Tatuaje Releases Details on Anarchy NFT Project

Last August, Tatuaje announced that it would be venturing into the world of non-fungible tokens, or NFTs, by way of a project designed around the Tatuaje Anarchy, a cigar that debuted in December 2010 as an exclusive release for Smoke Inn, a South Florida retailer. Today, Tatuaje released additional details about the project, most notably that it will be on display at the 2023 PCA Convention & Trade Show next month, with the auctions slated to begin in August.

There will be a total of seven NFTs produced, though only six will be available via auction, as the seventh is being issued to Abe Dababneh, the owner of Smoke Inn and the creator of the Anarchy brand. As for the six NFTs, they will be auctioned by UREEQA, which will provide a digital marketplace for the auctions as well as utilize their Package of Proof technology to provide security and authenticity to the NFTs. Those auctions are scheduled to begin in late August, with six separate, 48-hour-long auctions planned.

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. The Anarchy Pale Horse Edition has been released just once before, at the 2020 Great Smoke pre-event dinner, hosted by Smoke Inn as part of their annual consumer event. According to previous press releases, just 300 of those cigars were produced, though they were released in the Anarchy KAOS vitola.

Johnson told halfwheel that the cigars in the humidor wear a slightly different band than the regular release Anarchy cigars that the winners have access to every quarter, as the humidor cigars have holographic foil on both the top and bottom of the band.

Additionally, the winning bidders will receive a 24 x 36 framed print version of the NFT artwork, as well as a one-of-one Ligne 2 Lighter by S.T. Dupont, a newly developed Perfect Xi1 Cutter by XIKAR, and a crystal ashtray by Quality Importers, all with matching art to the corresponding NFT. Each Tatuaje Anarchy NFT owner will also have the opportunity to purchase a quarterly allotment of 15 boxes of 15 Tatuaje Anarchy NFT Edition cigars at the price of $14 per cigar.

“The original Tatuaje Anarchy cigar remains to be one of the largest single-store releases in our industry and is still being sought after by consumers worldwide,” said Pete Johnson of Tatuaje via a press release. “I felt this cigar specifically was worthy of a special NFT offering that would allow the cigar to exist, while in very limited quantities, on a regular basis. Collaborating with S.T. Dupont and Quality Importers was the perfect way to create a very special and unique collection to complete the offering.”

In the case of the Perfect Xi1 Cutter, this will be the debut of the new cutter, which the company has yet to announce formally.

“Quality Importers is thrilled to be involved in this cutting edge Tatuaje Anarachy NFT release,” said Joe Gro, director of marketing and communications for Quality Importers. “Through our SWAG Bunker we were able to bring the artwork to life in a stunning crystal ashtray and on the brand new Perfect Xi1 Cutter, exclusive to Smoke Inn. More on that coming soon!”

“I cannot recall any other time a single version of a Ligne 2 lighter ever being made,” said Les Mann, vp of sales for Coles of London, the U.S. distributor of S.T. Dupont. “These NFT edition lighters will not only be a rare collectible for Tatuaje fans, but also for all S.T. Dupont fans as well. It was a remarkable experience for our Art of Fire team in Paris to be involved in this project.”

A press release about the project did not include details about who created the NFT artwork, as well as when winners of the NFT auctions could expect to receive the physical items. Those details will be added to the story as they become available.

Update (July 1, 2023) — Abe Dababneh of Smoke Inn told halfwheel that the physical items in each auction are scheduled to ship approximately 2-3 weeks after patent processing and the NFT transfer is completed. The artist behind the NFTs is not being named, though they were described as being a local designer and artist that Dababneh has worked with on projects for over 20 years.

 Images courtesy of Tatuaje.

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.