Tatuaje Black Label Petite Lancero: The Thin Line Between Good and Transcendent
Pete Johnson's former private reserve blend in a slim lancero format that concentrates flavor like nothing else. This is the cigar that converts lancero skeptics into lancero evangelists.
The lancero format is the whiskey-neat of the cigar world—it strips away the filler-heavy cushion of larger ring gauges and forces the wrapper and binder to do the heavy lifting. Not every blend survives this exposure. The Tatuaje Black Label doesn't just survive it; it thrives, delivering a concentrated intensity that makes thicker ring gauges feel diluted by comparison.
Originally, the Black Label was Pete Johnson's private reserve—a blend he created for himself and gave only to close friends at industry events. The cigar community caught wind, demand built to a roar, and Johnson eventually relented and made it a regular production. We are all better for his generosity.
The Nicaraguan Criollo wrapper is sun-grown with a slight oily sheen, and the slim 38-ring-gauge format means every puff delivers a higher ratio of wrapper to filler than a typical cigar. The result is transformative. From the first draw, rich coffee, dark chocolate, and pepper hit with an immediacy that larger formats simply cannot match. There's a leather note underneath that grounds the sweetness, and the thin ring gauge means the smoke is concentrated and chewy rather than airy.
The second third introduces cinnamon as a major player alongside continued espresso, dried fruit, and sweet oak. The flavors layer rather than replace—by the midpoint, you're experiencing a remarkable depth that rewards every moment of attention. The draw is excellent despite the slim format, and the burn is impressively straight.
The final third evolves into something almost confectionery: s'mores-like campfire sweetness mixed with tannic oak and intensified dark chocolate. The retrohale is all cinnamon and leather with coffee bean richness, and you will—we promise—burn your fingers trying to smoke this to the very nub.
At around $8.50, the Tatuaje Black Label Petite Lancero is one of the finest cigars under $10. If you've never tried a lancero, this is where you start. If you already love lanceros, you already know.
