If you ever wanted to know what a Cuban cigar tastes like without actually smoking a Cuban cigar, this is your answer. This is Tatuaje's Brown Label.

[Tyler Caldwell]: Why don't you inform the people today what we're smoking on?

[Alan Britt]: This is the Tatuaje Brown Label in the Havana Cazadores size, which is a Lonsdale. It's a personal favorite of most, if not all of us, at Smokingpipes.

[TC]: Absolutely.

[AB]: I figured I'd give us both a treat and we'd go with this size this morning.

[TC]: The Brown Label has the brown label on it, which is what it's iconically known for, but technically it is part of the Tatuaje Cabinet series. This is the line from Tatuaje that kind of started it all.

The OG Tatuaje Release

[AB]: This was the original Tatuaje release in 2003, made at the historic El Rey de los Habanos factory in Miami, which was the starting point of what we know today as My Father cigars.

[TC]: And Tatuaje has a very deep, rich history in the cigar industry. Pete Johnson, the creator and owner of it, has a very interesting story. He's been involved in the industry since the early '90s, which is crazy to think about how long ago that was.

He connected with Pepin to create the Tatuaje line and it really started with the Seleccion de Cazador, which was a Robusto and the original size that they don't even create anymore. But that was the first Tatuaje to actually come out. Very small select amounts that were actually made. And it's just been a glorious history for Tatuaje ever since.

[AB]: Pete was an OG, for lack of a better term, of boutique cigar making when you think about the heavy hitters, or at least ones that come to mind for me — Matt Booth, Jon Huber, and Jonathan Drew. I think Pete was the first one to really put a focus on making great cigars in small quantities and just putting the product before sales. Boutique as we call it now.

[TC]: And boutique is a very common word in today's terms of the industry. But to me, and probably a lot of people who are a fan of Tatuaje, would admit that Tatuaje is really what created boutique.

Up until Tatuaje was created, you're coming from the tail end of the cigar boom of the '90s, and cigars were very synonymous with celebrations and everyday smoking and things like that, and cigars were just all the same. With Tatuaje, he really wanted to create something different. But Pete had a love for Cuban tobacco. That's what he smoked all the time. He was in and outta working at very famous cigar shops out in California. And he wanted to create something that was going to give you that Cuban experience without actually being Cuban.

[AB]: I think he nails that to this day. The Brown Label is reminiscent of famous Cuban cigars like Montecristo, especially the more fuller-bodied Cuban offerings. If you've ever smoked milder Cuban cigars, I'd even put Cohiba in that frame, where it's more floral than spice. This is definitely on the Montecristo, the Hoyo de Monterrey side of things, but it's just rich and woodsy. It's got a really nice baking spice, which I think is, for me, the first thing that comes to mind when I think of that fuller-bodied Cuban profile.

[TC]: When I think of the Cuban profile, I would probably lean more toward Dominican Honduran. To be able to get that profile with Nicaraguan tobacco is very much a touch of art right there.

Tatuaje Brown Label Characteristics

[AB]: This cigar is comprised of Nicaraguan binder and filler, much like many Tatuaje cigars, and wrapped in an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper.

[TC]: The flavor on this is incredible. When you hear about the blend, you know there's not a lot of information about it. But it also goes into how unique the flavor is, compiling tobaccos that are also used in a lot of other cigars. The flavor is absolutely incredible. I'm actually very impressed with the construction.

[AB]: Yeah, mine's burning great. When I took this out of the box, the first thing I noticed was the appearance of the wrapper. While it's not the smoothest wrapper — it's veiny — it has this beautiful sheen to it that I think really speaks to the quality of the wrapper they're using on this.

[TC]: For sure. And I agree with you. The wrapper to me is actually quite beautiful. Going along with your thing with the sheen, especially under the lighting that we're in now, the oiliness of this wrapper really speaks to the flavor and thickness of the smoke. The construction on it is just killer. What are you thinking about this flavor-wise?

[AB]: It's unique. The first word that comes to mind is rich. It's full in flavor and body. There's a loaminess to it, like an earthy quality, but it's also slightly floral. There's a good amount of spice and a slight sweetness. I'm struggling to put into words what exactly I'm loving about this so much. Man, it is just balanced. It's just great.

[TC]: I think balance is a great word for it. To me, there's something familiar about it and it's not like it reminds me of something else. It's more like the feeling of what I want from a cigar. It's exactly what I wanted at this moment right now. And if I like it right now, I know it's gonna be something I will enjoy again. I have to say there is a very pleasurable sweet creaminess on the retrohale that really intensifies more of the thickness and the richness of the body that comes from it as well.

[AB]: It's almost like powdered sugar.

[TC]: Yes. I feel like I just ate a powdered sugar donut. That's a great comparison there. The sweetness and creaminess really stands out to me. There's a little bit of praline nuttiness to go with it. I don't get pepper, but I get spice. When you touch on baking spice like that, I think that really nails it for me also.

[AB]: I think it's just the perfect embodiment of that old-world-style cigar. When I think of new-age cigars, I think full bodied, but not in this way, full bodied on the darker side of things.

[TC]: There's a heaviness to it.

[AB]: To me, it is full flavored while remaining balanced, which I think is difficult to achieve. But the team at Tatuaje, and Don Pepin's team, are just amazing at that, not only for Tatuaje's stuff, but all the cigars they make in general.

[TC]: Absolutely. I'm glad you touched on body. I can only speak for myself, but on a body level, I would definitely put this in the full-bodied range. As for strength, I could see someone who doesn't smoke as much as I do...

[AB]: So most of the population.

[TC]: Most of the population, I'm unique in that standpoint. I could see a strength level being full, like this wouldn't be necessarily something for you to smoke first thing in the morning, but I would still put it at a medium, medium plus at best.

[AB]: Yeah, I'm right there in that same boat. I think a medium plus, which is kind of what I prefer. I like a full-flavored, full-bodied cigar that doesn't really knock me around with nicotine strength.

Excellent Starting Place with Tatuaje Cigars

If you're somebody who's looking to get into Tatuaje — and their portfolio is super diverse, it can be intimidating — I think the Brown Label is the perfect place to start. It's where it all originated. It's a great example of what Tatuaje can do blend-wise. And it's also just delicious.

[TC]: Yeah. I think for anyone out there who is familiar with the taste of Cuban tobacco, this is gonna fall right into your wheelhouse. If you do not have access to Cuban cigars and you've always wanted to try something that's Cubanesque, this is gonna hit your palate perfectly and it's gonna give you a great understanding of that profile.

[AB]: Like we said before, we are smoking the Havana Cazadores, which is the Lonsdale. We carry the entire range of Tatuaje Brown Label on-site.

[TC]: Absolutely. Hit that Brown Label tag and don't be afraid to check out the other offerings in their portfolio. Tatuaje, to me, makes something for everyone. Whether you want a mild, light, morning-style smoke, or if you want something darker, heavier, after-dinner, nightcap-style smoke, there's something for everybody.