Wrapper: Nicaraguan Corojo 99
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Size: 5 x 54
Strength: Medium/Full
Price: $9.00 MSRP
Today we take a look at the Tatuaje Nuevitas Jibaro No. 1.
Thanks to Charles Lim for the sticks.
BACKGROUND:
Released: August, 2018
Regular production.
From Halfwheel.com:
“Nuevitas is the name of a town in the Camagüey province of Cuba
“When you think of Tatuaje, a few things come to mind, including the My Father Cigars S.A. factories, which has made all of the brand’s cigars—except three from some of Pete Johnson’s earliest days in the cigar business.
“Those cigars—the Tatuaje Nuevitas, Nuevitas Jibaro No. 1 and Nuevitas Jibaro No. 2—were all made at Tabacalera Tropical in Nicaragua. At the time, Tropical was undergoing changes thanks to new ownership and an influx of new talent including José “Pepín” García, the late Arsenio Ramos and others. Ultimately, Johnson discontinued the cigars in 2007, which meant that all of his cigars were now being made at factories owned and run by García and family.
“Johnson has brought the trio back, now made at the My Father Cigars S.A. factory in Estelí, Nicaragua.
“The cigars are all Nicaraguan puros using corojo 99 wrappers, and all come with white and orange bands. While they also look similar to the originals as pictured above, there are some ways to tell them apart. The Nuevitas uses a predominantly white band with orange trim, while the Nuevitas Jibaro sport orange bands with white trim, as well as a unfinished foot with a bit of the binder and wrapper sticking out. The sizes are also different, as the Nuevitas comes in a 5 x 52 robusto while the Nuevitas Jibaro No. 1 is a slightly thicker 5 x 54 and the No. 2 is a 6 x 52 toro. The Jibaro releases also come in 50-count boxes, whereas the Nuevitas is packed in 25-count boxes. All three are regular production lines.”
SIZES AND PRICING:
Robusto 5 x 52 $8.52
Jibaro No.1 5 x 54 $9.00
Jibaro No.2 6 x 52 $9.50
APPEARANCE:
A stout little fucker. Heavy in the hand and filled to the brim with the magical ingredients of terroir. The wrapper is a typically hued espresso color with a slight hint of tooth and an oily exterior. Seams are non-existent. Veins are at the bare minimum. The triple cap is a true work of art…seamless and perfectly displayed with a geometric round cap. The foot is bushy like Charles’ eyebrows. Lastly, the minimal cigar band is Cubanesque in design.
SMELL THE GLOVE:
Flashy notes of floral dominate the first huffs. Followed by buttery creaminess, malt, cocoa, coffee, lemon zest, black pepper, black licorice, barnyard, cedar, spicy cinnamon, musk, and the cold draw is redolent with grapefruit, malt, cocoa, and cream.
FIRST THIRD:
As packed as this cigar is, the draw is wide open and I can put aside my PerfecDraw cigar poker tool for another day.
First off are notes of citrus, malt, creaminess, chocolate, licorice, cedar, with a very earthy quality.
Moments into the smoke, the flavors spread out like a Chinese fan. It hits the complexity button early on. Based on my experience with Tat blends, this cigar is quite different and I don’t believe that at this point I’d ever guess it was a Pete Johnson creation. Very unique.
The char line is a little fakakta. It will need a touch up soon.
Strength is a potent medium.
Transitions begin their travels while the finish is quite tart from the citrus element. So far, there is nothing sweet about this blend. Savory with an extra dash of more savory.
I’ve smoked a few of these prior to today’s review. They keep getting better with each month they lay naked in my humidor. This is a cigar whose demeanor lay on the heavy side with rich balance and a very complex nature that surprises me with its lack of common thread with other Tat blends.
If you have ever played in a blues band, this will hit home. For decades, like clockwork, we’d be between songs and some drunk yells “Sweet Home Alabama” or “Free Bird.” Almost got my own clock cleaned because I laughed at the guy requesting the song. Thank goodness a Fender P is a huge bass that easily becomes a Medieval weapon on command.
The first sweet spot enters the picture after only an inch burned. It is slow going which is fine with me. An excellent Tat at a reasonable price point. Let it burn…
Graham cracker and cream cheese show up unannounced. Still, any signs of sweetness missing in action. Just a slight touch of the stuff from the natural goodness of the leaves. Nothing identifiable in my puny brain.
The richness and balance become intense and exhilarating. The Tatuaje Nuevitas Jibaro No. 1 is a serious fucking cigar. I dig a pony.
The ash has not moved a pubic hair since first lighting up.
Great cigar. But it needs some kind of sweet counterpoint…especially due to the cloistered mastery of the citrus component.
