Tatuaje Cojonú 2015

The Tatuaje Cojonú 2015 is a cigar that entered the market in 2022. The story of the Cojonu goes back to the early days of Tatuaje. The Cojonú is intended to be a bolder, spicier version of the Tatuaje Selección de Cazador (a.k.a. Brown Label). Cojonú is a play on the Spanish word cojones – which means balls. The Cojonú series was intended to be a triennial release, with each release introducing a different vitola into the series. Starting with the Cojonú 2003 release, there was a release every three years until 2012. In 2012, Pete Johnson would put the Cojonú series on hold. In 2021, Johnson decided to relaunch the Cojonú series and released the Tatuaje Cojonú 2021. This led to the Cojonú 2015 being released in 2022, and then the Cojonú 2018 was released in 2023 to fill in the missing years. Today, we take a closer look at the Tatuaje Cojonú 2015.

The Tatuaje Cojonu Series

For completeness, here is a look at the Tatuaje Cojonu Series, the year each vitola 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 2015 and see what this cigar brings to the table.

Tatuaje Cojonú 2015 Cigar Review

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, the Tatuaje Cojonú 2015 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 2015 comes in one size – a 5 x 55 Robusto. The cigars are packaged in 21-count boxes.

Appearance

The Habano wrapper of the Tatuaje Cojonú 2015 had that Colorado Maduro look – the deep reddish brown color. On the wrapper’s surface, some mottling and some oils were present. There were some visible veins. As for wrapper seams, the darker color of the wrapper did a good job at minimizing the visibility of them.

PERFORMANCE

Pre-Light Draw

A straight cut was used to remove the cap of the Tatuaje Cojonú 2015. Once the cap was removed, I proceeded with the pre-light draw. The cold draw delivered a mix of coffee beans, earth, cedar, and fruit. Overall, this was a satisfactory pre-light draw. At this point, it was time to toast up the footer of the Tatuaje Cojonú 2015 and see what the smoking experience would have in store.

Tasting Notes

The Tatuaje Cojonú 2015 opened up with more earth notes, fruit, coffee beans, cedar, and baker’s spice. Early on in the earth, fruit notes moved into the forefront. At the same time, the coffee bean, cedar, and baker’s spice receded. Meanwhile, on the retro-hale, there was an additional layer of cedar as well as some notes of white pepper.

Moving into the second third of the Tatuaje Cojonú 2015, some natural tobacco notes mixed in with the fruit and the earth. The natural tobacco notes became more prominent as the cigar progressed through the second third and the white pepper notes surfaced with the background notes. By the second half, the natural tobacco pushed the fruit into the background.

The final third saw the natural tobacco and earth notes in the forefront. In the background the cedar emerged as the most prominent secondary note. There were still notes of coffee beans, white pepper, and baker’s spice. This is the way the Tatuaje Cojonú 2015 came to a close. The cigar finished with a nub that was soft to the touch and cool in temperature.

Burn

The burn of the Tatuaje Cojonu 2015 required numerous touch-ups to keep a relatively straight burn line and path. The touch-ups did the trick, but this cigar required more touch-ups than I liked. The resulting ash was on the firm side and silver-gray. The burn rate and burn temperature both maintained ideal levels.

Draw

The draw of the Tatuaje Cojonu 2015 was inconsistent. I smoked three samples for this assessment. Two of the samples had a more open draw than I would have preferred. The third had one tighter than I like. If you have read my assessments, I prefer a draw with a touch of resistance. While none of the three draws were terrible, they were all off my sweet spot mark.

Strength and Body

In terms of strength, the Tatuaje Cojonu 2015 started out medium, and while there was a slight increase along the way, it stayed medium for the duration of the smoking experience. The body of the flavors also started out medium-bodied, but they increased in intensity at a higher rate than the strength. The Tatuaje Cojonu 2015 produced medium to full-bodied flavors by the second third. The body maintained the edge from start to finish when looking at strength versus body. That gap grew in favor of the body as the cigar experience progressed.

BANDING AND PACKAGING NOTES

My thoughts on the banding and the box for the Tatuaje Cojonú 2015 echo the notes when the Cojonú 2021 was assessed.

<blockquote>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 2015. The cigars are packaged in a 21-count cabinet-style box. The simple packaging works quite effectively, as it always does with Tatuaje.</blockquote>

OVERALL ASSESSMENT

Final Thoughts

The Tatuaje Cojonú 2015 delivered a flavorful smoking experience – especially in the first third. I also found the Cojonú delivered a decent amount of complexity along the way. The first third was the best segment of the smoking experience, but the remaining two-thirds were still enjoyable, and the complexity kept me interested. In terms of boldness, I didn’t find the Cojonú 2015 to be a nicotine bomb, but the body exhibited some boldness. In the end, this is a cigar I’d recommend to a seasoned cigar enthusiast, but would not discourage a novice from trying. As for myself, this is a cigar I would buy and smoke again.

Summary

Key Flavors: Earth, Fruit, Natural Tobacco, Coffee Bean, Cedar, Baker’s Spice, Pepper
Burn: Very Good
Draw: Very Good
Complexity: Medium to High
Strength: Medium
Body: Medium (1st Third), Medium to Full (Remainder)
Finish: Very Good