Back in 2003, Pete Johnson was launching Tatuaje Cigars. His first release was the famed Tatuaje Selección de Cazador (a.k.a. Brown Label). He also launched a bolder, spicier version of the Selección de Cazador known as Cojonú. Cojonú is a play on the Spanish word cojones – which means balls. The Cojonú series was intended to be a triennial release, and a different vitola would be introduced into the series with each release. Starting with the Cojonú 2003 release, there was a release every three years until 2012. In 2012, Johnson would put the Cojonú series on hold. Fast forward nine years to 2021, and Pete Johnson restarted the Cojonu series, releasing the Tatuaje Cojonú 2021. After that, Johnson would “fill in” the “lost years” of the Cojonú series, releasing the Cojonú 2015 and Cojonú 2018 releases in 2022 and 2023, respectively. Today, we look closer at the Cojonú that brought the series back, the Tatuaje Cojonú 2021.

For completeness, here is a look at the Tatuaje Cojonu Series and the year it was introduced, and the sizes

Tatuaje Cojonú 2003 (2003): 6 1/2 x 52
Tatuaje Cojonú 2006 (2006): 5 1/2 x 52
Tatuaje Cojonú 2009 (2009): 6 3/4 x 48 (Belicoso)
Tatuaje Cojonú 2012 (2012): 6 1/2 x 52 (Box Pressed)
Tatuaje Cojonú 2012 Reserva (2012): 6 1/2 x 52 (Box Pressed)
Tatauje Cojonú 2012 Capa Especial (2012): 6 1/2 x 52
Tatuaje Cojonú 2015 (2022): 5 x 55
Tatuaje Cojonú 2018 (2023): 5 5/8 x 54 (Box Pressed)
Tatauje Cojonú 2021 (2021): 7 x 58 (Belicoso)

A few notes on the above. The Cojonú 2012 release was done with three wrappers: Habano, Sumatra (Capa Especial), and Reserva (Connecticut Broadleaf). There have been other offshoots, done out of the three-year release cycle. These were quite limited, and we won’t digress into them here. Finally, there is also a release called Gran Cojonú, a 6 x 60 regular production offering.

With all of that out of the way, let’s turn our attention back to the Tatuaje Cojonú 2021 and see what this cigar brings to the table.

SPECIFICATIONS

Blend and Origin

One common thread with all of the triennial releases is that each uses an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper. The remainder of the Tatuaje Cojonú 2021 blend has Nicaraguan tobaccos. As with many Tatuaje products, Tatuaje Cojonú 2021 is produced at the My Father Cigars factory in Estelí, Nicaragua.

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Factory: My Father S.A.

Vitolas Offered

The Tatuaje Cojonú 2021 is one of the largest offerings in the Cojonú catalog. This is a belicoso offering measuring 7 x 58. The cigars are packaged in 21-count boxes.

Appearance

The Ecuadorian Habano wrapper of the Tatuaje Cojonú 2021 was medium brown. The surface of the wrapper had a slight toothiness to it. In addition, there was a light sheen of oil on it. The wrapper had some visible veins and some visible wrapper seams. The belicoso tip was gently tapered from the base of the cigar.

PERFORMANCE

Pre-Light Draw

A straight cut was used to remove a portion of the belicoso tip. The cut was placed about halfway down from the tip to allow the tapering effect to leverage during the smoking phase. Once the tip was clipped, it was on to the pre-light draw stage. The cold draw delivered a combination of leather, cedar, and natural tobacco. At this point, it was time to toast up the footer of the Tatuaje Cojonú 2021 and move on to the smoking phase.

Tasting Notes

The Tatuaje Cojonú 2021 opened up with red pepper, cedar, earth, natural tobacco, and bing cherry notes. During the early stages of the cigar experience, the earth and bing cherry notes moved to the forefront. The natural tobacco, cedar, and red pepper settled into the background. The bing cherry receded as the cigar experience progressed through the first third, and the cedar flavors entered the forefront. Meanwhile, the retro-hale provided an additional layer of cedar.

The earth and cedar notes remained primary during the second third of the Tatuaje Cojonú 2021. Meanwhile, there was an increase in the red pepper notes. The red pepper, natural tobacco, and bing cherry notes remained secondary. Some pepper also mixed in with the retro-hale from time to time.

By the last third, the cedar took over as the primary note – displacing the earth. The red pepper notes are a prominent secondary note. Meanwhile, the natural tobacco and bing cherry notes continued to round things out. This is the way the Tatuaje Cojonú 2021 came to a close. The resulting nub was soft to the touch and cool in temperature.

Burn

Each of the samples of the Tatuaje Cojonú 2021 started out with a straight burn line and straight burn path, but on each of the samples, as the cigar moved past the first third, it required more touch-ups. The touch-ups did the trick to keep the burn on track, but the cigar required more touch-ups than desired. Meanwhile, the resulting ash had a silver-gray color. This was an ash that was very much on the firm side. Meanwhile, the burn rate and burn temperature were ideal.

Draw

Overall, the draw of the Tatuaje Cojonú 2021 performed excellently. There was a touch of resistance – which is something that I like. Sometimes, even a touch of resistance can be too much on a big cigar – but not in the case of the Tatuaje Cojonú 2021. There was a nice amount of smoke throughout the smoking experience.

Strength and Body

Regarding strength and body, the Tatuaje Cojonú 2021 delivered a medium to full smoking experience from start to finish. There wasn’t a tremendous amount of variance in the intensity levels of strength and body. At the same time, both the strength and body balanced each other very nicely, with neither attribute overpowering the other.

BANDING AND PACKAGING NOTES

The banding and box are pretty simple with the Tatuaje Cojonú 2021. Like most of the Tatuaje Cojonú releases with the Habano wrapper; it features the classic Tatuaje Brown label and a gold and black secondary band identifying the cigar as the Tatuaje Cojonú 2021. The cigars are packaged in a 21-count cabinet-style box. The simple packaging works quite effectively, as it always does with Tatuaje.

OVERALL ASSESSMENT

Final Thoughts

After talking to some folks who had smoked this cigar, I expected a very aggressive, power-bomb cigar. This wasn’t the case with the Tatuaje Cojonú 2021. This was still a cigar that delivered its share of boldness – coming in at a solid medium to full. As someone who appreciates a big ring gauge cigar, I was quite happy with the belicoso tip as it allowed me to not only experience tapering but not have a 58 ring guage in my mouth. In the end, the flavors were the deciding factor. I enjoyed the first two-thirds much more than I did the last. At $14.00, it’s not inexpensive, but you get a lot of cigar. Ultimately, I’m inclined to recommend trying a sample and seeing what you think.

Summary

Key Flavors: Earth, Cedar, Bing Cherry, Natural Tobacco, Red Pepper
Burn: Very Good
Draw: Excellent
Complexity: Medium
Strength: Medium to Full
Body: Medium to Full
Finish: Very Good