PCA 2022: Tatuaje

As you might recall from last year’s trade show, Tatuaje took a very different approach to its booth space, no longer using the structure it had used from 2016-2019, and instead going to a much more open concept marked by banners in the corners, two display cases with the company’s new products, and then seating area throughout the space, which included the familiar tables as well as a roped-off, VIP section in one corner.

Coming out of the pandemic, this change saved on costs in terms of moving and assembling the larger structure, and seemingly didn’t affect sales much if at all. And judging by the fact that the stripped-down booth returned this year and how busy it was right after the doors opened, it just goes to show that you don’t need an expensive and elaborate booth to sell a lot of cigars.

As for the cigars that were being sold, there was a good number of them, as 2022 was similar to what Pete Johnson did last year when he essentially brought all of his new cigars to the show and will release them over the course of the next nine months or so, at least according to the schedule at the moment. As always, release dates are subject to fluctuations and the company isn’t getting too firm with them yet, other to say that the cigars will be rolling out over the coming fall months. This incudes a mix of regular production and limited editions, with a number of them being part of the 10th anniversary celebration of L’Atelier Imports and the Surrogates brand.

Cabaiguan Britanicas Extra

You’ll notice that the Británicas Extra vitola is getting a fair amount of usage this year, and that includes this limited edition being made for the Cabaiguan line. All the blend details remain the same as the regular production sizes.

• Wrapper: Ecuador (Connecticut)
• Binder: Nicaragua
• Filler: Nicaragua

• Cabaiguan Britanicas Extra (5 3/8 x 48) — $11 (Box of 24, $264)

Release Date: Early Fall 2022

Production: 1,000 Boxes of 24 Cigars (24,000 Total Cigars)

Cabaiguan No.752

The Cabaiguan line is also getting a new regular production size, a Churchill-esque vitola that is the longest in the line. All the blend details remain the same here as well.

• Wrapper: Ecuador (Connecticut)
• Binder: Nicaragua
• Filler: Nicaragua

• Cabaiguan No.752 (7 x 52) — $12 (Box of 24, $288)

Release Date: Early Fall 2022

Production: Regular Production

L’Atelier Racine ERB

The Británicas vitola is getting a good amount of use in the company’s new releases, one of which is this cigar, with a name that stands for Edición Racine Britanicas. This release was selected by K.C. Johnson and uses the same blend as the L’Atelier Racine line, which debuted in 2013 and features the Sancti Spiritus varietal as one of the binders as well as in the filler.

• Wrapper: Nicaragua (Criollo)
• Binder: Nicaragua (Sancti Spiritus)
• Filler: Nicaragua (Sancti Spiritus)

• L’Atelier Racine ERB (5 3/8 x 48) — $11 (Box of 20, $220)

Release Date: Fall 2022

Production: 500 Boxes of 20 Cigars (10,000 Total Cigars)

Surrogates Big Ten

This is both the cigar that is celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Surrogates brand, as well as the first in a new line for the brand, with a new size being planned for next year when the line goes into regular production. Dan Welsh told halfwheel that the blend is based on the cigars found in the Surrogates event packs, calling the profile “medium-plus-plus,” which is notable as the blend does not use any ligero, the top leaves of a tobacco plant that generally pack the strongest flavors.

• Wrapper: Ecuador (Habano Oscuro)
• Binder: Nicaragua
• Filler: Nicaragua

• Surrogates Big Ten Britanicas (5 3/8 x 48) — $11 (Box of 20, $220)

Release Date: Fall 2022

Production: 500 Boxes of 20 Cigars (10,000 Total Cigars)

The initial version of this story listed the wrapper as being from Nicaragua based on information provided on the show floor, it has been corrected to be an Ecuadorian-grown wrapper.

Tatuaje Cojonú 2015

The company is going back to “the lost years” of 2015 and 2018 for these releases, years when there should have been Cojonú releases according to the original plan of releasing a new version every three years, but were ultimately skipped. The core details remain the same as previous versions, released in a 5 x 55 robusto gordo vitola, though it will wear a different secondary band that is the inverse of what is shown. Since it uses a habano wrapper, the band will be gold in the middle with black trim, as opposed to the Connecticut broadleaf wrapper that gets the black band pictured above. As for that other lost year of 2018? It could be coming in 2024.

