Tatuaje La Riqueza SE 2022

By Tony Casas | May 9, 2022

100 degree weather is already upon us El Pasoans. Hiding in the shade this week I venture out back with a Tatuaje La Riqueza SE 2022 and a bottle of The Bruery Terreux’s Natty Noir.

The Good Stuff:

Originally released wayyyyy back when I first started to really get into Tatuaje, the La Riqueza was a staple in any cigar smoker’s humidor. Fast forward to 2022 and the blend has made it’s triumphant return. You can see a super old review of the original I did here and one of Jeremy’s here. This was the cigar that really turned me onto Tatuaje when I first started smoking and was always one of my favorites. While the cigar features the same Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro wrapper, double Nicaraguan binder and Nicaraguan fillers, Pete Johnson has mentioned that a few tweaks were made with the blend to amp up the body and strength compared to the original version. The cigar is still being produced at the My Father factory in Nicaragua. The Tatuaje La Riqueza SE 2022 comes in a single 5 5/8 x 54 format packaged in boxes of 10 running $12 per cigar at only 4,500 boxes produced.

• Size: 5 5/8 x 54
• Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro
• Binder: Double Nicaraguan
• Filler: Nicaraguan
• Body: Medium/Full
• Strength: Medium
• Price: $12
• Pairing: Bruery Terreux Natty Noir (Sour Ale 12.1% ABV)

Prelight:

The Tatuaje La Riqueza SE 2022 still sports the same beat down, rustic looking wrapper. The wrapper features a mostly milk brown color with loads of darker brown and orangish splotches scattered throughout. The wrapper’s texture is very toothy with a good amount of tooth and light oils coating it. The wrapper is very thick and hard while the cigar as a whole is nice placed and carries no soft spots. This version of the La Riqueza carries a very nice, very soft-pressed body and a enclosed foot as the wrapper is carefully folded over it. The wrapper is laid nicely over itself leading up to the cigar’s round, double-wrapper cap. The cigar also carries the same red, gold, and white band as the original La Riqueza. Or should I say, the second iteration of the La Riqueza band that sports the PHJ crest instead of the OG Fleur De Lis.

The wrapper on the La Riqueza SE 2022 gives off strong grape and cedar aroma while the foot of the cigar is mostly the same with a bit more natural tobacco scents. The cap cut clean and easily using my Xikar XO double bladed cutter. The cold draw produces some great raisin notes of natural tobacco and musk.

First Third:

The Tatuaje La Riqueza SE 2022 starts out with a quick black pepper blast which left my lips tingling. After the pepper fades the cigar begins to release notes of raisin, black cherry, cedar, oat, and dark chocolate. The draw is absolutely beautiful as each little puff kicks out huge clouds of thick, white smoke which dissipate quickly while the cigar releases only a small amount of stationary smoke while it rests in my ashtray. The burn line is dead even and crazy sharp leaving behind a tightly compacted trail of white ash which held on for an inch before falling into my lap.

Second Third:

Into the second third of the Tatuaje La Riqueza SE 2022 and that great black cherry note that I remember from the old blend has started to really pop. The cherry is backed by raisin, cedar, oats, dark chocolate and also a great little floral mixture that has crept it’s way into the the profile especially on the retrohale which also brings out a bit of the hidden spice in the experience. The cigar is burning perfectly and I am feeling nada in terms of nicotine at this point.

Finish:

The Tatuaje La Riqueza SE 2022 has been great up to this point, but I feel the cigar really shines in the final third. The flavor profile is at the top crest of medium-full as bold raisin and black cherry lead the charge backed by oats, dark chocolate, and cedar. The floral flavor has completely dropped out. The flavor profile didn’t change up much, but it didn’t need to. It took me an hour and a half to smoke this cigar down to the nub and I experience absolutely no harshness nor extended heat. In fact, this cigar burned like a dream from start to finish. It left me with almost no nicotine whatsoever.

Overview:

I couldn’t wait to try this cigar as I was such a fan of the original release and I wasn’t disappointed. This cigar is everything I want in an experience. A great flavor profile with excellent body and decent complexity wrapped up in a very medium-strength package. That’s my sweet spot and even with the tweaked blend the La Riqueza delivered. Big thanks to Ray and JG for hooking it up with a handful of these. Now I need to go out and find some more.

Pairing:

The Bruery Terreux’s Natty Noir is a 12.1% barrel aged wild ale Pinot Noir grapes with natural native mixed culture fermentation – fermented natively with microflora from grape skins. The result is essentially a sparkling wine-esque sour grape juice. The beer leads with tart grape and black cherry over fresh apple and light citrus with a good amount of funk and loads of sweetness with a very light and fizzy mouthfeel before finishing clean with heavy grape, black cherry, and funk. This is such a great summer beer especially during this little heat wave. The fruits paired beautifully with the raisin and cherry I picked up in the Tatuaje La Riqueza SE 2022 while the cigar helped accentuate the light barrel I picked up in the beer.