Charlotte bought me some new boxer shorts. But they are a little too hip and tight for this old man. My giant ball sack keeps falling out of them when I sit up in bed. But then that’s why God invented duct tape.
Finally, a noticeable sweet factor: Caramel and yellow matter custard.
Thin Lizzy is playing “The Boys Are Back in Town.” I remember in 1975, Curved Air played the Cambridge University May Ball. A huge blowout for the kids. Lots of bands, lots of stages. We headlined but we were dizzy from checking out all the great bands. We spent some time with Phil Lynott and his guys and I was impressed. What a shame that brilliant musician died so young.
SECOND THIRD:
Slow as she goes as it takes almost 40 minutes to get through the first third.
The construction of this stick is excellent with zero issues to deal with. The char line self-corrected and is burning beautifully.
If you have a sophisticated palate, you’re going to love this blend. You have certain expectations when you light up a Tat. This blend dashes those expectations into goose liver. The transitions are dark and foreboding with heavy notes of savory flavors dotted here and there with sparks of sweetness and tartness.
As with most Tat blends, give them time in your humidor. Don’t rush these babies. It’s too good to smoke a week after you get them and say, once again, “The fucking katman doesn’t know what the hell he’s talking about.” (I get that a lot).
Also missing is a serious dose of maltiness. Feels like something is missing. The cocoa and espresso elements are hanging in the background giving way to a meatier presentation.
The joy of smoking and writing in real time with no edits to make me look smart…the malt shows up and balances the blend nicely. A touch of molasses enters stage right. A sorely needed element.
There is a buttery corn bread aspect that gives the smoke a granular experience. I find myself smacking my lips uncontrollably like a dog anticipating a chunk of cheese.
Sweet spot 2.0 makes a big splash. Like a beautiful rose opening its petals to welcome the sun, the Tatuaje Nuevitas Jibaro No. 1 blossoms in accordance with the Geneva Convention rules and bylaws. The parameter of the flavor profile broadens tremendously welcoming back all the earlier described flavors. Now we’re talkin’.
Everything is in play now. The strength is a hearty medium/full on its way to paralyzing me. So far, no nicotine.
This is, by far, one of the most interesting Nic puros I’ve smoked. I never would have guessed it on a blind smoke. The contrast among the flavors is so stark and intense that I would be hard pressed to get the leaf stats right.
The halfway point takes a good hour to get to. So unusual in a Robusto. And the burn is spot on.
Creaminess takes front and center. The lemon zest competes with the acidic grapefruit essence. The molasses, caramel, and bittersweet chocolate make for a winning trifecta. The malt is flying high. The espresso morphs into something expensive and calorie laden from Starbucks.
“Hot Legs” by Rod Stewart is playing. Back in the early 80’s, a friend was murdered during a home invasion. As the funeral service was ending, a couple songs were played on a boom box while the pastor sat on a chair next to it. The first tune was an Elvis spiritual.
Fitting. And then the 8 minute version of “Hot Legs” played. The pastor leaped out of his seat like his asshole was on fire and left. We sat there perplexed why they chose that song regardless of how much the dead guy liked the tune…It was the longest 8 minutes. A few people bobbed their heads to the beat but were taken out of the church and beaten severely.
The Tatuaje Nuevitas Jibaro No. 1 has now reached the status of a fucking great cigar. Wow. I went through a few of these sticks before I got to this review day. Big difference from a month ago.
All those earlier gyrations are now settled and the Tat is glowing like your nuts if you just happened to place them on some Iranian plutonium you bought on Craigslist.
For the first time, the blend becomes exuberantly smooth while maintaining an extremely strong profile.
Kudos to Tatuaje for not gouging its customers with a price point that makes this cigar a treat to dabble with instead of its more than acceptable price point of less than $9. Johnson could have charged more like his peers tend to do.
Fucking scrumptious.
LAST THIRD:
Slow as she goes…an hour and 25 minutes. The strength is quality controlled with just a touch of the dreaded nicotine. Strength is full tilt now.
Holy shit. The Tatuaje Nuevitas Jibaro No. 1 is taking off like a North Korean missile.
The blend has a perfect trajectory starting with its mild incarnation into an ascending complexity that is delightful and satisfying.
I’ve smoked some mighty fine Cubans that this Tat would feel perfectly at home with. It has that mystical “It” factor.
This was my last stick so after publishing this review, I shall retreat into the gorilla cage at the Milwaukee Zoo and let them have their way with me. I must remember to tell the head gorilla I don’t do anal.
Screw the 5 pack. A box is in order.
Out of nowhere black pepper explodes on my palate. Perfect timing. Man, oh man, this blend was beautifully thought out.
Not a single burn line touch up has been required. Nice.
