The Good Stuff:

The Tatuaje Negociant is the first real collaborative release between cigar powerhouses Tatuaje and L’atelier. While Tatuaje is ran by Pete Johnson, Pete also worked with his brother K.C., Dan Welsh, and Sean “Casper” Johnson to form L’atelier. While the companies use similar factories and sale representatives, until the Negociant they never had a true collaborative effort. The term “Negociant” comes from a winemaking term which describes someone who takes grapes from other farmers, and then turns around and makes their own wine with said materials. The Negociant starts with an Ecuadorian Shade wrapper, dual Mexican and Nicaraguan Binder, over all Nicaraguan fillers produced at the My Father factory in Nicaragua. The Negociant comes in 3 sizes: Monopole 1 (5 x 52), Monopole 2 (5.75 x 52 belicoso), and the Monopole 3 (6.25 x 48). The cigars come packaged in boxes of 25 running between $10 – $12 a stick. I purchased mine over from our friends at Ford on Fifth.

Size: 6.25 x 48
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Shade
Binder: Mexican and Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Body: Medium/full
Strength: Medium
Price: $12
Pairing: La Cumbre Fievre D’ Abricot (Saison 7.5% ABV)

Prelight:

The Tatuaje Negociant starts out with a very mild, yellowish, light brown wrapper which is incredibly consistent in color. The texture on the wrapper is very smooth and silky with a decent amount of oils and almost no toothiness. The wrapper feels very thin and delicate as the cigar feels a bit soft as I squeeze it between my fingers. The wrapper is laid so seamlessly over itself its hard to find exactly where it begins and ends. There are only very mild, slim, short veins located in only a few places on the cigar’s long body as it leads up to the cigar’s round double wrap cap. The cigar is then polished off with a white, black, and gold version of the iconic Tatuaje band we have all grown to love.

The wrapper on The Tatuaje Negociant gives off some light honey, cedar, and grass aromas while the foot of the cigar is much more bold letting loose a ton of spice, tartness, musk, and natural tobacco aromas. The cap cut clean and easily using my Xikar XO double bladed cutter. The cold draw releases some nice musk, cashew, grass, and spice flavors.

First Third:

The Tatuaje Negociant led off with a huge blast of black pepper which quickly faded into deep cedar, cashew, musk, citrus, bold spice, tartness, and some slight saltiness on my lips. I was not expecting the cigar to start off as bold as it did. The draw is perfect as each little puff kicks out just the right amount of thick, white smoke which quickly dissipates while the cigar releases very little stationary smoke as it rests in my ashtray. The burn line is a bit wide, but dead even leaving behind a trail of semi-compacted dark gray ash which tumbled into my ashtray about an inch in.

Second Third:

Into the second third of The Tatuaje Negociant and the flavors haven’t changed up much at all. And that’s not a bad thing. The cigar leads with heavy cedar, cashew, and musk backed by citrus, tartness, salt, and spice. The retrohale brings more of the spice to the front of the smoke with the addition of the pepper I picked up early into the smoke. The cigar is still burning perfectly while I close out the second without anything in the nicotine department.

Finish:

The flavors in The Tatuaje Negociant are well into the medium/full range now as I venture into the final third. Lead by a real strong cedar and musk backed by citrus, tartness, and some slight pine the flavor profile is really fantastic. It’s not often that a shade cigar produced this much flavor. It took me about an hour and forty five minutes to take this cigar down to the nub. I experienced no harshness nor extended heat. I actually used the nubber on my newly acquired redeemer (Thanks Jason!) to take this bad boy down as far as I could go. I closed out the cigar with only the tiniest bit of nicotine kick.

Overview:

It’s not often that I find shade wrapper cigars venture into the medium/full arena and whenever I do it seems those cigars become the basis in which I compare all shade wrapped cigars on. The Tatuaje Negociant did just that. It’s bold, flavorful, and burns like a dream yet still holds onto what a true shade wrapped cigar is meant to be. Easy smoking, and rock solid. This is a cigar I could find myself going to again and again. I could easily smoke it after a cup of coffee in the early afternoon or even after a decent dinner. Another box-worthy addition to my everyday rotation. On a side note, this is very different then pretty much any other cigar in Tatuaje’s portfolio.

