Casa DNC · Brand
Tatuaje cigars
Tatuaje is Pete Johnson's boundary-pushing Nicaraguan brand, rolled at the My Father factory in Estelí by the Garcia family since its 2003 debut.
- Founded
- 2003
- Origin
- Nicaragua
- Founder
- Pete Johnson
- Based in
- Los Angeles, California
Pete Johnson was a Los Angeles musician with an obsession for Cuban cigars when he cold-called José "Pepín" García in 2003. García agreed to make a small batch at his El Rey de los Habanos factory in Miami, and Tatuaje — Spanish for "tattoo" — was born. The brand moved production to García's purpose-built My Father Cigar Factory in Estelí, Nicaragua, where it has been made ever since under the hands of Pepín and his son Jaime.
The Brown Label, Tatuaje's original cabinet-style line, remains the brand's closest expression of the old-world Cuban aesthetic Johnson set out to replicate. The Havana VI, launched in 2006 as the brand's first Estelí-made cigar, added an Ecuadorian wrapper over Nicaraguan binder and filler and has become a long-running flagship; 2026 marks its twentieth anniversary. The Black Label line offers a fuller, more ligero-heavy profile for smokers who want more muscle.
Monster Series
Johnson's most talked-about project is the annual Monster Series, released each October since 2008. Each limited-edition release commemorates a classic horror-film creature in both name and packaging, and boxes sell out within hours of release. The series has made Tatuaje a cultural fixture well beyond the cigar trade, cementing Johnson's reputation as the most theatrical voice in the boutique cigar world.
Tatuaje remains independently owned. Johnson controls distribution tightly, sells through a curated network of brick-and-mortar retailers, and has resisted volume growth in favor of keeping blend consistency and allocation mystique intact.
Flagship lines
Tatuaje Brown Label · Tatuaje Havana VI · Tatuaje Black Label · Tatuaje Monster Series
The Tatuaje lineup
Tatuaje
FullTatuaje Black Label Corona Gorda
A 5 5/8 x 46 Corona Gorda in Tatuaje's full-bodied Black Label — an all-Nicaraguan Sun-Grown Criollo puro with black pepper, cocoa and earth. Pete Johnson's bold side.
Tatuaje
FullTatuaje Black Label Petit Lancero
The 6 x 38 Petit Lancero of Tatuaje's full-bodied Black Label — an all-Nicaraguan Sun-Grown Criollo puro with concentrated pepper, cocoa and cedar. A connoisseur's size.
Tatuaje
FullTatuaje Cojonu 2003
The Cojonu 2003, a thick 6 1/2 x 52 Toro from Tatuaje — a full-bodied Ecuadorian Habano blend over Nicaraguan tobacco with earth, coffee and cedar. A modern classic.
Tatuaje
Medium-FullTatuaje Cojonu 2006
The Cojonu 2006, a 5 1/2 x 52 Belicoso from Tatuaje — an Ecuadorian Habano blend over Nicaraguan tobacco with cocoa, leather and cedar. The second in the Cojonu series.
Tatuaje
FullTatuaje Cojonu 2009
The Cojonu 2009, a long 6 3/4 x 48 Toro from Tatuaje — a full-bodied Nicaraguan Corojo Ligero puro with black pepper, earth and cedar. The series' all-Nicaraguan entry.
Tatuaje
FullTatuaje Cojonu 2012 Habano
The Cojonu 2012 Habano, a 6 1/2 x 52 Toro from Tatuaje — a full-bodied Ecuadorian Habano blend over Nicaraguan tobacco with earth, pepper and cocoa. The fourth Cojonu.
Tatuaje
MediumTatuaje Havana VI Angeles
A 4 5/8 x 42 Petit Corona in Tatuaje's Havana VI line — a quick, bright Ecuadorian Habano smoke with cedar, cream and white pepper. Ideal for a short break.
Tatuaje
MediumTatuaje Havana VI Artistas
The 6 1/8 x 52 Torpedo of Tatuaje's Havana VI — a bright, medium Ecuadorian Habano blend with cedar, toasted nuts and a floral lift. A relaxed, refined figurado.
Tatuaje
MediumTatuaje Havana VI Nobles
The 5 x 50 Robusto of Pete Johnson's Havana VI line — a bright, medium Ecuadorian Habano blend with cedar, white pepper and toasted nuts. An easygoing daily smoke.
Tatuaje
Medium-FullTatuaje Havana VI Verocu No. 2
The 5 1/2 x 54 Verocu No. 2 — a beefed-up Havana VI with extra ligero. Same Ecuadorian Habano blend, more black pepper, cocoa and power. The 'Havana VI on steroids.'
Tatuaje
Medium-FullTatuaje La Riqueza No. 1
The No. 1, a box-pressed 6 1/2 x 42 Lonsdale in Tatuaje's La Riqueza — a Connecticut Broadleaf maduro over Nicaraguan tobacco with cocoa, leather and dark fruit.
Tatuaje
Medium-FullTatuaje Reserva J21 Broadleaf
The J21, a 5 x 50 Robusto in Tatuaje's Reserva Broadleaf line — a Connecticut Broadleaf maduro over Nicaraguan tobacco with dark chocolate, espresso and earth.
Tatuaje
Medium-FullTatuaje Reserva SW Broadleaf
The SW, a 7 x 47 Churchill in Tatuaje's Reserva Broadleaf line — a long, sweet Connecticut Broadleaf maduro over Nicaraguan tobacco with chocolate, espresso and cedar.
Tatuaje
Medium-FullTatuaje Seleccion de Cazador Regios
The Regios, a 5 x 50 Robusto in Tatuaje's original Brown Label (Seleccion de Cazador) — an Ecuadorian Habano blend over Nicaraguan tobacco with cedar, pepper and cocoa.
Tatuaje
Medium-FullTatuaje Seleccion de Cazador Tainos
The Tainos, a 7 5/8 x 49 Churchill in Tatuaje's Brown Label (Seleccion de Cazador) — a long Ecuadorian Habano blend over Nicaraguan tobacco with cedar, pepper and cocoa.
Tatuaje
MediumTatuaje Tattoo Caballero
The Caballero, a 5 x 50 Robusto in Tatuaje's value-priced Tattoo line — a smooth Ecuadorian Habano blend over Nicaraguan tobacco with cedar, nuts and coffee.
Tatuaje
FullTatuaje The Drac
The Drac, a 6 3/4 x 52 Torpedo in Tatuaje's Monster Series — a full-bodied Ecuadorian Habano Maduro over Nicaraguan tobacco. A limited Halloween collector's release.
Tatuaje
FullTatuaje The Frank
The Frank, a 7 5/8 x 49 Churchill that launched Tatuaje's Monster Series — a full-bodied Connecticut Broadleaf maduro over Nicaraguan tobacco. A limited Halloween release.