The spiciness amplifies the nicotine and now I’m swimming in a sea of swarming simbas. I think I’m paralyzed.
Generally, I ignore the high falutin’ PR that accompanies the company description of the cigar. For once, the info is enlightening and informative about this blend. And spot on.
This cigar is a must try. Trust your Uncle Katman on this one. You will not be disappointed.
RATING: 94
And now something to annoy my readers:
I have written about my 1983 project with Butch (Eddie Munster) Patrick countless times over the years. But I’ve kept the video from being shown on YouTube so I could control the method of how it was seen by the public. I own a federal copyright that is good for life plus 65 years.
I decided to finally exhibit the music video on YouTube 17 months ago. Here is part of the backstory.
You can click on “Whatever Happened to Eddie?” here or on my home page near the bottom.
have all the original ¾” video rough cuts, the final ¾” video, DVD’s, about 50 singles, maybe 100 promo photos, the unmixed audio on 8 track 3” tape, the final stereo ¼” reel to reel tape, and eight T shirts.
If you look for Butch pics online, there are lots of them with him wearing the T shirt.
Generated by IJG JPEG Library
I was contacted by the owner of a web site called “Hollywood Hi-Fi.”
This is the description on their web site:
“Welcome to HollywoodHiFi.net, the long-awaited Internet home of non-singing celebrities…bizarre, hilarious and sometimes lethal stabs at musical stardom! As immortalized in the brilliant book “Hollywood Hi-Fi” by record collectors/pop culture mavens, George Gimarc & Pat Reeder!”
They wanted to know about Butch Patrick and my project “Whatever Happened to Eddie.” And they wanted me to confirm that Butch lip synced and I was who I said I was.
I confirmed both. This is not news. So, this is the story of the project in a nutshell.
Here is what I wrote back to them:
“Yeah, that’s me.
I owned a recording studio in Long Beach, CA in the early 80’s.
A friend brought Butch to me because he had an idea for a song. It was a crude living room cut that was the seedling of what would become a major project. Some changes were made to the lyrics. Getting permission to use The Munsters theme was the next step.
“I got a 2 year license from Universal Studios to use the theme from The Munsters and off we went. Which by the way, was no picnic. Universal Studios office building is called The Black Tower because it is 35 floors of lawyers.
“The B side is called “Little Monsters.” It was written by one of the Monsters, Brent Black.
I played bass on both songs even though Butch was given credit for the purpose of the project.
I brought in some fine musicians but the only Monster to play an instrument on the single was drummer, Reek Havok.
“Brent Black did the vocals on both songs…not Butch.
Brent now has his own church in Hawaii.
“Through my PR agent, I got a record deal with new record company on the block; Rocshire Records in Anaheim, Ca.
Rocshire has one of the most interesting histories in the music business. Money was supplied by shady people and some of the best executives in the record industry were stolen and put into play. The owners, Rocky and Shirley Davis were merely fronts. (Rocky and Shirley = Rocshire).
“I was able to talk legendary cinematographer Marvin Rush into running my film crew.
I wrote the script the night before filming began. I sat on a couch, in my studio, and had 33 scenes written in about 20 minutes. Nothing like a little pressure to make you produce.
We filmed at four locations. Only three were used in the final cut. We used Hollywood High School, the chapel in the Princess Louise boat in San Pedro, and my recording studio in Long Beach.”
We sold 181,000 units before Rocshire was brought down by the FBI. The owner’s wife worked for Hughes Aircraft and was embezzling millions of dollars and funneling the money into the record company…or as rumored…to pay back the mob. Rocshire got too big for their britches early on. They tried to grow too quickly dumping millions of dollars they weren’t budgeted for.
Because I had signed a production deal, not an artist’s deal, with Rocshire I got the first 25 cents (63 cents in 2018 dollars) on the first single sold. My debt to the record company was minimal.
A production deal is where you hand over a completely finished product to the record company. I gave them the master of the two songs, artwork for the single, PR material, and a finished music video.
All they had to do was press, distribute, and promote the record. I did find a couple financial backers I trusted to help me. But I put a lot of my own dough into the project and was seriously invested in its successful outcome.
The first quarter ended just two weeks after the start of record sales and I got around $900 in royalites.
The second quarter was payday for me. I expected a minimum of $50K…remember this was 1983. ($126,726.00 in 2018 dollars).
Just before I was to get my major royalty check, the record company was shut down by the FBI. I lost everything. Shirley Davis worked for Hughes Aircraft and managed to embezzle $15 million ($38,000,000 in 2018 dollars) was frowned upon by all involved.
I didn’t allow the video to be seen on YouTube or any other media. Why? Because every now and then a TV show about child stars goes into production and I can charge a fee for them to use it. But since I decided the time was right to finally show folks what has been a mystery, I thought as long as I make it known I have a copyright on YouTube, no one can use it for airing without my permission.
