Tatuaje Unveils New Limited Editions from L’Atelier and Surrogates
Tatuaje Cigars is releasing two new limited editions this week: one a revived classic from L’Atelier, the other a music-inspired concept from Surrogates. Both are made at My Father Cigars in Nicaragua.
New Limited Releases from Tatuaje’s L’Atelier and Surrogates Now Shipping
Tatuaje Cigars is turning heads once again with two new limited-edition cigars. One is a revival, the other a fresh concept. These cigars come from the company’s L’Atelier and Surrogates brands. Both are set to ship this week to select retailers.
First up is the return of the L’Atelier Côte d’Or, a cigar that last appeared several years ago. The name translates to “Gold Coast” and originally debuted in 2015. This year’s release maintains the original blend: Nicaraguan filler, including the rare and prized Pelo d’Oro, wrapped in a dark Ecuadoran Sancti Spiritus leaf. Pelo d’Oro is revered for its flavour but is seldom used due to its low-yielding, disease-prone nature. The blend offers a medium-bodied profile.
The Côte d’Or 2019 comes in a 6 x 50 vitola and is priced at $18 USD per cigar. Although the name includes “2019,” it does not reflect the rolling date. Instead, it was the year Tatuaje initially planned to release this version. Only 1,500 boxes of 10 have been produced, making it a collector’s piece for aficionados.
New Surrogates: Backline
The second release is Surrogates Backline, a brand-new line and the first entry in the Amp Series, inspired by the world of guitar amplifiers. The concept was born when Surrogates brand manager Dan Welsh noticed the resemblance between vacuum tube valves and the fuma-style heads used on some cigars. From there, the blend and design came to life.
Backline debuts in two vitolas:
EL454: 4 x 54 ($9.50)
EL554: 5 x 54 ($10)
Both feature an Ecuadoran Habano Rosado wrapper over Nicaraguan fillers. However, the EL554 sports a slightly darker wrapper—a higher priming from the same plant. Each cigar has a distinctive pointed head and an exposed foot, meant to resemble the appearance of vacuum tubes. The two formats are a nod to the preamp and power tubes found in valve-driven guitar amps.
Welsh describes the blend as medium-to-full bodied, likening its flavour to “a certain amp tone that had a lot of midrange and a little grit.” Each release in the Amp Series will aim to capture the character of a specific amp, with future editions bringing different blends.
Backline is limited to 1,000 boxes, each containing 10 cigars of both sizes—another tightly allocated drop from the brand.
Both L’Atelier Côte d’Or 2019 and Surrogates Backline are crafted at the My Father Cigars S.A. factory in Nicaragua, ensuring the quality and consistency Tatuaje is known for.
