Tatuaje - Black Tubo

Tatuaje - Black Tubo

About a year ago, Tatuaje released the Black and Red Tubos.  The releases had a ton of hype and for good reason; that reason being Tatuaje makes some great cigars.  Both Tubos come in beautiful boxes of ten and each tube contains an attractive Torpedo sized smoke.  The Red Verocu Tubos cost about $11 a piece and the Black Tubos cost about $15 a piece.  I purchased a box of the Red Tubos back in March of 2011 and just finished the last one recently. 
You can check out my review of the Red Tubo here.  I purchased that box at a Tatuaje event at The Humidour in Cockeysville, MD and got my hands on a coveted three-pack of Black Tatuaje Robustos.  Those 3 cigar were absolutely amazing.  They had a rugged look, shag foot and tasted like cigar candy.  I've heard that the Black Tubos are supposed to be the same blend as the three-pack Blacks.  While they may be blended the same or use a certain type of tobacco, I've also heard that they are nothing like the Robustos.
At $15 a stick, I was in no hurry to pick up a Black Tubo, but a big paycheck and a lazy Sunday led me to picking up a Black Tat.

Prelight -
This cigar gets a 10 out of 10 for presentation.  The Tubo has an awesome look, the shag foot gives the cigar a unique look and the wrapper looks rugged yet appealling.  The initial look had me thinking that this cigar would be similar to the three-pack Black Robustos I smoked months ago.  I started to get excited. 
The cigar had a sweet earthy aroma and felt firm throughout.  The construction is top notch.

Sparking it -
If you've smoke Kristoffs, lighting a shag foot helps you get an even burn early on.  This shag was no different.  A few quick puffs on the torch and I'm in business.  Anticipating the delicious flavors I savored months back I kick back and prepare myself for an hour and a half of relaxation.  Right away I knew something wasn't quite right.  The cigar had a good taste, but not the sweetness I remember in the Robustos.
An inch and a half in I realize that this is not the exact blend I got in the three-pack.  I start to get a little disappointed, but I decided to drop the expectation and smoke this cigar and review it without comparing it to anything.  The cigar has a dry, earthy taste and the burn is immaculate.

Smoking it and Thoughts -
The cigar burned wonderfully; you couldn't ask for a better made cigar.  Unfortunately the flavors and character didn't match the construction.  While the cigar didn't taste bad, it had very little complexity or evolution.  I kept expecting the flavors to change as the cigar burned, but with each bit of expectation came a little bit of disappointment.  If you're a Tatuaje fan, give this cigar a whirl because it may be something you like, but I expect a lot more out of a $15 cigar.  I'd sooner smoke a Liga Privada or Padron Anniversary before kicking out that type of scratch for the blandness of this Black Label.
Maybe I'm being too critical because I was expecting more from a Black Tatuaje; maybe I'm expecting too much from a Tatuaje product (as I've almost never been disappointed by a Tatuaje product).  Or maybe I'm pissed I paid $15 for a so-so flavored cigar. 

Overall - C-   (value of cigar played big role in lower grade)