Pairing:

La Cumbre’s Fievre D’ Abricot is a 7.5% Apricot based Saison brewed at the La Cumbre brewery in Albuquerque, New Mexico. La Cumbre is a brewery I always make time to visit at least once a year and is in my opinion one of, if not the best brewery in New Mexico. The Fievre D’ Apricot leads with some sour tartness, lots of ripe apricot, sweetness, slight funk, and great citrus backings with a very light mouthfeel before finishing crisp with more sweet apricot, sour tartness, prune, and funk. It’s not a very complex beer, but it doesn’t need to be. I’ve always enjoyed pairing fruit beers with shade wrapped cigars and this was another great example of that pairing gone right. The apricot added to the citrus flavors found in the cigar while the beer helped add a bit of the missing sweetness to the mix. The Tatuaje Negociant added a layer of cedar and wood to the beer and the outcome was perfect.

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L’Atelier Imports is a company co-founded by Pete Johnson along with Dan Welsh (New Havana Cigars), K. C. Johnson, and Sean “Casper” Johnson.   The partnership produces the vaunted L’Atelier flagship line, Selection Speciale, and Maduro, as well as the Surrogates and budget oriented El Suelo and Trocadero lines.  The Extension de la Racine ER 13 was released at the 2013 IPCPR trade show and reportedly would be limited to those retailers placing orders at the show.  This line is said to be an annual release, with each year introducing a different vitola.  As can be inferred, “ER 13” refers to the Extension de la Racine 2013 version.  With the unveiling of the ER 14 at this year’s show and recent shipments to retailers, I figured I’d better get this review in before it becomes irrelevant.

The L’Atelier Extension de la Racine (French for “extension of the root”) refers to this cigar being a derivative of the flagship line.  While researching the components of the cigar, I came across a confusing variety of information as to its makeup.  Some sites say that it is all Nicaraguan, but since it utilizes the Sancti Spiritus tobacco, that would not seem to be correct, as that tobacco is grown in Ecuador, at least as far as I know.  Since the L’Atelier website doesn’t list the Extension de la Racine, it’s difficult to be precise on this, so I’m just going to go with what I think makes sense.  So what I’m seeing is that the filler is a combination of Nicaraguan and Sancti Spiritus, the binder is a double layer of Sancti Spiritus, and the wrapper is a Nicaraguan Sun Grown Criollo.  It comes in a single size, that being a 5.875”x52 toro type size called a cañonazo, and is manufactured at the Pepin family’s My Father factory in Nicaragua.

Wrapper:  Nicaraguan Sun Grown Criollo
Binder:  Double binder – Sancti Spiritus
Filler:  Nicaraguan and Sancti Spiritus
Size:  5.875 x 52
Price:  $9.25
Smoke time:  1 hour, 40 minutes
Pairing:  Fort George Brewery North VII (North the Seventh)

Pre-light:

*Note:  Yes, the photo with the green paper background is a different cigar than the one being reviewed.  Being a forgetful old fart, I neglected to take a shot of it by itself and had to hurriedly shoot another one that I had in my humidor.

The L’Atelier Extension de la Racine ER13 comes draped in an oily, uniformly reddish brown wrapper, showing a few small to medium veins, a firm pack, and the signature neatly wound Pepin triple cap.  It is adorned with a striking band of candy apple red, gold, black, and pearl silver/gray which coordinates beautifully with the color of the wrapper.  Taking a sniff off the wrapper, I pick up cedar, leather, and a slight grassiness, while the foot mostly shows the cedar and tobacco.  After an easy cut, the slightly snug draw displays a light spice and (surprise!) cedar.

