Tatuaje PCA 2022

While it puts on what is considered the premium cigar’s industry largest event, the Premium Cigar Association faces challenges getting retailers to attend its annual convention and trade show. In an attempt to both entice and incentivize retailers to attend the trade show, a number of manufacturers who are strong supporters of the association will offer cigars that are only available to trade show attendees.

One of those companies is Tatuaje, which has been a constant supporter of the Premium Cigar Association, as well as Cigar Rights of America, and the efforts of both organizations in fighting cigar regulation.

For the 2022 PCA Convention & Trade Show, Tatuaje offered its first PCA exclusive cigar, the aptly named Tatuaje PCA 2022. It’s a 5 3/8 x 52 robusto extra that uses an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper over Nicaraguan binders and fillers, and is one of two that Tatuaje released for industry organizations that year. In February 2022, the company announced the Tatuaje TAA 2022, which uses a Connecticut broadleaf wrapper atop the Nicaraguan binders and fillers. It is also offered in a 5 3/8 x 52 robusto extra, while both cigars have an MSRP of $14.50 and are limited to 1,000 boxes of 20 cigars.

Tatuaje is donating 50 cents per cigar to each of the organizations. That means $10,000 each to the PCA and TAA.

While 2022 was the first year that Tatuaje has released for the PCA, it was the 11th time that it had released a cigar for the TAA. The company has already announced plans for its 2023 releases for both organizations, a 6 3/8 x 54 parejo that will utilize both blends, though as of last check, Tatuaje had not announced which organization would get which blend. Both cigars are tentatively scheduled to ship to retailers in November, though Pete Johnson—Tatuaje’s founder—said that it might be January once again, with pricing set at $15 per cigar and production again set at 1,000 boxes of 20 cigars for each release.

• Cigar Reviewed: Tatuaje PCA 2022
• Country of Origin: Nicaragua
• Factory: My Father Cigars S.A.
• Wrapper: Ecuador (Sumatra)
• Binder: Nicaragua
• Filler: Nicaragua
• Length: 5 3/8 Inches
• Ring Gauge: 52
• Vitola: Robusto Extra
• MSRP: $14.50 (Box of 20, $290)
• Release Date: January 2023
• Number of Cigars Released: 1,000 Boxes of 20 Cigars (20,000 Total Cigars)
• Number of Cigars Smoked For Review: 3

Given that Tatuaje has used both the Limited and Capa Especial bands numerous times before, the Tatuaje PCA 2022 looks fairly familiar, which makes me wish there was a band indicating what this particular cigar is. The covered foot and the dimensions would certainly be usable in deducing what the cigar is, but a SKU sticker or band would be helpful. That said, I really like the color and visual texture of this Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper, as the variations in color reflect the beauty that exists in the variance of natural things like tobacco leaves. There is also a bit of dry glossiness, not necessarily oiliness, but a distinct texture for my fingers. The press that this cigar gets looks great and gives it a very pleasant feeling in my hand. While pressed cigars occasionally feel slightly lighter than average, this feels a bit heavier than average. Each of the three cigars is firm in density but not hard, offering just a bit of give that reminds me of a firm foam pillow. The aroma off the foot makes me think of fallen leaves with a distinct fragrance, along with brown sugar and a bit of cake donut, without much in the way of pepper. I find it interesting that the leaves either smell distinctly dry or distinctly damp, one of the few variations across the three cigars. I’m a bit surprised to find that the cold draw on the first cigar is firmer than I expect from a Tatuaje. It’s by no means plugged or otherwise obstructed, but it feels like I have to work just a touch more than usual. The flavor is a bit softer and tamer than the aroma, with the cake donut the first thing I pick up, some creaminess behind that, and a tingle on my lips from the tobacco.

The Tatuaje PCA 2022 gets right to business with a peppery and woody start, a dry combination that doesn’t have much in the way of earthiness, giving it a slightly lighter and brighter sensation on the taste buds. Retrohales add a bit more pepper, though it is subtle and a very nice accent to the flavor. One cigar also has a pleasant creaminess that softens the texture of the smoke and helps mellow the flavors just a touch. I also get some hints of a very dry coffee in the first puffs, though they end up leading right to the dry woodiness as well. As the first inch progresses, some light earthiness develops, giving the cigar what I would describe as a fairly familiar profile for Tatuaje. Retrohales deliver a more pronounced tingle as the first third progresses by way of more light, vibrant pepper, though without the oomph and weight of a fuller, heavier body. A bit of creaminess comes in at the very end of this section, giving the cigar just a bit more complexity while also tying the other flavors together a bit more. Construction is great thus far, as the cigar burns evenly, produces plenty of smoke and doesn’t present a single issue. Flavor is medium-plus, body is medium-plus and strength is medium-minus.

