Tatuaje Havana VI Verocu Staff Review
Not long ago I wrote a review of the Tatuaje Havana VI Verocu Blue, which came out in 2022, but today I’m revisiting the original Tatuaje Havana VI Verocu blend, and I’m smoking it in a 6.25-by-52 Toro called the No. 1. Tatuaje brand founder Pete Johnson released the first Havana VI Verocu cigars in 2007 as a limited-edition version of his popular Brown Label Cojonu line. The blend was a hit with loyal Tatuaje fans, prompting Pete to make it a regular production cigar. Now you can enjoy it in a series of traditional sizes, including the No. 1 I’m lighting up today.
Tatuaje Havana VI Verocu cigars come with the standard red-and-white Havana VI cigar band plus a secondary red, white, and silver band with “Verocu” on the label, which is a slang term in Cuba for “ballsy.” The cigar is blended with an oily and thick Ecuador Habano wrapper leaf over a robust recipe of premium Nicaraguan long-filler tobaccos grown by Pepin and Jaime Garcia, the father-and-son cigar-makers who produce Tatuaje cigars at their renowned cigar factory in Estelí, Nicaragua, where they also make My Father and La Aroma de Cuba cigars.
When I slide the top off a fresh box Havana VI Verocu cigars, a bold bouquet of earth and leather fills my nostrils. Tatuaje cigars naturally possess a pungent aroma as Pete Johnson emulates a lot of stronger Cuban blends throughout his portfolio. Havana VI Verocu cigars are finished with a triple cap on the head. When I clip it, intense notes of mocha, cedar, and pepper layer my palate in the cold draw. Although Havana VI Verocu is no longer a limited edition, it’s still made in small batches like many other Tatuajes. The tobaccos are aged a long time before they’re meticulously assembled by expert rollers.
Creamy and spicy streams of smoke travel over my palate and rise from the foot of the cigar as I start to toast it. Havana VI Verocu isn’t the strongest blend from Tatuaje, but it’s absolutely an after-dinner cigar. Intense notes of black pepper and fresh coffee complement a potent undercurrent of cedar following a few minutes of steady combustion. My olfactory channel kicks into overdrive when I pass dense plumes of smoke through my nostrils.
Think of smoking a Tatuaje Havana VI Verocu like you’re eating a big steak. You’ll need some stamina to get through the whole thing, and you’ll want to smoke it slowly to pick up the nuances of flavor it offers. Throughout the first half, tasting notes of cocoa and cayenne pepper mingle with the cigar’s woody intensity. Sure, Havana VI Verocu has teeth, but the Garcia family has proven they can make full-bodied cigars that are exceptionally balanced.
I’m sitting down for the second half of the cigar. About thirty minutes have passed so far. If you’ve got a fellow connoisseur to catch up with, Havana VI Verocu is an ideal smoke to fire up with a good Scotch in front of the fireplace over a long conversation. Toasty notes of black cherry and anise distinguish the profile just before I pull the bands off. The spice dies down as I patiently proceed through the nub. Whenever I reach the final stage of a stronger cigar, I wonder if my tolerance obscures the sharpness of my taste buds. It’s not that Tatuaje cigars resonate with pure brute force, but they are denser than most blends you’d probably smoke on a daily basis.
Tatuaje Havana VI Verocu concludes with chewy notes of mocha, pepper, and cherry after fifty-five minutes of smoking the No. 1. Subtle hints of black tea and nuts emerge in the aftertaste in a compelling Nicaraguan smoke that deserves 91 points, thanks to its overall flavor and an excellent draw. Try this popular classic from Tatuaje and find out why folks who’ve been following the brand for years consider Havana VI Verocu one of their favorites.
