ME II by Tatuaje

The second iteration of the  Mexican Experiment, the ME II comes back to us in a 2019 release. Tatuaje states that the “basic” components are still present, but certainly something else is sprinkled in. Maybe a little Mexican peyote? Perhaps some Spanish Yam Yam? Whatever it is, we don’t hate it.

Perfect scores for us in any category are rare. We don’t hand them out like skittles and we are pretty critical over everything we review. This cigar earns itself a spot in a very exclusive group as both of us gave the ME II a perfect score in the category of construction. Wonderfully crafted and delightfully dense it’s hard not to feel up like a horny prom date. Quite simply, this box pressed beauty is pure perfection.

Unfortunately a densely packed box pressed cigar foreshadowed multiple burn challenges, notably tight draws on both, failed hold test on one, and a nice little run on the other. Despite the the burn issues, this cigar was still undoubtedly amazing and here is why...

The flavor of this cigar was unreal. Simply amazing by all standards. This is how you do Mexican San Andrés. PERIOD. With such a forward flavor in a wrapper, it’s easy to mess up the entire recipe by not creating a complementary supporting cast being the binder and filler. In this case, you have a refined recipe that was cooked to a perfect medium rare. Anticipating a spice forward beginning, we were both pleasantly surprised when we get a palatable rush of earthy bitterness. This cigar then hangs on to the bitter but introduces a nice rush of tangy and smooth, which continues on until the very end. The balance of flavors in this cigar are rare, but that is what makes it so fantastic. It’s not only not like the others, but it’s superior beyond its scarcity. 

$9.00 is the price paid for his little tobacco miracle, which we both agree is a pretty damn amazing value. We do also agree that this cigar is beyond the recommendation for a novice smoker. This cigar feels like it was made for the exclusive and reserved for those who truly appreciate what a cigar can be when it reaches its full potential.