Tatuaje 20th Anniversary cigars? Has it been twenty years already? We can remember when this was a young boutique brand just setting out to make some Cubanesque cigars, but man has time flown…
Tatuaje founder Pete Johnson was once upon a time a bassist in a metal band with an affinity for cigars. His travels in the tobacco world ultimately put him in touch with a well-known Cuban cigar man named José Garcia. In Cuba, the man had been a teacher of teachers and was a more than capable partner for Johnson, who was looking for someone to help him launch his cigar line.
The two created Tatuaje Cabinet Tainos and Cigar Aficionado gave them a respectable 93-point rating. It was CA’s number 4 cigar of the year in 2005, and Tatuaje was officially launched.
Now, here we are, two decades later, reflecting on many delicious blends and smoky memories Tatuaje has given us: Miami, Reserva, Nuevitas Jibaro, Fausto, Havana, Capa Especial, Black Britanicas, La Vérite… goodness, that’s not even the full list. It HAS been 20 years.
Tatuaje 20th Anniversary cigars are built on a familiar format – high-quality Nicaraguan tobacco for the long filler and a nice Habano wrapper for the cover leaf. This time, the wrapper comes from Ecuador, where the natural cloud cover provides a partial shade-grown effect that can work so well for certain leaves that benefit from being protected from the sun's full power.
The resulting blend is tasty and fairly traditional. The core is leathery and tastes like well-roasted coffee beans. There are spice notes, not unlike chicory coffee with a gingerbread biscotti. It’s just the right blend of sweetness and spice. Everything is in balance, just like you’d expect from a company that hit its stride many years ago and has kept a reliable pace ever since.
Happy B Day, Tatuaje!
Please browse our selection of Tatuaje 20th Anniversary cigars at your leisure.
