Cigar Review: L’Atelier Maduro

MAD44 (Petite Corona), 4.5” x 44 ring gauge / $6.85, Burns Tobacconist

Last year I called the original L’atelier one of my top cigars for 2012. I loved the body and flavor and thought the use of the Sancti Spiritus leaf brought something unique to the table, especially as regards Nicaraguan cigars that have close associations with Pete Johnson (he created this new company as a separate cigar company from Tatuaje) and the Garcia family (My Father Cigar Company makes all Tatuaje and L’atelier cigars). L’atelier has other products on the shelf as well, but their flagship line (called L’atelier and distinguished by the gold foil leaf on the band) has gotten the most attention so far. Earlier this year the SS46 came out, featuring a darker wrapper on a different vitola than had previously been available. And a month or so before the IPCPR show, the LAT MAD arrived at Burns. The filler here is Nicaraguan, while the Ecuadorian Sanci Spiritus leaf used for the wrapper in the original L’at moves to the binder here (along with a Nicaraguan binder as well), then the whole thing is wrapped in Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro. I’ve been on a bit of a Broadleaf kick of late and for that I kind of have to thank (blame?) Pete Johnson. His Tatuaje Reservas are spectacular, especially the Noellas and Regios vitolas released earlier this year. I loved the Casita Criolla and La Dueña which both employed extra Broadleaf. Now he throws some at us here, too. I thank you, kind sir! This review stick is the second of the same size I’ve smoked. They also come in 54 and 56 ring gauge varieties, but since I’m very happy with the 44, I probably won’t even bother with those. (Also, Donovan posted his review of this same cigar in this same vitola a few weeks ago.)

How to describe the look of this one? Dark, dark, dark in color. Not black, but not far from it, either. The leaf had a rough, large grit sandpaper feel to it, albeit sandpaper that had been dragged through oil. And the band design, which I liked on the original, is even better here with the inverted colors and the way it sets off against this beautiful wrapper leaf. I gave the wrapper a good sniff and got a nice leathery aroma, with a little underlying earth. The foot, on the other hand, was all about the earthy and sweet smells…manure, chocolate, etc. After clipping the head the draw was excellent and full of sweet chocolate flavor as well as some dried fruit and a little woodiness.

At ignition, the L’atelier Maduro was bitter and sweet, with dark roast coffee, raisin and dark chocolate notes being the ones that stood out the most. There was a woody finish on the palate and a blast of red pepper on the nose. When I lit my first one of these, my first impression was, “Wow! I love it…but it is a bit like a Tatuaje Reserva.” I shared that opinion with a couple others and they didn’t totally agree. But after getting just into this second one, I feel the same way. It’s not exactly a Tat Reserva, but it is very similar. Maybe a little less body. A little more cedar. A touch sweeter. Outstanding flavor so far, but still somewhat familiar.

As I puffed my way through the second third, I noticed that the pepper spice had not diminished much, if any. I was getting quite a bit on the palate, although the retrohale had become more nutty than spicy. With its continuing spiciness, this did distinguish itself from the Tat Reserva a bit more than I remembered. I like a good mix of sweet and peppery, so this was definitely a good thing. Construction was top notch; I had a very even burn line for a Broadleaf wrapper, a solid ash, and a fantastic draw.

The last third of the L’atelier Maduro saw an increase in earthiness, with the spice diminishing just a bit. Dark coffee flavors and dried fruit sweetness played a strong supporting role. The body did ramp up to the medium-to-full range by the end. So is this as good as the original L’atelier? Better, in my opinion. I gave the original a 10/10 if I remember correctly, and I stand by that; but I would give this one an even higher score if I could. Great, great cigar that I thoroughly enjoyed…at least as much as the Tatuaje Noella Reserva, and that’s saying a lot. A box purchase is definitely in my future.

Body: 7/10
Strength: 7/10
Complexity: 8/10

AFP Scale

Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 2/2
Flavor: 5/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 10/10

 Originally published at Tiki Bar Online