New Cigars From Tatuaje’s L’Atelier and Surrogates Brands
This week, Tatuaje Cigars is shipping two new limited editions from its subsidiary brands, L’Atelier and Surrogates. The first, L’Atelier Côte d’Or, returns to market after a lengthy absence in a new size. The second, Surrogates Backline, is the first in the new Amp Series, a brand intended to evoke the sonic signature of specific guitar amps through its blend.
Translating to “gold coast” in French, Côte d’Or debuted in 2015. This year’s release features the same blend: Nicaraguan tobacco under a dark, Ecuadoran wrapper the company refers to as Sancti Spiritus. Part of the filler blend incorporates a rare tobacco known as Pelo d’Oro, grown by the Garcia family in Nicaragua. It’s prized by cigarmakers for its flavor, but its susceptibility to disease results in low yields and is rarely used in large quantities. According to the company, this is a medium-bodied cigar.
The new Côte d’Or 2019 measures 6 inches by 50 ring gauge and retails for $18. While previous editions were named after the year of release, the 2019 in this cigar’s name does not refer to the year it was rolled. Rather, it’s the year the company intended to release it (other more immediate projects caused delays).
Production is limited to 1,500 boxes of 10.
There’s always been a rock ‘n’ roll sensibility to Tatuaje and the company is turning the volume dial “to 11” with Backline. Surrogates brand manager Dan Welsh conceived the idea when changing the vacuum tubes in his guitar amp at home and noticed that the tops of the tubes (also known as valves) bore a resemblance to the fuma-style head that the company sometimes uses.
Backline is available in two sizes, EL454, measuring 4 by 54 ($9.50); and EL554, 5 by 54 ($10). In addition to the pointy head, the cigars were also made with an exposed foot that somewhat resembles the pronged bottom of a vacuum tube. The two sizes were chosen to represent the two different types of tubes (preamp and power) that are found in a valve-powered amp. On paper, the blend is the same—an Ecuador Habano Rosado wrapper atop a mix of Nicaraguan filler—but the EL554’s wrapper is a bit darker as it’s the next higher priming on the tobacco plant.
According to Welsh, the blend is not only medium-to-full in body, but also reminded him of “a certain amp tone that had a lot of midrange and a little grit.” Next year’s release will feature a different blend to reference another guitar amp.
Production is limited to 1,000 boxes containing 10 of both sizes.
Both L’Atelier and Surrogates are made in Nicaragua at My Father Cigars S.A.
