Tatuaje Havana VI Staff Review
After two decades of consistently cranking out popular small-batch cigars, Tatuaje brand founder Pete Johnson has built a considerable portfolio of premium blends, and today I’m smoking his Havana VI line in a classic 5-by-50 Robusto called the Nobles. Tatuaje cigars are blended and produced by Pepin and Jaime Garcia, the father-and-son duo behind My Father cigars, in Estelí, Nicaragua. Tatuaje cigars are crafted to appeal to connoisseurs with a preference for rich, Cubanesque profiles.
Havana VI cigars are blended from well-aged Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos grown on Garcia family farms before they’re fermented, aged and tucked under an oily, Ecuador Habano wrapper leaf by the most skilled rollers in Estelí. Tatuaje cigars are famous for their understated, no-frills bands and boxes. Havana VI is sometimes called Tatuaje Red Label in reference to the red bands on the cigars. The cigars come in boxes of 24 that resonate with leathery, earthy aroma when I crack the lid open.
All Tatuaje cigars are finished with a triple cap on the head. This is a Cuban style of cigarmaking that Pepin learned in Cuba in his youth, and he trains his rollers on the technique today. Adding a triple cap and triple-fermenting their tobacco are time-consuming, labor-intensive details that distinguish cigars blended and produced by the Garcia family from other brands. Pete Johnson recognized Pepin’s instinct and talent as a cigarmaker when the pair first met in 2003. Pete realized partnering with the Garcias would guarantee a high degree of success when he decided to launch his Tatuaje brand.
When I fire up a fresh Nobles, pepper and leather are the first tasting notes that grace my taste buds. Hints of molasses and roasted nuts begin to build complexity as the binder, filler, and wrapper tobaccos heat up. A nice cohesive profile of cedar and caramel unfolds over the spicy foundation of Havana VI. This is an ideal cigar to smoke with coffee or Scotch. A lot of intricate flavors emerge in the first half.
Havana VI is less aggressive than the original brown label Tatuaje cigars that got the critics’ attention back in the early 2000s. The Garcias’ palates are definitely geared towards fuller-bodied tobaccos, but Havana VI proves they can blend cigars with unique nuances that aren’t as strong. The Nobles is a versatile medium-bodied smoke.
Havana VI burns flawlessly with a consistent and smooth draw because the cigar is so well assembled. Subtle notes of black cherry and wood mingle with the nutty and peppery portrait the Nobles began with. Another advantage Tatauje Havana VI offers is the price. Eight bucks is a fair price to pay for a premium Nicaraguan Robusto blended by the Garcia family, who are responsible for many of today’s top-rated blends, including Flor de las Antillas, La Aroma de Cuba Mi Amor, and My Father Le Bijou 1922.
After thirty-five minutes, I’ve peeled off the band and am delighted to devour the nub of the Nobles. A formidable finish of cedar and baking spices imparts hints of hickory. You won’t want to put it down when you get to the end. When you’re accustomed to stronger cigars, you can appreciate that the finish is where the flavor and aroma really culminate in a premium smoke like Tatuaje Havana VI. Pick up this small-batch blend and decide if a box belongs in your regular rotation. You won’t be disappointed.
