Cigar Aficionado

Next month, Tatuaje subsidiary L’Atelier Imports will be releasing its L’Atelier Selection Spéciale series in the same three sizes as the original line of L’Atelier cigars. Shipping in boxes of 15, the new sizes of Selection Spéciale are: LAT 52 Special, measuring 4 3/4 inches by 52 ring gauge, LAT 54 Special, 5 5/8 by 54 and LAT 56 Special, 6 1/2 by 56. They’re set to retail for $8 to $10 each.

Unlike the core L’Atelier line, Selection Spéciale cigars are covered in darker Sancti Spiritus Oscuro wrappers from Ecuador around Nicaraguan binders and fillers.

“We found that the expression in the 52, 54 and 56 are what made the L’Atelier so popular that we wanted to offer the Selection Spéciale versions of those sizes,” brand owner Pete Johnson told Cigar Aficionado. He also stated that he felt the Selection Spéciale wrapper added more complexity to the smoke.

Selection Spéciale was previously offered in LAT Torpedo, LAT 38 Special (a lancero) and LAT 46 SS sizes but the LAT Torpedo is now discontinued, while the LAT 46 SS will be produced but in small quantities. The lancero size in both the original L’Atelier and Selection Spéciale will be limited to a lancero sampler-pack.

Bands for both the L’Atelier and L’Atelier Selection Spéciale are being redesigned and updated to better distinguish the two brands.

Made at the My Father Cigars S.A. factory in Nicaragua, the new smokes are expected to start reaching retailers the week of November 9.