PCA 2023: Tatuaje

Tatuaje was one of the companies that scaled down its booth for the 2021 trade show, joining a number of companies who dialed things back following the year off in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. That booth setup returned for another year, and while not as elaborate, tall, or shiny as some of its neighbors, it was easily one of the busiest with a steady stream of retailers looking to get their orders in for the new products.

Those new products were on display in two display cases located in the middle of the largely black booth, which were generally the first stop before retailers sat down with their sales representative at one of the tables in what could be described as the front half of the booth.

There was also a corner of the booth where another new product was on display, the Tatuaje Anarchy NFT, where one of the designs was featured along with the humidor and the other physical items of the project, while a representative had an iPad that offered more information about the project.

Colecciones de Tatuaje Event Exclusive Robustos

Tatuaje is adding a new sampler of robustos that will only be available at in-store events, a total of 12 cigars with two each from six lines: the Black Label, Cabaigúan, Reserva, Veorcú Blue, Monster, and Tattoo lines. Some of the cigars have been released previously, such as the Black Label Robusto, which debuted in 2008, the Reserva J21 Broadleaf came out in 2017, and the Tatuaje Tattoo Cabelleros, which dates back to 2014.

On the other hand, the Tatuaje Verocú Blue is a new size, as is the Cabaigúan. Then there’s the Monster release, which Pete Johnson said could vary in different iterations of the sampler, and which is why it’s referred to simply as Monster and not one of the specific releases. As for how many of the samplers have been created, Johnson said it’s “a couple thousand” at the moment.

• Wrapper: Varies
• Binder: Varies
• Filler: Varies

MSRP: $99

Production: Undisclosed

Release Date: August 2023

L’Atelier Roxy / L’Atelier Maduro Roxy

K.C. Johnson of L’Atelier Imports is paying tribute to his dog Roxy, who passed away earlier this year, with this petit robusto that is being offered in both the original Ecuadorian-wrapped L’Atelier blend as well as the L’Atelier Maduro that uses a Connecticut broadleaf wrapper. The company is offering the cigars in boxes that feature 10 of each blend for its debut.

• Wrapper: Ecuador (Sancti Spiritus) / Connecticut (Broadleaf Maduro)
• Binder: Nicaragua
• Filler: Nicaragua

• L’Atelier Roxy (3 1/2 x 50) — $8 (Box of 20, $160)
• L’Atelier Maduro Roxy (3 1/2 x 50)  — $8 (Box of 20, $160)

Production: Regular Production

Release Date: August 2023

Surrogates Big Ten Robusto

At the 2022 PCA Convention & Trade Show, Tatuaje celebrated the 10th anniversary of the Surrogates brand with the Big Ten, which came in a 5 3/8 x 48 perfecto vitola called the Britanicas Extra and was a limited edition of 500 boxes of 20 cigars. Now, the line is going regular production with a slight modification to the wrapper leaf, as a slightly lower priming leaf was selected, which Pete Johnson previously said was preferred among those involved with the project.

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

• Surrogates Big Ten Robusto (5 1/4 x 52) — $9.50 (Box of 20, $190)

Production: Regular Production

Release Date: August 2023

Tatuaje 20th

Tatuaje is celebrating two decades of cigar-making with this line, which is being released in a pair of vitolas that will be regular, ongoing production offerings in the company’s portfolio.

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

• Tatuaje 20th Grande Merveille (6 1/8 x 46) — $13 (Box of 20, $260)
• Tatuaje 20th Grand Chasseur (6 3/8 x 54) — $14 (Box of 20, $280)

Production: Regular Production

Release Date: August 2023

Tatuaje 20th Jars

These two jars were some of the more eye-catching items in the display cases, but as far as when they will actually be available, it will be a while. Johnson is planning on offering a pair of cigars in the Tatuaje 20th line via these jars, but neither of them will seemingly be the one in the picture, as that was the one created for a retailer dinner hosted by Tatuaje during PCA 2023.

The jars themselves are still being tweaked and modified before they go into production, though it seems like the final ones will look more-or-less like these, which attempt to replicate a style inspired by a Maine pottery maker that Johnson likes. In short, these are in the works but be prepared to wait a while for them to be released.

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

Production: To Be Determined

Release Date: 2025 (Tentative)

Tatuaje 10th Anniversary Belle Encre Tuxtla

Pete Johnson has been using Mexican San Andrés wrappers a lot recently, including for a series of cigars under the Tuxtla name that includes the Tatuaje Avion ’13 Tuxtla, the Tatuaje 7th Tuxtla, the Tatuaje 110th Tuxtla, and the Lomo de Cerdo. Two more cigars from the company’s portfolio join the Tuxtla collection this year, both of which were released in celebration of Tatuaje’s 10th anniversary in 2013.

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

• Tatuaje Belle Encre Tuxtla (5 3/4 x 48) — $12 (Box of 20, $240)

Production: 2,500 Boxes of 20 Cigars (50,000 Total Cigars)

Release Date: July/August 2023

Tatuaje 10th Anniversary Bon Chasseur Tuxtla

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

• Tatuaje Bon Chasseur Tuxtla (5 3/4 x 52) — $12 (Box of 20, $240)

Production: 2,500 Boxes of 20 Cigars (50,000 Total Cigars)

Release Date: July/August 2023

Tatuaje Anarchy NFT

If you missed the full details, I’d suggest going back and reading this article that goes into much more detail than I can here, but the condensed version is that Tatuaje has created an NFT project with seven sets, six of which will be auctioned off via UREEQA in August, while the seventh will go to Abe Dababneh, owner of Smoke Inn and creator of the Anarchy project.

The winners of those auctions will win not just the NFT but some real-world items as well, including a 75-count Tatuaje Anarchy NFT Edition humidor that was made by hand at the My Father Cigars box factory in Nicaragua, and which includes 60 original Tatuaje Anarchy cigars and 15 rarer Anarchy Pale Horse Editions exclusively made for NFT holders. The Anarchy Pale Horse Edition’s blend replaces the original Anarchy’s Nicaraguan habano maduro wrapper with a claro color grade wrapper, a lighter color of leaf, of undisclosed origin and varietal.

• Wrapper: Nicaragua (Habano) / Undisclosed (Claro)
• Binder: Nicaragua
• Filler: Nicaragua

• Tatuaje Anarchy NFT Vitola1Name (6 x 54) — Price to be determined by auction

Production: 7 NFTs, 6 of which will be auctioned

Release Date: August 2023

(Not pictured)

Tatuaje PCA 2023

Tatuaje has once again created a cigar that is exclusively available to retailers attending the PCA Convention & Trade Show, and once again, it is the same size as the one created for the Tobacconists’ Association of America, though this one uses an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper, while the TAA’s version uses a Connecticut broadleaf wrapper. Tatuaje will once again make a donation to each organization of 50 cents per cigar, meaning $25,000 to both the PCA and the TAA. Apparently, I neglected to get a photo of it, but it was in the booth.

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

• Tatuaje PCA 2023 (6 3/8 x 54) — $15 (Box of 20, $300)

Production: 2,500 Boxes of 20 Cigars (50,000 Total Cigars)

Release Date: November 2023