The second third sees the flavors of the first third hit a new peak in intensity, not overpowering but certainly as vibrant as they have been to this point. Not long into this section, the cigar adds—or reintroduces, depending on the cigar—some very enjoyable creaminess, a flavor I don’t associate with most Tatuaje profiles, but here it is a fantastic addition. But that doesn’t stop the earthiness and black pepper from further intensifying on my taste buds, which nudges the flavor intensity up a bit more. The burn line in the second third seems to move more quickly, almost as each puff results in more progress than it did in the first third. After peaking in flavor intensity around the midway point, the cigar backs down the scale slightly once it’s past that spot, though it is by no means falling out of medium-plus territory. A touch of dry char emerges in the final puffs, branching off the earthiness with pepper delivering a sensation that lasers in on my taste buds. Construction continues to be fantastic, with flavor peaking at medium-full, body is medium-plus and strength is still shy of medium.

Just a bit of light chocolate is coming into the profile as the final third gets underway, not enough to call it a real prominent flavor, but enough that its appearance catches my attention. In some ways, it reminds me of a powdered hot chocolate mix; in others, it is a bit more cocoa powder that tastes purer. While not consistent in its intensity, I’d still like to see the Tatuaje PCA 2022 shake off the char it continues to exhibit, as it doesn’t take much of it to detract from the rest of the profile. In this particular cigar, it not only affects the flavor, but it really lingers on the palate, leading me to take multiple sips of water to try and rinse the sensation off my taste buds. The first cigar struggles with staying lit in this section, leading me to be more attentive to my puffing rate in the following two cigars. While that attentiveness does help, it doesn’t prevent the other two cigars from going out occasionally and necessitating a relight. Char hangs around until it’s time to put the cigar down, with flavor medium-full, body medium-plus and strength medium-minus. Besides needing me to be more attentive to keeping the cigar burning, construction remains excellent across the three samples.

Final Notes

• Unless the retailer you purchased these from adds an SKU sticker with a note about what this cigar is, I think there’s a decent chance it ends up in a humidor without a note about what it is, only to be pulled out sometime later and presenting a question as to what it is.
• This is a decent reminder to have some blank bands or small adhesive labels for pertinent notes about cigars.
• I’d also encourage retailers to add useful SKU stickers when applicable, as not only do they help a store’s inventory system, they can be beneficial to consumers as well.
• If you can, I’d highly suggest getting the Tatuaje PCA 2022 and Tatuaje TAA 2022 and smoke them side-by-side to experience the difference the wrapper makes. I believe that educated, experienced and informed cigar smokers get more out of their cigars, and an experience like this helps in all those areas.
• I didn’t end up having the opportunity to smoke the two cigars side-by-side, but I did smoke a Tatuaje TAA 2022 after I smoked the three cigars for this review, and I found them to have distinct but somewhat similar flavor trajectories. The TAA 2022, which uses a Connecticut broadleaf wrapper, pleasantly surprised me with some underlying dark fruit sweetness and a bit less overall intensity but also showed some of the same char notes in the final third.
• Incidentally, both cigars had some combustion issues in the final third, which I found particularly interesting given that they were purchased from different stores and stored separately.
• Putting them head-to-head, the Tatuaje PCA 2022 had higher highs but also lower lows, while the Tatuaje TAA 2022 was more even and nuanced with the sweetness.
• I’m interested to see if Tatuaje uses the PCA logo on the bands for future trade show exclusives as it does for its TAA releases.
• In terms of overall strength, the Tatuaje PCA 2022 gets close to medium on my scale but never crossed into the territory where I felt funky or thought about wanting some white sugar to neutralize the nicotine after smoking the cigars.
• The cigars for this review were purchased by halfwheel.
• Final smoking time was one hour and 50 minutes on average.
• Site sponsors Atlantic Cigar Co., Cigars Direct and Corona Cigar Co. carry the Tatuaje PCA 2022.