First third:

The cigar seems to want to take its own sweet time getting lit, but after a nice slow toasting, the first draws lead into an initial blast of cedar, sweet citrus, and Asian spices ( anise, coriander, and cardamom), along with a white pepper sharpness on the tongue.  Besides the cedar, the retrohale features a hint of leather and a lot of pepper sting.  The burn has started out a bit wavy and the gray/white ash looks to be compact. An inch in, the draw has opened up to a comfortable point, and the pepper has backed off considerably, leaving the cedar to lead the way, with the spice and fleeting glimpses of leather playing in the background.  The body is just at the point of medium at this point and there is no nicotine to be felt.  The burn has evened itself out and at 1 ½” the ash has taken a tumble into my lap, revealing a small tunnel that, fortunately, doesn’t seem to be affecting the performance or flavor of the cigar.

Middle third:

Getting into the second third of the ER13, the cedar has become very smooth and the leather has all but disappeared, while a savory, somewhat meaty component has emerged.  The pepper has returned on the retrohale along with a powdery sweetness.   The spice element, meanwhile, has morphed into more of a floral sensation, although I am somewhat saddened to have the Asian tinged facet fade.  These flavors weave in and out, providing a nice complexity to the smoke, while keeping the medium bodied experience going.

Final third:

The powdery sweetness in the retrohale has now moved to the draw of the ER 13, and while the smooth cedar continues to be a major factor of the smoke, it has stepped back to allow more of the floral spice to come through and the citrus tang remains in the mix.  The body has climbed above the medium mark to medium-full and there is now some nicotine strength showing, not a lot, but enough to let you know it’s there.  A spicy tingle on the tongue and lips, along with some charred toast (hmm, isn’t toast already charred?) has come into play with 1 ½” left, as the body and strength continue to push upward.  The ER 13 smokes absolutely cool all the way down to the last ¾”, coming to and end after one hour and forty minutes.

Overview:

A tasty and relaxing medium-full bodied smoke with low-medium strength – hell yes!  I have really enjoyed the several L’Atelier Extension de la Racines that I have smoked, with flavors that are certainly not run of the mill providing a good amount of complexity without pounding you over the head with them.  Construction was pretty much spot-on, with just one small correction required and no re-lights.  The price is entirely in line with a cigar of this quality, and even more so with the limited availability.  My only misgiving is that I only have a couple of them left, as I would love to revisit them in a year or so to see how they develop.  Fortunately, even as a limited edition smoke, there seems to be a few online purveyors, such as Smoke Inn and Bonita Smoke Shop, who still have them in stock at the time of this write up.  I will look forward to picking up some of the newly shipped ER 14 – supposedly the same blend in a different vitola (torpedo) – sometime in the near future.

Pairing:

The North VII by Fort George Brewery in Astoria, Oregon is a Belgian influenced Imperial IPA that has been aged in bourbon barrels and is a one-off release.  With an ABV of 9%, it noticeably displays its Belgian side, complementing, rather than overwhelming, its IPA base.  Pouring forth a full and smooth mouthfeel with a load of orange zest and grapefruit, herbs, fruity sweetness, and just a slight hit of vanillan oak, it finishes with IPA bitterness without going overboard with the pine.  This beer was a great foil for the flavors presented by the L’Atelier Extension de la Racine ER 13.  Be forewarned, however, if you happen to get a bottle of this great ale:  a slow and deliberate pour is required, as it will produce an amazingly huge head of foam if you are not careful!

This cigar seems to beg for a Belgian style brew; a light, elegant bourbon such as the standard Four Roses; or a fruity red wine like a Zinfandel, Australian Shiraz, or a Garnacha (Grenache) from Spain.

The post L’Atelier Imports – L’Atelier Extension de la Racine ER13 Guest Review appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

I picked up the bundle at newhavanacigars.com and it just happens that Dan Welsh, owner of New Havana Cigars LLC, is a co-owner of L’Atelier Imports. His site has this to say about the El Suelo:

Branded as “From the Makers and Creator of Tatuaje”, the offerings by L’Atelier Imports are all made by the Garcia Family and blended by Pete Johnson.  L’Atelier Imports was created in 2012 by Pete Johnson and industry friends Dan Welsh, K.C. Johnson and Sean “Casper” Johnson with goals to make premium cigars that are “Consumer Price Conscious” and to raise the expectations of cigar smokers at every level of experience.

