It’s that time of year where nothing new is coming out so having worked in the cigar industry at a manufacturer level the last few years I missed the boat on certain cigars. One of them being L’atelier. The company started by the brothers Johnson (KC and Pete) with a third Johnson of no relation (Casper) has begun developing a cult following much like Tatuaje did in its early years.
The wrapper of today’s cigar is the same variation on the Tatuaje Monster #7 (The Jekyll) which was released in 2014 and it predates that release.
Cigar: L’atellier
Size: 5 5/8 x 54 (Lat 54)
Wrapper: Ecuador Sancti Spiritus
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Strength: Medium
Source: Two Guys Smoke Shop
The Look: The Sancti Spiritus wrapper has a slight brindle appearance to it with a few veins that stand out. While not as smooth and oily as I would prefer a wrapper to be we know from past experience that looks can be deceiving. The band features a gold leaf over a black background with the brand name in black text over a white background beneath it. In the hand the cigar is firm though the foot does appear to be slightly under filled.
The Notes: Once the cigar is clipped the cold draw serves up some floral notes with a hint of citrus. There is some sweetness that serves as an afterthought and the foot has a nose that is citrus as well. Quite different then I would expect from a stick produced by My Father in Nicaragua.
Once the cigar is lit there is a subtle spice through the nose but the cigar is instantly flavorful from the first light. There are notes of nuts, and shortbread a slightly floral note that is especially noticeable on the aroma of the cigar which is outstanding.
The second third of the L’atelier Lat 56 becomes definitively nutty bordering on cashews. There is some sweetness present as well that we could call floral or shortbread but the citrus experienced on the first third are nonexistent at this point. The aroma continues to be enticing and delicious calling you to the cigar.
The last third of the stick remains nutty with a bit of a dark chocolate and coffee on the finish. The finish was moderate and the aroma was truly amazing.
The Burn: The Lat 54 had a razor-thin burn line which revealed a white ash that had some flake to it near the end of the cigar. The ash was strong and held on for a third of the cigar at a time. The draw was fluid and the cigar burned cool remaining lit from first light to last puff.
Overall: The truly amazing thing about this stick is that it stands alone and separate from Tatuaje in terms of sizes, design and most importantly flavor. The aroma of the cigar really stood out making the cigar memorable and the core notes made the cigar extremely tasty.
Score: 91
Price: $9.19 each / $121.99 box
L’atelier
L’atelier Foot
L’atelier Burn
