PCA 2025: Tatuaje Cigars - 22 Minutes with Pete Johnson

We conclude our coverage of the 2025 Premium Cigar Association (PCA) Trade Show with a visit to Pete Johnson of Tatuaje Cigars. As always, Pete took this opportunity to unveil most of his upcoming releases for the year. This year, the Coalition team had a mantra of #lesswrapperbinderfiller, which resonated throughout many of our interviews, including this one. While we do touch on some of the new products, Pete shares a wealth of insights, particularly regarding the industry and the Trade Show itself. To wrap things up, Bear Duplisea presented Pete with the El Oso Fumar Takes #1 Cigar of the Year award. We hope you enjoy this packed “22 Minutes with Pete Johnson.”

Corojo

A few years ago, Pete Johnson launched the Tuxtla series, where he wanted to see how many of his blends would perform by substituting the wrapper of those cigars with a Mexican San Andres wrapper. Now, he is doing something similar, but this time he is using Nicaraguan Corojo wrappers grown by the Garcia family.

Corojo wrapper has a special significance for Pete, as it was the choice for the earliest Tatuaje cigars. The current wrappers Johnson is using are mid-priming, in contrast to the higher-priming ones he preferred in the past. Johnson says he plans to revisit those high-priming wrappers in the future. This year, four well-loved Tatuaje cigars will feature the Corojo treatment.

Tatuaje T110 Corojo

Tatuaje T110 Corojo marks the fifth iteration of the popular Tatuaje T110 blend. A few years back, Johnson reintroduced the original T110 Habano blend and launched three other variants: Reserva (Broadleaf), Capa Especial (Sumatra), and Tuxlta (San Andres). Now, he is releasing the T110 Corojo. Johnson explains that the Corojo wrapper enhances the cigar by softening the robust power typically associated with the T110 blend, resulting in a creamier profile. Like its predecessors, this new release features a 4 3/8 x 52 size and comes in 25-count boxes as a limited edition run.

Tatuaje Avion 13 Corojo

The Avion 13 is also getting a Corojo wrapper. This is based on the Avion 13, which is a 6 7/8 x 52 box-pressed perfecto. There is a lineage from Avion to T110. Tatuaje’s Fausto blend is based on the T110, and the Avion line is a box-pressed variant of the Fausto blend. The Avion 13 Corojo is available in 25-count boxes and is also a limited release.

Tatuaje Cohete Corojo

The Tatuaje Cohete was a 4 x 50 petite robusto with a Habano wrapper released as an exclusive offering to Tower Pipes and Cigars in Sacramento, California. In 2022, Tatuaje announced that it would bring back the Tatuaje Cohete for a limited run, releasing it with two additional wrapper options: Reserva (Broadleaf) and Capa Especial (Sumatra). Now Cohete returns for a limited run, but his time gets the Corojo treatment. Tatuaje Cohete Corojo comes in 25 boxes.

Tatuaje 7th

Finally, the 5 5/8 x 46 Tatuaje 7th gets a Corojo release. It’s packaged in 21-count boxes, and the price is $9.50 per cigar. The difference with this Corojo release is that it will be a regular production release.

7th Tuxtla

In addition to the 7th Corojo, the 7th Tuxtla is also returning – this time as an ongoing part of Tatuaje Cigars’ lineup. A Mexican San Andres wrapper highlights the Tuxtla releases. The 7th Tuxtla made its debut in 2022 as a limited edition offering. Now it returns as an ongoing part of the Tatuaje Cigars’ lineup. With the Corojo and Tuxtla, there are now five different wrapper options on the 7th (Ecuadorian Habano, Connecticut Broadleaf, Ecuadorian Sumatra, San Andres, Corojo). Consistent with the other Tatuaje 7th cigars, the Tuxtla comes in 21-count boxes. Pricing is $9.50 per cigar.

Fausto

Prior to PCA 2025, Tatuaje announced two line extensions to its Fausto line: FT110 and FT187. Fausto is a line that Tatuaje launched in 2011 (and Avion is a sister perfecto line brand with the same blend), which is actually derived from the original Tatuaje T110. Both new sizes are 60-ring gauges and come in 12-count boxes. The FT110 measures 4 3/8 x 60 (SRP $11.00). Meanwhile, the FT187 measures 7 3/8 x 60 (SRP $13.00). The 110 and 187 refer to the length of the cigar in millimeters.

These cigars are available in 12-count boxes and have already been shipped to retailers.

L’Atelier Côte d’Or

Once again, the release under the L’Atelier brand is the new size under the L’Atelier Côte d’Or Edición Limitee. This year it’s a 6 x 50 Toro that comes in ten-count boxes. The L’Atelier Côte d’Or features a Sancti Spiritus wrapper and half a leaf of Pelo d’Oro in the filler. Pete Johnson informed the Cigar Coop Coalition that this cigar is expected to ship mid-year.

Surrogates Back Line

This year, Surrogates is introducing a new project called Back Line. This project was inspired by brand owner Dan Welsh’s love of electric guitars.

Back Line has a package that is designed like a popular amplifier (in this case, Fender). The name Back Line refers to the amplifiers that are used backstage. The cigars packaged inside the box are meant to represent the amp tubes inside the amplifier. Each cigar features a fuma (nipple cap) and a shaggy footer (representing the amp plugs), making the cigar itself reminiscent of the actual tube.

There are 20 cigars in each box: ten EL454 (4 x 54) and ten EL554 (5 x 54). The EL454 represents a preamp (used to boost sound), while the EL554 represents a power amp (a preamp strengthens your guitar’s weak output signal to line level; a power amp boosts that line level signal even further). Both feature the same blend: Ecuadorian Habano wrapper over Nicaraguan tobaccos, but the EL554 has a darker wrapper.

There are plans for more Back Line releases in the future to represent other amps.

PCA 2025 Exclusive

Once again, Tatuaje will be releasing another installment of its PCA Exclusive Series. The difference is that while the previous editions of the PCA Exclusive Series featured a Capa Especial (Sumatra) wrapper, the PCA 2025 Exclusive features a Corojo wrapper. In terms of a timetable for a release, Pete Johnson says not to expect that until early 2026.

Tatuaje 8-9-8

While this cigar was on display, Pete Johnson wasn’t saying much about it. We do know that it’s a cigar he’s making out of El Rey de los Habanos in Miami, and that it’s a Lonsdale.

Sextooth

Sextooth is the stage name of a musician friend of Pete Johnson. On the 2025 Prime Time Virtual Trade Expo, Pete mentioned that a project with this cigar name was forthcoming. Some of the project’s imagery was displayed on the booth, but Pete said the packaging was not ready in time for the show. Pete described this as a budget “poor man’s musician” cigar, but no other details were released.