 Tasting the hot Tatuaje and Don Pepin Garcia brands!
Los Angeles, June 8 – Once you meet Pete Johnson, you won’t forget him. Beyond his friendly demeanor and ready smile, he’s quite well decorated with tattoos up and down both arms (and maybe elsewhere).
Like many tobacconists, Johnson wanted a distinctive cigar for the Grand Havana House of Cigars, one that would offer what he wanted to see in taste, burn and complexity.
But unlike so many others, he didn’t head for the Dominican Republic, Honduras or Nicaragua. He went to Miami and sought out a Cuban master who’s recently set up shop in a tiny store and factory called El Rey de Los Habanos. The owner’s name is Jose “Pepin” Garcia.
The cigar they created together was called “Tatuaje,” meaning tattoo in Spanish. It used authentic Cuban sizes, featured Nicaraguan-grown binder and filler and a Nicaraguan Corojo wrapper. Introduced in 2004, it wasn’t difficult for Johnson to get his friends at stores around the country to try them. What he didn’t expect was the tidal wave of orders he started getting once people tasted his creation.
The Tatuaje line-up has expanded with a Reserva selection and new blends called Havana VI and Series P. Garcia has gone on to be the hottest cigar maker on the planet, with his own hot-selling brands not only from El Rey de Los Habanos in Miami, but at a new factory in Nicaragua to handle the workload. We took a taste of some of his best and weren’t disappointed:
Cabaiguan:
[United States: available in 4 sizes]
The Cabaiguan brand, saluting a Cuban tobacco town of the same name, greets you with a spicy aroma and a medium-to-full body.
Johnson introduced this brand in 2005, a year after Tatuaje. There’s a creamy core to the taste, with a light, spicy finish. The spice becomes more prominent as you reach halfway.
Well made with an easy draw, the creamy aspect of the flavor recedes a bit and there’s a tinge of both spice and pepper on the finish. This is an interesting cigar, offered mostly in boxes of 24 at suggested retail prices of $8.75 to $10.00. But its power in the second half points out that it is not for the novice.
Overall grade: B+: Very Good.
Tatuaje:
[United States: available in 13 sizes]
Here is the cigar – with a brown band – that has made so much noise since its introduction in 2004. It has a toasty aroma and a medium-to-full body with an excellent, easy draw.
There’s a rich, caramelized taste to start with a long, bright finish. You’ll remember the clear, high tones of sweetness that this blend can reach, inevitably receding in intensity, but with a clean, smooth finish.
There’s a hint of pepper which enters the picture toward the end, but it’s only the bracer for the end of a very pleasant experience.
This is an expensive cigar, offered mostly in boxes 25 at suggested retail prices of $8 to $22, depending on size.
Overall grade: A-: Excellent.
Tatuaje Reserva:
[United States: available in 3 sizes]
The Reserva line was also introduced in 2004 and is marked with a black second band added below the standard Tatuaje brown band.
This line features a toasty and slightly spicy aroma and delicate, almost fragile core of sweetness complimented by a light, clean finish. This is a calming cigar that asks for your attention to appreciate the complexity of the flavor.
Well made with an even burn, a note of spice enters the mix in the second half. The depth of this blend really requires that it be smoked indoors. It’s offered at retail prices of $11-12 each.
Overall grade: A-: Excellent.
Tatuaje Havana VI:
[Nicaragua: available in 6 sizes]
Johnson introduced this line in 2006 as a less-expensive opportunity for smokers to enjoy the Tatuaje experience. He certainly succeeded and this red-banded edition offers an outstanding cigar in construction, draw and flavor.
There’s a spicy aroma to start, with a rich, caramelized taste and just a touch of spice on the finish. It’s medium-to-full in body and is smooth and balanced throughout.
The tight construction is evidenced by the long ash this cigar develops and the very slow-burning nature of this blend. It’s offered in boxes of 24 at suggested retail prices of $5.50 to $8.00, and well worth it. The Havana VI blend may cost less, but it is no less of a cigar!
Overall grade: A-: Excellent.
Don Pepin Garcia Series JJ:
[United States: available in 3 sizes]
In addition to the Cabaiguan and Tatuaje lines, Garcia makes cigars that he distributes from his own
El Rey de Los Habanos headquarters in Miami under the Don Pepin Garcia label and others,
We tried the Don Pepin Garcia Series JJ (white band), a delightful blend introduced to national distribution in 2005. There’s a light and spicy aroma to this blend and a medium-to-full body.
The taste features a rich, sweet and bright caramelized taste with a medium finish that retains its sweetness. It’s consistent in draw and temperament and while the taste flattens out in the second half, it remains pleasant and easy to enjoy.
A slightly spicy note enters in the second half, but only signals the end of an excellent cigar that available at retail prices from $8.40 to $18.00 for the giant Salomon (7 1/4 x 57).
Overall grade: A: Exceptional.
The standard, blue-banded Don Pepin Garcia line is offered in six sizes at prices ranging from $6.60 to $9.00, but we didn’t have time to try it in this tasting. What was clear from the blends we tried is that Garcia, with Johnson’s leadership and marketing skill, has introduced himself as one of the top cigar makers on the American market today. He stands now as a man to watch into the future as he expands his blending skills to fully satisfy smokers in search of satisfying, new cigars.
~ Rich Perelman
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