Tatuaje cigars

Tatuaje is Spanish for tattoo

Tatuaje means tattoo in Spanish, and the brand was founded by Pete Johnson with the help of José "Pepin" Garcia.

Wikipedia says the first Tatuajes were released in 2003. The brand's own line pages agree on the year: the Reserva blends were "created by Pete Johnson in 2003," described as an old-world, Cuban-style cigar.

The brand keeps its founder's name front and center. Every page of the site is signed "A brand by Pete Johnson," and the contact address is in Los Angeles. The tagline is "Cigars, Wine, Music, Fashion & Travel."

Where are Tatuaje cigars made?

Tatuaje cigars are rolled in Nicaragua, according to the brand's current line pages, with Garcia family factories doing the work.

The history has two cities. Wikipedia lists Miami's El Rey de los Habanos factory and Tabacalera Cubana S.A., known as TACUBA, in Estelí, Nicaragua. Miami still shows up on the labels: the Seleccion de Cazador page, under the Reserva Miami line, lists its country of origin as USA, while the same page says the cigars are rolled in Nicaragua.

The Cabaiguan page is the most specific. It reads "MADE IN NICARAGUA by Jaime Garcia at My Father Cigars S.A." The My Father guide covers that company.

Tatuaje tobacco, Ecuador over Nicaragua

Most current Tatuaje lines wrap Nicaraguan binder and filler in an Ecuadorian wrapper.

Havana VI, Cabaiguan and Seleccion de Cazador all list Ecuador outside and Nicaragua inside. Reserva Nicaragua lists its wrapper as "Ecuador / USA," and its size list includes Broadleaf versions. Series P is the exception: Wikipedia calls it a Nicaraguan puro with a Nicaraguan Habano wrapper.

Older lines tell the history. Wikipedia says the Cabinet line used a Corojo 99 viso wrapper, the Reserva used Nicaraguan viso with a ligero wrapper on the J21, and the Regios Reserva used Connecticut Broadleaf. Viso and ligero are leaf grades by position on the plant, a split explained in how cigars are made.

Tatuaje lines and their listed wrappers

The site shows a 1 to 5 strength scale on each line page but leaves it unmarked, so no strength is listed here. Other lines on the site: 15th Anniversary, Fausto, La Riqueza, El Triunfador, Ambos Mundos, La Casita Criolla, Avion, Verocu, Tatuaje Black, Negociant, Tattoo and Nuevitas.

Tatuaje milestones

Tatuaje's milestones are mostly new lines and wrapper changes, starting with the 2003 debut.

• 2003: First Tatuajes released.
• August 2006: Cojonu wrapper changes from viso to ligero.
• October 2006: Series P released.
• 2008: The Frank, the first cigar in the Monster Series.
• 2011: The Black Label joins regular production.
• 2011: Saints & Sinners, a private social club, created.

What to know before you buy a Tatuaje

Tatuaje sizes run from a 4 1/2 x 32 Petite to the 9 1/2 x 55 RC233.

The RC sizes are figurados, which Wikipedia notes in its line list. None of the current line pages mark a size as box-pressed. Tatuaje says its brands are sold only through authorized retailers, and it doesn't list suggested retail prices on its line pages, so no price tier is given here.

Line names repeat inside other lines. Cojonu, for example, shows up as a vitola under Seleccion de Cazador. Read the band and the box. The size explorer helps make sense of a 9 1/2 inch cigar.

Tatuaje questions people search

Where the Tatuaje facts come from

1. Tatuaje, Wikipedia
2. Seleccion de Cazador (Reserva Miami), Tatuaje Cigars
3. Cabaiguan, Tatuaje Cigars
4. Havana VI, Tatuaje Cigars