I have all the original rough cuts. Including outtakes which are on the final DVD cut.
I still have a lot of pristine mint condition 45 singles. I have T shirts. I have autographed 8 x 10’s. And as I said, the DVD.
So, there you have it.
I have also followed Butch over the years and for 40 years he was an alcoholic and drug addict. It appears that in the last 5 years, he has cleaned himself up.
I contacted an old friend that took on the unthankful job of managing Butch for the last 20 years…until she couldn’t take is larceny any longer. This person told me a different story:
“Hey Phillip,
“What made you decide to release this now? Butch continues to screw people over. You may have seen the work I did on the “(REDACTED) Project.” It was a treatment for a paranormal reality show. I did have a tentative sale with a production company in Canada. We were just waiting for Butch to get ownership of the haunted house. Once he did, I get a “Thanks baby, I don’t need you anymore” phone call.
Everyone associated with the project was given the boot. He is now supposed to be starring in a new show called “Property Horrors.” The so called “medium” is a production staff member and Butch is already not showing up for pre-production meetings.
“He married a woman who books car shows and she is keeping him busy on that circuit. She had him dress up in Munster makeup for one show. Not a pretty sight I can tell you. She absolutely hates the house in (REDACTED). Butch is selling himself as a haunted house owner and expert; but in interviews says he has never had an experience, but the wife has and doesn’t like it. LOL Still an idiot.”
Pat Priest (Cousin Marilyn) and Butch in full makeup:
Damn. This guy is only two years younger than me and he still never fails to disappoint me.
Butch has the uncanny ability to only be loyal to folks that can do him some good. Everyone else? Fuck ‘em.
Butch hasn’t worked as a serious actor as an adult. Too unreliable and his addictions made him box office or TV poison. So instead, he makes a living being Eddie Munster.
I followed up with another email to Hollywood Hi-Fi going into more detail:
“Butch plays down the Eddie and the Monsters period of his life in interviews. I’ve got stories galore about being forced to babysit him constantly because he was always drunk. The record company made me go everywhere with him while doing publicity on TV shows all over the country to keep him in line.
I’ve heard from Butch over the years but only when he wants something.
“Something I can never forgive…I wrote a TV movie script that put Eddie & the Monsters into a weekly TV show ala The Monkees.
“Butch stabbed me in the back. The project was now dead thanks to the FBI.
“After Rocshire went down, Butch had a meeting with Ann Beats of Saturday Night Live fame. She was one of the original writers on the show. She later went on to become a big-time writer and producer. She was a big shot at NBC at the time of our project.
“Butch contacted Beats and tried to sell the idea of the TV show to her. He brought her all the stuff from the project; including my script.
She said she liked the idea.
“Meanwhile, he did this all behind my back. Everything he showed Beats was done by me. Naturally, he took full credit. (Which he continued to do for decades anytime he went on a talk show and they showed my music video without my permission because Butch lied to them and told everyone he owned the rights.
“In all actuality, it worked out for me because it is better to negotiate a licensing fee after the fact than before. So, I went in and dictated the fee and there wasn’t a damn thing they could do as the TV shows and production companies could not take a hit on copyright infringement.
“So, he got called back to Beats’ office two weeks later and she said they were going to do the show…without him.
“He lost it and called me for help. I told him to go fuck himself. If I was there, I could have negotiated with her. I’m sure the outcome would have been different even if it only benefited me. This was my project. Butch was Milli Vanilli.
“Butch told me they made a few shows but they were so bad they ditched them and instead brought about a remake of The Munsters with John Schuck as Herman. The show went into syndication for two years but was really terrible. It died a slow and miserable death.
“So…it seems my project spawned the remake. Oh, the irony. And my apologies to those that found themselves watching the dime store new version.
“If you go to my cigar web site and punch in Butch Patrick or Eddie Munster in the Search Window, you will find lots of stories about him…at the end of my reviews.
“His second career was finding rich people. He found idiots with dough who thought it was cool to hang out with Eddie Munster.”
I hope he remains clean and sober. Hopefully, he makes better business decisions. But after reading the message I got a couple days ago, I see now that Butch is doomed to make a living as Eddie Munster for the rest of his life.
I put all my own dough into that ill-fated project 35 years ago and in the end lost everything. I have no love lost for Butch. But then I was an idiot too. But by the time I realized he was a drunk, we were right in the middle of the project and it was either go forward or can the whole thing. I was fucked before I even knew what was going on.
Remember…the video was done only 18 months after the start of MTV. We were the first video shown on MTV that was an unsigned act. It led to the development of MTV’s Basement Tapes show that featured all unsigned acts.