El Suelo from L’Atelier Imports is being made at the Garcia’s other factory, Tacuba.  This “Budget Premium” brand is very exciting as it is Blended and Branded and are being made available at an insane price point of $3.75 – $4.75!  Created to raise the expectations of those who reach for sticks in this price range, you may find yourself thinking that you would love it just as much if it had a much higher price point.

The Facts

Price Paid: $76.99 for a Bundle of 20
Vitola: Prado – Belicoso
Size: 5 ¾ by 58
Wrapper: Ecuador Habano
Binder: Connecticut Broadleaf
Filler: Nicaragua and Connecticut Broadleaf
Pairding: Water
Smoke Time:  1 Hour and 25 Minutes

Pre-light

The band on the El Suelo Prado is very basic and Cubanesque, which I love. The company name, L’Atalier Imports, is stated nowhere on the band, but the back of the band contains the company’s tobacco leaf logo. There are some medium to large veins, and the wrapper seam is easily noticed.  Other than the larger veins being much lighter in color, the rest of the wrapper is a consistent brown with a reddish hue.  This is one rustic looking cigar.

As I feel up and down the cigar, I encounter no soft spots on this firmly rolled El Suelo.  The wrapper aroma is of cardboard, earth, and a slight hay.  The earth aroma off the fully packed foot is much more pronounced. Clipping the neatly applied cap reveals a decent draw with some resistance which I expected in this vitola.

First Third

Lighting this 58 ring gauge El Suelo took some time but my Zippo Z-plus! got the job done. The draw is snug requiring a firm pull before my mouths fills with smoke. Right away, I pick up on a familiar Nicaraguan pepper along with earth, dry cedar, and a bitter coffee.  The earth, almost in the dirt range, and bitter coffee begin to dominate the other flavors. The retrohale brings out flavors of pencil shavings and pepper with a spicy finish. The smoke is very light in the mouth.  The thick burn line is leaving behind a firmly packed, light grey ash.  The flavors are on the low side of medium and I am feeling absolutely no nicotine.

Middle Third

As I enter the second third, the ash is still holding strong without any evidence of falling off. Better safe than sorry, I knock off the ash well past an inch and a half.  The cigar has begun to cone, which means I am probably smoking this cigar a little too fast.   Spacing out my puffs, I notice a more balanced profile.  The profile contains notes of cedar, pepper, coffee (without the bitterness), earth and additional notes of cocoa.  The cocoa is not sweet but somewhat dusty in the mouth. The flavors have increased to a steady medium along with the strength.  The burn has become wavy, as well as the ash becoming quite flaky but still holding strong.

Final Third

The burn has been deviating off course, but, after a few minutes, arrives back in-line. So far, I have only had to ash the cigar twice.  Sweetness comes into play, along with cocoa becoming more full and lingering on the palate during the finish.  Along with an enjoyable coffee flavor, a black tea flavor has entered the flavor profile. As I approach the final inch, an astringent  tartness jumps in and out along with some bitterness. The retrohale delivers sharp pepper making it hard to push a large amount of smoke through my nasal passage.The smoke production has increased throughout the cigar.  Now a copious amount of smoke enters my mouth with each draw. Putting an end to the smoke, the flavors are at the high side of medium and strength in the medium range.

Wrap-up

The El Suelo delivered dark, earthy flavors throughout the cigar.  While the flavors were muddied in the first third, they really found their pace in the middle and final third.  It was nice to see some flavor change ups, especially in such a value priced cigar.  The construction was superior to a lot, and I mean a lot, of other value cigars I have smoked.  The El Suelo may be a great candidate for a long ash contest.  I have smoked close to half a bundle of these cigars and each one has been consistent and performed excellent.  If you enjoy dark flavors of earth, coffee, cedar, and pepper this may be a great everyday cigar for you to consider.

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