• Wrapper: Ecuador (Habano)
• Binder: Nicaragua
• Filler: Nicaragua

• Tatuaje Cojonú 2015 (5 x 55) — $13 (Box of 21, $273)

Release Date: Early Fall 2022

Production: Regular Production

Tatuaje Havana VI Verocú Blue

Another cigar with some roots is getting a variation this year, as the Tatuaje Havana VI Verocú Blue puts a new spin on a cigar that dates back to 2007. The Verocú is a stronger version of the company’s red-banded Havana VI line which debuted in 2007 in these same two sizes, with just 50 boxes of each size, one of which was created for retailers in the western U.S. and the other for those in the eastern U.S. As for this version, the same corojo 99 rosado wrapper leaf found in the Tatuaje Escascos collection, with all of the tobacco being grown by the Garcia family of My Father Cigars. The cigars will also be available in two packaging formats; the 20-count boxes will be available on an ongoing basis, but the company is also releasing 200 boxes of 50 cigars for those that like the larger cabinet format. It’s also a nod to the original releases of Verocú that came in 50-count boxes.

• Wrapper: Nicaragua (Corojo 99 Rosado)
• Binder: Nicaragua
• Filler: Nicaragua

• Tatuaje Havana VI Verocú Blue No.1 (6 1/4 x 52) — $12 (Box of 20, $240; Box of 50, $600)
• Tatuaje Havana VI Verocú Blue No.2 (5 1/2 x 54)  — $12 (Box of 20, $240; Box of 50, $600)

Release Date: August 2022

Production: Regular Production

Tatuaje Lomo de Cerdo

As you might have heard, Pete Johnson, founder of Tatuaje, has been using Mexican San Andrés tobacco a bit more lately, primarily for Tatuaje’s Tuxtla Series that launched with three cigars. Now he’s dipping into Tatuaje’s portfolio to give the Pork Tenderloin, a coveted limited edition that dates back to 2010 with offshoots that include the Tatujae Barclay Rex 100th Anniversary and the first Tatuaje TAA release. There will be a wait for the cigar as it’s not expected to come out until next March, but production will be based on what is ordered, so it should make it more readily available.

• Wrapper: Mexico (San Andrés)
• Binder: Nicaragua
• Filler: Nicaragua

• Tatuaje Lomo de Cerdo (5 1/8 x 52) — $12 (Bundle of 25, $300)

Release Date: March 2023

Production: To Be Announced

Tatuaje PCA 2022

Like several manufacturers, Tatuaje is creating a cigar that is only available to retailers who attend the trade show and order it there, and the response was incredibly strong as it had sold out not long after the doors opened. It is similar to the Tatuaje TAA 2022, made for a smaller group of retailers known as the Tobacconists’ Association of America, but this blend features the company’s “capa especial” wrapper as opposed to the Connecticut broadleaf that the TAA release uses. In addition, Tatuaje is donating 50 cents from the sale of each cigar to the PCA, which means a $10,000 donation given that they sold out.

• Wrapper: Ecuador (Sumatra)
• Binder: Nicaragua
• Filler: Nicaragua

• Tatuaje PCA 2022 (5 3/8 x 52) — $14.50 (Box of 20, $290)

Production: 1,000 Boxes of 20 Cigars (20,000 Total Cigars)

Release Date: November 2022

Patrick Lagreid

I strive to capture the essence of a cigar and the people behind them in my work – every cigar you light up is the culmination of the work of countless people and often represents generations of struggle and stories. For me, it’s about so much more than the cigar – it’s about the story behind it, the experience of enjoying the work of artisans and the way that a good cigar can bring people together. In addition to my work with halfwheel, I’m the public address announcer for the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks during spring training, as well as for the Salt River Rafters of the Arizona Fall League, the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury and previously the Arizona Rattlers of the Indoor Football League. I also work in a number of roles for Major League Baseball, plus I'm a voice over artist. Prior to joining halfwheel, I covered the Phoenix and national cigar scene for Examiner.com, and was an editor for Cigar Snob magazine.