Launched by Pete Johnson, the buyer for the Grand Havana Room, Tatuaje has become a widely successful and ever popular brand. Many of the brand’s line extensions have received high ratings by leading publications, with the Miami line earning the title of Tatuaje’s most popular release to date.

Tatuaje Miami is an excellent cigar. The look, feel, and flavor all resemble those of true, authentic Cuban cigars. The blend was created with the help of master blender Don Pepin Garcia, who incorporates Cuban tradition into every cigar he assembles, from the traditional spicy flavors to the flawless construction, which even includes a triple cap. Select, first generation Cuban-seed Nicaraguan long leaf tobaccos are used to create Tatuaje Miami, as the blend is rolled in extremely limited numbers, allowing the quality to remain the same from stick to stick and from box to box. This blend produces hearty notes of earth mixed with cedar-like undertones as the finish leaves the palate filled with pepper. Due to its high demand and limited quantities, Tatuaje Miami is incredibly hard to find, especially since industry insiders compare this blend to the famed Fuente OpusX.

10/24/08: Tim takes Juan to Philadelphia's Citizen's Bank Park to show him what tailgating's all about. They'll tell you what cigars you should be smoking as the Baseball Fever takes over Cigar.com! [Listen Now]

Another great blend from Tatuaje, La Riqueza is a must try for any enthusiast searching for a box-pressed, Cuban-like cigar. La Riqueza showcases a beautiful Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper that disguises a robust mix of Cuban-seed, Nicaraguan tobaccos bound by a Nicaraguan binder. The combination produces bold, rich nuances layered with leathery flavors of earth and white pepper. The blend is produced by Tatuaje, and created in conjunction with Don Pepin Garcia, one of the best blenders in the cigar industry. Almost all of Pepin’s blends have received rave reviews from multiple cigar publications, in addition to becoming well accepted as ultra-premium sticks by even the most discerning aficionados. With Pepin Garcia in charge of production, it’s no surprise that the Tatuaje brand is sought out by enthusiasts around the globe, especially by those looking for a medium to full-bodied blend similar to those produced during Cuba’s hay-day.

La Riqueza comes in a box-pressed format, which allows for a perfect burn and slow draw, in addition to slow combustion, enabling the tobaccos to burn together equally, producing a complex mix of medium-bodied flavors that are never overwhelmingly strong and also an enjoyable, leathery aroma.

#2 Torpedo (5.5" x 52) Excellent. Offered earthy nuances at first, then more robust flavors of spice became noticeable throughout. Maintained an even burn with an easy draw and emitted a milky smoke that had a leathery, cedar-like character. Very rich. 91/100 [Buy Now]

#3 (5.6" x 46) Initial light was very smooth, with the blend drastically increasing in power within a half inch of enjoyment. The burn was cool, and although slightly complex, the flavors remained consistent from start to finish. 90/100 [Buy Now]

#4 (5" x 48) Perfect draw and burn throughout with a good mixture of cedar, earth, and peppery nuances. Notes of earth were more exaggerated over spice, leaving a smooth finish on the palate. First two inches were very complex as the blend become more linear towards the head. 89/100 [Buy Now]

#1 (6.5" x 42) Very complex, with different flavors of spice and pepper changing throughout the burn. This size burned hotter than the others, mostly due to the small ring gauge, and became incredibly robust towards the final three inches. Many flavors of pepper were noticeable in this blend but the rich characteristics seem lost. 89/100 [Buy Now]

#5 (4.4" x 42) Offered a tight draw with a noticeably hot burn. Cigar was very robust, and scratched the back of the throat, as a ton of pepper and spice engulfs the palate. Although a relatively quick smoke, perfect for the winter season, expect more of a full-bodied robust characteristic over a richer, smoother medium-bodied character. 88/100 [Buy Now]

Q: What is a Preferido?

A: The word Preferido is a Spanish term meaning “favorite.” It is also the original shape rolled at the La Aurora factory in 1903, which would make the name appropriate for their most premium line of cigars, La Aurora Preferidos. The preferido is a traditional size, taking on the form of a perfecto with the head and foot of the cigar tapering to a point, similar to a torpedo, as the body consists of a thicker center. A cigar with this shape produces a more complex blend, offering a variety of different flavors and strengths, due to the amount of tobacco in the cigar. Choosing a preferido is a good choice if concerned about quality; the shape can only be rolled by the most experienced torcedors.

