. At the one inch mark, a sugar-like sweetness moves into the profile and a dry cocoa and coffee lingers on the finish.

Middle Third

Moving into the middle third, the profile centers around an earth and coffee flavor. Much of the sweetness has departed from the profile, but, nonetheless, it remains rich and satisfying. A meaty char flavor has joined into the profile right around the halfway mark. The El Triunfador Original Lancero continues to burn evenly.  I may have spoken too soon as the sweetness jumps back in more thick and syrupy than before.

Final Third

The meaty char flavor is on par with the earth and coffee as I make my way into the final third at the one hour mark. The finish of earth, coffee, and cocoa is drying out my palate, but quickly resolved with a sip of water. With my palate refreshed, the sweetness is more apparent and tied to the coca. Closing out the cigar, the El Triunfador Original has performed with zero issues.

Wrap-up

Tatuaje’s El Triunfador Original Lancero is a memorable cigar delivering full flavors paired with a medium strength profile. Dark, heavy flavors of earth, coffee, cocoa, and pepper made up the core flavors of the smoke, while being rich and satisfying for over an hour and half. Once again, like most of the other offerings in the Limited Lancero Collection, this lancero performed exceptionally. Good draw, pretty ash, and an even burn line made the Original an effortless smoke. I highly recommend you get your hands on this cigar via the sampler or even a full box. Keep your eyes out for the final installment of the Tatuaje Lancero Series next week.