Tatuaje putting Private Reserve cigars to sleep
Tatuaje putting Private Reserve cigars to sleep. On social media, Tatuaje founder Pete Johnson posted a picture of the Tatuaje Private Reserve Britanicas Extra and Toro. With the text that these two cigars are only available for retailers that visit the PCA Trade Show in Las Vegas. After that, the cigars take a nap for many years, Johnson says. edit: in a private message to us, Johnson says that these two vitolas were always intended to be a limited edition, that will return in a few years. International distributors of Tatuaje can order the cigars, but only if they visit the trade show this July as well. Or through the PCA Hub, if they are PCA members.
Private Reserve
The Tatuaje Private Reserve line is also known as the Tatuaje Black Label. It is Pete Johnson’s tribute to a Cuban cigar. A personal blend of an old man he met years ago while spending some time on the beautiful island that is the birth ground of the premium handmade cigar. The Tatuaje Private Reserve’s first release was in 2007.
Back then, Johnson explained the story behind the cigar. These are his own words:
On a recent trip to a famous island known for historic cigar making, I spent my time in a small town enjoying the simple life. Every day was peaceful and every night was festive, with both having cigars involved throughout. My favorite cigar was not a cigar bought at the local store or factory, but a cigar that was handed to me every morning.
Pete Johnson – 2007
Mornings, after taking a shower with a bucket of water warmed with what looked like a curling iron, I would walk to the front of the house and sit on the fence to get some sun and take in the fresh air. I also took in the fact that I was miles from home and no one knew where I was. My phone didn’t work and I had no cares in the world other than trying to decide what to smoke.
My first morning on the island an older gentleman came along on his bike. This was not a motorcycle but something like an old Schwinn that he had likely been riding for decades. This gentleman was well dressed, almost dapper, and I probably appeared to him to be a strange character. My usual outfit of jeans, a t-shirt, loads of silver jewelry, and an arm full of tattoos didn’t seem to faze him. He saw I was enjoying myself so that morning, and every morning after that, he would stop and give me a cigar from his shirt pocket.
This cigar was far from being a ‘pretty’ cigar but that did not bother me a bit. It was a treasured and unexpected gift that I was thrilled to be given. After smoking this cigar I realized that this was one of the best cigars I smoked on the island. Later that day in speaking with my host on this trip I came to understand that these cigars were something special to every person who carried them. They were cigars that they made for themselves. Even the guys who worked hard in the cigar factories all day would return home at night and make their private cigars. Simple cigars with flavors they personally enjoyed. Over the course of the next few days, my host and I visited his friends and asked for cigars that they made. Before I left I had cigars from a few locals who all used different tobaccos from the different growing regions. They were all great but there was one that really stood out for me as special.
I decided when traveling to Nicaragua to work with the Garcia family that I would try to recreate this special cigar for myself. Together we spent quite some time working on the blend and looking at different leaves for the wrapper. The marbled toothy wrapper was perfect for this cigar, rustic looking but with tons of aroma. After smoking the first sample, I was immediately brought back to that island relaxing on a fence, enjoying life, smoking a great cigar. A great cigar that will always in my mind represent the place, the time, and the experience of the purity of the simple life. This cigar may be considered ugly by some but inside that surface roughness, it contains such rich flavor and aroma.
Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar. This is a tribute to that cigar.
The Tatuaje Private Reserve has seen many shapes and many releases since. Some regularly available, others only temporarily. But if the Toro or the Britanicas Extra is your favorite vitola, make sure your retailer goes to the PCA trade show and stocks up, so you can stock up.
