As you may know, the cigar world is full of experiments. Almost every cigar maker is trying out new things in search of a tasty smoke, a marketable novelty or gimmick that will sell, and perhaps a masterful innovation that will be the next big trend.
This time, it’s Pete Johnson’s turn in the lab, with the Tatuaje La Casita Criolla cigar; a cigar made with nothing but Connecticut Broadleaf.
The wrapper is Connecticut Broadleaf. The binder is Connecticut Broadleaf. The filler is Connecticut Broadleaf.
Yeah. Wait, what?
Yes, you read that right. There are no typos there. This is an all-CT Broadleaf cigar.
What possessed Mr. Johnson to do such a thing? In an interview, he described his philosophy. While flawless cigars have their place in the world, he has a great fondness for rustic, rough cigars and tobacco leaves – to some extent, the uglier the better. To him, perfect cigars sometimes look overly “manufactured.” Big veins? That’s just the character of the leaf. It’s ugly and beautiful at the same time.
There’s another funny note here. Mr. Johnson used to smoke classic cigars like Topper, Judge’s Cave, and Moneymaker, which advertised themselves as “100% Connecticut Broadleaf.” As it turns out, they didn’t mean that the cigar was all broadleaf, but that the broadleaf used was 100% real broadleaf. Confused? Us too. The label probably should have said, “Made with real CT broadleaf,” right? Mr. Johnson made the Tatuaje La Casita Criolla cigar in part as an homage these old cigars, but it was really something of a misunderstanding.
The flavors are, as you’d expect, broadleaf to the core: cedar, nuts, cocoa, and potent sweetness.
Mr. Johnson reports that tobacco farmers now experiment with growing broadleaf everywhere (including Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic, and elsewhere), but it’s not the same. As Pete Johnson says, “Connecticut is special.”
If you agree, please browse our selection of Tatuaje La Casita Criolla cigars at your leisure.
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