G.A.R. - A full-flavored, full-bodied cigar, G.A.R. is George Rico's initial blend! The flavors are quite complex providing a rich core of coffee-like nuances, perfectly blended with some peppery undertones.

Chateau Real Maduro - An extension to the original line, Chateau Real Maduro creates rich, leathery nuances and offers a slow; even burn with a perfect draw to create a medium-bodied blend worthy of bearing the Drew Estate name.

Perdomo2 - Re-released with a new and improved blend, Perdomo2 is better than ever. Utilizing filler tobaccos all from Nicaragua’s top growing regions, this cigar is smooth but filled with a ton of complex flavors.

CAO Gold (2002) - A mild-bodied cigar consisting of premium, long-leaf Nicaraguan tobacco, CAO Gold (2002) is an excellent addition for the collector’s humidor.

Looking back on my experience in this industry, both as a hobbyist and as a career, I have come to many conclusions about cigars. One of my biggest revelations, due mostly in part to marketing, is how things in this industry appear far more complicated than they really are. Let’s look at Habano seeds, for example. Nearly 50 years ago, Carlos Torano brought some of the first Cuban seeds to the Dominican Republic after the Cuban Embargo was set into place. These seeds were true ‘Pelo de Oro’ and today, you read about literally dozens of different types of Cuban seeds and tobaccos. I think it is high time to set the facts straight on Cuban-seed tobacco and hopefully clear the air on this confusing subject.

During the mid 20th century and coincidentally, relatively around the same time as the Cuban Embargo, plants grown in Cuba and in other parts of the world from Cuban seeds became increasingly susceptible to disease; you may have heard of these nasty killers, known as “Black Shank” and “Blue Mold.” By the 1970s, Cuban seeds had spread all over Latin and South America and issues with sick plants began to spiral as farmers would lose entire crops in a matter of days, once signs of disease set in. The increased severity led to initiatives by agronomists in Cuba and all over the world to begin development of new, genetically engineered seeds, which had a natural resistance to known diseases that effect tobacco plants. In the interim, research was also being done on pesticides and fertilizers that helped combat these crop killers.

While many purists stuck to their Pelo de Oro seeds, new technological advancements were making way for genetically enhanced seeds that not only proved more resistant to disease, but also yielded larger leaves and healthier plants. By the turn of the 21st Century, there were dozens of varieties of Cuban-seeds from H2000, Criollo, Criollo ‘98, Corojo, Corojo ‘99 and a host of lesser-known variations. Suddenly, Cuban-seed tobacco was no longer simply “Habano;” it had taken the form of “super seeds” with complex names and was being sold to farmers in tobacco growing nations throughout the world. In fact, today a market exists strictly for the sale and distribution of tobacco seeds, which is quite profitable.

While the obvious advantages of these brave new seeds were welcomed as they increased yield for farmers, cigar enthusiasts were inundated as brands touted their new “Habano XYZ” as the best Cuban wrapper on the market. The public was quickly made to believe that the flavor and appearance of these leaves were vastly different from one another. After nearly 10 years, the results were finally in and the differences between these “varieties” were negligible. In fact, the market is finally going back and reclaiming the word “Habano.” I, for one, could not be happier.

The bottom line is this folks – “Habano seed is Habano seed.” People talk about Corojo, Criollo and use fancy numbers, when at the end of the day, I don’t know a single individual that can truly look at or smoke a leaf of these “different” tobaccos and actually tell the difference. On my many visits to Nestor Plasencia’s tobacco facilities (Nestor Plasencia is the largest grower of Cuban-seed premium tobacco in the world) throughout Latin America, the workers and managers routinely, simply refer to the materials as “Habano” and nothing more.

So, what matters when you are looking at Habano leaf you ask? Like any other seed, the region it is grown plays the biggest role. From the key regions of Nicaragua, Honduras, Columbia, Panama, and Ecuador, the flavor and appearance is largely dependent on the climate and soil. It is not limited by simply country either as many tobacco growing nations have several regions. In fact, between Nicaragua and Honduras alone you have Jalapa, Esteli, Somoto, Pueblo Nuevo, Ometepe, Condega, Jalapa, Copan, Talanga and San Agustin to name just a few. These specific areas impart a certain fingerprint on Habano seed leaves and their unique characteristics can be both seen and tasted.