Tatuaje Reserva RL22

Today, we review the Tatuaje 20th Anniversary Reserva RL22. In 2023, My Father Cigars and Tatuaje Cigars celebrated the 20th anniversary of their respective companies. Over that time, the companies have shared a tight connection. My Father Cigars’s Garcia family has produced Pete Johnson’s Tatuaje Cigar from the beginning. The two companies recently came together for a collaborative project called La Union.

On top of that, both My Father and Tatuaje Cigars produced individual anniversary releases for each other’s companies. In the case of Tatuaje, we first saw a pair of Tatuaje 20th Anniversary Cigars showcased at the 2023 Premium Cigar Association (PCA) Trade Show. Later, in 2023, a second pair of cigars was introduced. One cigar from the second pair was the Tatuaje Reserva RL22.

The two Tatuaje 20th cigars first introduced at PCA were the Grand Mereville and Grand Chasseur. These cigars are regular cigars produced in Nicaragua. The other two cigars are the Reserva RL 22 and the Escasos EL22. The differentiating fact is that the Escasos EL 22 and Reserva EL 22 come out of the U.S. at Garcia’s old El Rey de los Habanos factory. Both the EReserva RL 22 and the Escasos EL22 are limited-edition cigars. These cigars were rolled in 2021 in Miami and have been aging in boxes since 2022.

Tatuaje Reserva RL22 (Top) and Tatuaje Escasos EL 22 (Bottom)

Without further ado, let’s turn our attention to the Reserva RL22 and see what this cigar offers.

Tatuaje 20th Anniversary Reserva RL22 – Cigar Review

SPECIFICATIONS

Blend and Origin

The Reserva RL22 is highlighted by an Ecuadorian Habano Maduro wrapper over all Nicaraguan tobaccos.

Wrapper: Habano Ecuador Maduro
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Country of Origin: United States
Factory: El Rey de los Habanos

Vitolas Offered

The Tatuaje 20th Anniversary Reserva RL22 is a 5 1/2 x 42 Corona. The cigars are presented in a 25-count cabinet box, and production was limited to 1,000 boxes.

Appearance (*)

The Ecuadorian Habano Maduro wrapper of the Reserva RL22 was roasted coffee bean in color. There wasn’t much oil on the surface, but there was some toothiness present. The wrapper had a slightly rugged look. There were some visible veins and wrapper seams present on the surface. Finally, the footer of the Reserva RL22 was covered.

PERFORMANCE

Pre-Light Draw (*)

Before lighting up the Reserva RL22, a straight cut was used to remove the cap. After the cap was clipped, it was on to the pre-light draw experience. Despite the closed footer, I got a good pre-light draw. The cold draw had notes of earth, coffee, and some light spices. Overall, this was an excellent pre-light draw experience. At this point, it was time to toast up the Reserva RL22 and see what the smoking experience would have in store.

Tasting Notes

The Reserva RL22 opened with notes of coffee, earth, fruit sweetness, and cream. Very quickly, the coffee notes morphed into a mocha note—which I describe as a fusion of coffee and chocolate. The mocha notes moved into the forefront. The earth, fruit, and cream notes settled in the background and were quickly joined by some black pepper notes. Meanwhile, the retro-hale produced a combination of fruit and pepper.

As the Reserva RL22 moved through the second third, the mocha notes remained the primary note. During this stage of the smoking experience, the mocha notes became richer and even more dominant. The earth and fruit notes remained secondary. There was a slight decrease in the creaminess, while there was a slight increase in the pepper notes on both the tongue and retro-hale.

The final third saw the mocha note still present but leaned more toward the coffee component. There was more in the way of pepper in this third, but it was a secondary note and was not overpowering. Meanwhile, residual notes of fruit, earth, and cream were present. This is how the Reserva RL22 came to a close. The resulting nub was firm to the touch and cool in temperature.

Burn

The burn of the Reserva RL22 performed excellently. This cigar had no problem maintaining a straight burn path and a relatively straight burn line. There wasn’t much in the way of touch-ups needed. The resulting ash was skewed toward the firmer side. It was silver-gray. As for the burn rate and burn temperature, both maintained ideal levels.

Burn of the Tatuaje Reserva RL22

Draw

The draw of the Reserva RL22 also performed excellently. This was a cigar that had a touch of resistance – and it made for an ideal draw in my book. At the same time, this was a low-maintenance cigar from which to derive flavor. The Reserva RL22 also produced a decent amount of smoke.

Strength and Body

The Reserva RL22 opened with medium to full strength and medium-bodied notes. During the smoking experience, the strength level did not vary much in intensity. As for the body, there was a slight increase in intensity along the way, but not enough to push the cigar out of the medium range of the spectrum.

In terms of strength versus body, the strength held a slight edge throughout the smoking experience.

BANDING AND PACKAGING NOTES (*)

The bands of the Reserva RL22 feature the brown Tatuaje primary band and the gold and black secondary Reserva band. The packaging is a 25-count cabinet box. One note is that the 25 cigars are packaged in gold foil. While the foil certainly plays a role in the aging process, I like how it contributes to the look of this packaging.

OVERALL ASSESSMENT

Final Thoughts

The Reserva RL22 was an excellent cigar. While I didn’t find it overly complex, the flavors it delivered were spot on. This was also an extremely well-balanced cigar —not too spicy and not too sweet. The 5 1/2 x 42 format worked extremely well in this blend. Finally, I smoked this cigar several times in 2024, and it seemed to get better with age.

The Reserva RL22 is a cigar I would recommend to a more seasoned cigar enthusiast, but I would also recommend it to a novice looking to “graduate” to something stronger. As for myself, I would smoke it again and buy multiples of it. At 90 points, the Tatuaje Reserva RL22 earns a Cigar Coop Standard of Excellence designation.

Summary

Key Flavors: Mocha (Coffee, Chocolate), Fruit, Earth, Cream, Pepper
Burn: Excellent
Draw: Excellent
Complexity: Medium Minus
Strength: Medium to Full
Body: Medium
Finish: Very Good