Ten or so years ago, Tatuaje’s Pete Johnson partnered up with his brother KC Johnson and his friend Dan Welsh to create a new cigar line called L’atelier. Because if you’re Pete Johnson, why wouldn’t you have a great time making new cigars with your brother and friends? Must be nice! The original L’atelier (which means ‘workshop’) was a hit, scoring a 94 in Cigar Aficionado. And in 2013 they added to the line with this cigar, the Selection Speciale. They used the same components as the original, but for the wrapper they used a higher priming. Primings refer to the vertical position of the leaves on a plant, meaning that these wrappers came from higher up on the plant, which, generally, are considered to be stronger and smaller leaves than the lower leaves. The result was a more full-bodied, slightly more intense experience. (Not to get too much in the weeds here, but these cigars use a special wrapper grown by the famed Oliva Tobacco Company using a seed from My Father Cigars. They called it ‘Sancti Spiritus’.) And last summer they added three new sizes to the line, including this size, the LAT 54. “The higher priming of Sancti Spiritus really shines on the three original vitolas,” said Johnson. “We decided after 8 years it was time to revamp the sizes and the bands on both the original and Selection Speciale to accent the new additions.” Like Tatuajes, these are made in the My Father factory in Esteli, Nicaragua. We mostly agree with Halfwheel’s review, though not as intensely. The first half of the smoke is definitely superior to the second half, though the second half still has plenty to offer. The smoke begins with spice and cocoa, and creaminess, espresso and pepper notes come and go. The second half mellows and starts to have an occasional burn issues. I think the occasional re-lights muddle the flavors a bit, though it’s still very enjoyable. This isn’t a perfect cigar by any means, but certainly delicious. I doubt too many people will make this their go-to cigar, but a great option to save some up as an occasional after-dinner treat.
