Tatuaje Cojonú 2018

In 2003, Tatuaje released a new series called Cojonú, which got its name from the Spanish word cojonudo, a Cuban slang word that means ballsy and which referred to the strength of the line.

The line uses an Ecuadorian habano wrapper atop a Nicaraguan dual binder and Nicaraguan filler. It was created with the intent to put out a new release every three years, which it did for nearly a decade. But then, there wasn’t a Cojonú release in 2015, nor was there one in 2018.

In 2022, Tatuaje resolved one of those absences by releasing the Cojonú 2015, which shipped to stores in October of that year. While Pete Johnson, Tatuaje’s founder, hinted that the 2018 version would be released as well, he didn’t commit to a timeline, but in April 2023, it was announced that the second of the “Lost Years” would be released.

The Tatuaje Cojonú 2018 is a 5 5/8 x 54 robusto extra with a soft box press. It comes priced at $13.50 per cigar and is presented in boxes of 21 cigars, which are priced at $283.50. The cigars began shipping to stores in late May 2023.

• Cigar Reviewed: Tatuaje Cojonú 2018
• Country of Origin: Nicaragua
• Factory: My Father Cigars S.A.
• Wrapper: Ecuador (Habano)
• Binder: Nicaragua
• Filler: Nicaragua
• Length: 5 5/8 Inches
• Ring Gauge: 54
• Vitola: Robusto Extra
• MSRP: $13.50 (Box of 21, $283.50)
• Release Date: May 2023
• Number of Cigars Released: Regular Production
• Number of Cigars Smoked For Review: 3

I had to check the previous articles about the Tatuaj Cojonú 2018 as I had forgotten about the soft box press, which is the first thing about the cigar that catches my attention. It’s not quite an oval, and in certain cigars, it’s subtle enough that I’m not sure it’s intentional, but the curved edges are immediately noticeable and gives the cigar a distinct feeling in the hand. Visually, it’s a good-looking cigar with a very familiar shade of brown on the wrapper, a bit darker than the midpoint but light enough to see its details. Those details include a small network of visible veins and some seam lines but not much in the way of tooth or mottling. The cigar is a bit firmer than most box-pressed cigars, and it doesn’t have the firm yet pillowy feel; instead, it’s much more like a traditional, well-filled round vitola. This is particularly true in the middle section of the second cigar. The foot has a pretty nondescript aroma, though it is sweeter than I was expecting with a very faint cherry scent coming through atop a soft wood aroma. Airflow on the cold draw is smooth and easy, while the flavor is almost surprisingly smooth as well. Wood leads the way, followed by a very subtle butterscotch candy and then just a faint touch of black pepper, with the combination leaving a dry sensation in my mouth on the finish.

With a cigar that gets its name from the Spanish word for ballsy, there’s always a bit of trepidation about just how much of a kick in the cojones the first puffs might offer. The Tatuaje Cojonú 2018 doesn’t have me doubled over, but rather enjoying a decent hit of black pepper atop a backing of wood, some dry earth, and a subtle creaminess that is quietly tying things together in a fairly full-bodied smoke. Where the punch tends to be is in the retrohales, which amp up the pepper a few ticks and impart a much more pronounced sensation. While I am a big proponent of retrohaling, I find that the first inch or so tends to offer a bit more than I’m wanting, which means I need to space them out a bit more and be prepared for a pretty vibrant sensation. Going back to the flavor, there are times when I pick up a bit of heat from the cigar, and when it shows up, it brings out a ligero-forward flavor from the core of the profile. For a line with a reputation of being strong, this plays into the name quite well, though for my palate, it tends to over-sharpen this specific aspect of the profile. Thankfully, it only happens in one of the three cigars smoked for this review. The final puffs of this section bring about a rapid thinning of the profile as the creaminess deflates in a matter of puffs. Flavor is medium-plus to medium-full, while body has been medium-full prior to this change, and strength is medium-minus. Construction is very good, particularly with the draw and smoke production, though the burn line isn’t quite even.

In the one ligero-loaded cigar, it doesn’t take much of a reduction in the ligero flavor to get the profile back in a better balance, as it’s such a potent flavor that a little goes a long way. It’s still there and easily identifiable as the second third of the Tatuaje Cojonú 2018 gets underway with the flavor, which in that one cigar overshadows whatever else the profile has to offer. The other two are more well-rounded, especially when the creaminess is present. The earth flavor is heavier and more robust now, and when puffs and retrohales are combined, they leave a heavy finish on my taste buds and creep into the top of my throat. There’s also a bit of a drying sensation that seems to come from the wood flavor, though it now has a bit of a well-toasted flavor to it. The final puffs of this section reveal a damp earthiness and rich wood combination, which when combined with the black pepper of the retrohales produces a very enjoyable result, certainly among the best the cigar has offered thus far. Construction is still very good, with my only note being that it feels like a bit quicker puffing rate is needed to keep the cigar burning. Flavor dials back to medium for some of this section, but it is probably best described as medium-plus on the whole. Body varies as well, getting a bit thin before building back up to medium-plus. As for strength, it is still shy of medium.

The final third of the Tatuaje Cojonú 2018—or at least my impression of it—really seems to depend on how much flavor intensity the cigar has offered in the first two thirds. The one cigar that has been so dominated by ligero has me feeling some palate fatigue, which makes it hard to really dive into this section. The other two don’t quite share that experience, though I’m certainly not complaining about how much the cigar has offered thus far. As I have said in a number of reviews lately, my palate has been gravitating towards cigars with creaminess, and I find myself enjoying the Tatuaje Cojonú 2018 more when there is more of the creamy sensation to the smoke. It doesn’t quite affect the flavor in the familiar way, but there is a bit of a milkshake sensation that is quite pleasant. It takes me until the point where the bands need to come off that I realize that the pepper has subsided a bit, even though I still feel a bit of it and the dry wood on my taste buds on the finish of puffs. Some heat joins the fray and intensifies the flavors, while retrohales are still fairly potent though now with a blunter expression of pepper. Flavor is medium-full, body is medium-plus, and strength is a manageable medium. Construction remains very good, with no issues of note across the three cigars as long as I give them regular puffs.

Final Notes

• When it comes to Cojonú releases that I remember, it’s the 2012 edition, specifically the Capa Especial and Reserva versions, which came in a book-style box. I still remember making the drive out to Litchfield Park, Ariz. to pick them up from Fine Ash Cigars.
• The Tatuaje Cojonú 2018 didn’t hit me with much strength, which is perfectly fine. There’s plenty of flavor and aroma, as well as physical sensation from those two things, without needing to double up on them with strength.
• Final smoking time was two hours and 30 minutes on average.
• The cigars for this review were purchased by halfwheel.
• Site sponsors Atlantic Cigar Co., Cigars Direct and Corona Cigar Co. carry the Tatuaje Cojonú 2018.