Tatuaje 10th Anniversary Staff Review
I’m smoking Tatuaje 10th Anniversary in a 5.375-by-52 size called the Bon Chasseur, which is slightly shorter than a standard Toro. This hearty smoke debuted in 2013 to commemorate the tenth anniversary of Tatuaje cigars. Brand founder Pete Johnson has released other milestone cigars since then, such as Tatuaje 15th Anniversary and Tatuaje 20th Anniversary, which I reviewed earlier. Today, I’m revisiting the 10th Anniversary to see how this small-batch gem compares to some of my other favorite Tatuaje cigars, like the original Brown Label.
Pete Johnson partnered with Jose ‘Pepin’ Garcia to blend and produce Tatuaje cigars back in the early 2000s. Their collaboration helped usher in an era of strong Nicaraguan boutique cigars, which continues. When his company hit the ten-year mark, Pete worked with the Garcia family to blend a full-bodied recipe of premium tobaccos in two sizes: a 5.375-by-48 Perfecto called the Belle Encre and the Bon Chasseur I’m reviewing. A well-aged Ecuador Habano wrapper covers an earthy core of Nicaraguan long-filler tobaccos grown by the Garcia family.
When you open a box of Tatauje cigars, an intense aroma of leather, spice, and fresh tobacco permeates the nose. Tatuaje 10th Anniversary offers a noticeably pungent and tempting impression. I can tell the Bon Chasseur has been blended from the best quality tobacco after choosing an oily specimen from the center row. A subtle network of veins circles the wrapper leaf from head to foot. Once I clip the cap and take the first cold draws, stout notes of coffee bean, cedar, and spice come through with a hint of sweetness.
Tatuaje cigars are on the stronger side, so you’ll want to have a good meal in your system before you smoke one. The 10th Anniversary unfolds with peppery and dense streams of creamy smoke, generating a pronounced room note. It’s easy to crave a cigar when you’re in the company of somebody smoking a Tatuaje, thanks to its enticing aroma.
Throughout the first ten minutes, tasting notes of cracked black pepper, maple syrup, mesquite, and tree sap blend in with the cigar’s woody, leathery profile. I pick up sporadic traces of dark fruit and raisins, too. Tatuaje 10th Anniversary is a dense cigar. It’s packed well on the inside and carries a good amount of nicotine. If you’re wondering how long it will take to smoke the Bon Chasseur, I recommend reserving over an hour to finish it. You’re better off pacing yourself versus smoking too fast because the intensity kicks in throughout the second half.
Powerful notes of espresso bean, leather, and spice mask some of the sweetness I experienced earlier. The 10th Anniversary retains its creamy texture, though. It burns as straight as an arrow while a firm, white ash covers the foot and stays intact until I’m ready to tap it off. Tatuaje cigars are renowned for their consistency, as highly skilled rollers handcraft them at the My Father factory in Estelí, Nicaragua.
A potent finish of coffee, pepper, and hickory resonates at the end. Hints of molasses linger before the Bon Chasseur slowly expires in my ashtray. Pete has put out a handful of limited-edition offshoots of Tatuaje 10th Anniversary, like the Capa Especial, to show what the blend tastes like with a different wrapper leaf. I’m giving Tatuaje 10th Anniversary a respectable 91-point rating and suggest adding it to your next order to taste the Ecuador Habano blend.
