Tatuaje Exclusive Series 2026 Tuxtla

Tatuaje Exclusive Series 2026 Tuxtla

The Tatuaje Exclusive Series 2026 Tuxtla (ES 2026 Tuxtla) is a 5 5/8 x 54 Robusto Gordo wearing a Mexican San Andrés wrapper over a Nicaraguan binder and Nicaraguan fillers. Created by Pete Johnson and handmade at My Father Cigars S.A. in Estelí, Nicaragua, this is the latest entry in Tatuaje’s annual Exclusive Series, a limited edition line that Pete Johnson releases each year for select retailers. The “Tuxtla” designation signals that this cigar uses a Mexican San Andrés wrapper, a leaf Pete Johnson has been putting on an increasing number of his cigars since launching the Tuxtla series in 2022. Halfwheel reported on April 2, 2026, that the ES 2026 Tuxtla had begun arriving at retailers, noting “the new cigar’s wrapper comes from the San Andrés region of Mexico, a leaf that Pete Johnson has been putting on a number of his cigars in recent years.” The San Andrés wrapper is grown in the San Andrés Tuxtla region of Veracruz, Mexico, and delivers a profile of cocoa, earth, pepper, and natural sweetness that has become a signature of the Tuxtla line.

• Wrapper: Mexican San Andrés. Grown in the San Andrés Tuxtla valley of Veracruz, Mexico, one of the world’s most important cigar tobacco growing regions. San Andrés Tuxtla gives the Tuxtla series its name. The leaf is dark, oily, and chocolate brown with subtle mottling and light toothiness. Cigar Coop described the San Andrés wrapper on the Tatuaje 7th Tuxtla as having “a chocolate brown color” with “a slight amount of toothiness” and “a light amount of oil on the surface.” Mexican San Andrés wrappers deliver cocoa, earth, pepper, and a refined natural sweetness that distinguishes them from Connecticut Broadleaf and other dark wrapper options. Pete Johnson first used the San Andrés wrapper on the Tatuaje Mexican Experiment in 2012, a regional limited release that “quickly developed a cult following” according to Cigar Coop. The ES 2026 Tuxtla continues that experimentation in the annual Exclusive Series format.
• Binder: Nicaraguan. Produced at My Father Cigars S.A., the binder comes from the García family’s tobacco farms in Estelí and Jalapa. Every Tuxtla series cigar to date has used Nicaraguan binder and filler beneath the Mexican wrapper, consistent with the Tuxtla concept: swap the wrapper to San Andrés, keep the Nicaraguan core.
• Filler: Nicaraguan. Same García family origin. The Nicaraguan filler provides the body, complexity, and spice backbone that the San Andrés wrapper rounds out with its cocoa and earth character.
• Size: Robusto Gordo, 5 5/8 x 54. A substantial ring gauge in a manageable length. The wide gauge gives the San Andrés wrapper more surface area to influence the flavor profile, meaning the cocoa, earth, and sweetness from the wrapper will be more prominent than in a thinner format.
• Strength: Medium to medium full (estimated). Previous Tuxtla releases have landed in the medium to medium full range. Cigar Coop scored the 7th Tuxtla at 89 and found “medium strength and medium to full bodied flavors” with “a slight increase in the intensity of both attributes” through the smoking experience. The wider ring gauge of the ES 2026 Tuxtla may produce a slightly richer, fuller experience than the 7th Tuxtla’s 46 ring gauge.
• Factory: My Father Cigars S.A., Estelí, Nicaragua. The García family factory, operated by José “Pepin” García and Jaime García, produces all Tatuaje cigars alongside partner brands including Crowned Heads, L’Atelier, and HVC.
• Core Flavors (based on Tuxtla series profile): Cocoa, mocha, coffee, dark chocolate, earth, cedar, black pepper, white pepper, vegetal notes, cream, natural sweetness, leather, wood, spice.

What to expect from the Tuxtla wrapper

The Mexican San Andrés wrapper is the defining feature of every Tuxtla release. Cigar Coop’s detailed third by third review of the Tatuaje 7th Tuxtla provides the clearest picture of how the San Andrés leaf performs across a Tatuaje blend. The cold draw delivered “a combination of mocha and earth,” with the mocha note described as “a strong fusion of coffee and cocoa.” The first third opened with “mocha and earth” joined by “cedar and vegetal notes,” with the mocha moving into the forefront while “white pepper notes surfaced” and carried through the retrohale. In the second third, the mocha transitioned to “more of a black coffee note” while “earth, cedar, and pepper notes all increased in intensity.” The vegetal notes remained a constant background presence. The final third saw “earth notes join the coffee notes in the forefront” with “pepper and cedar as secondary notes.” Cigar Coop summarized the key flavors as “mocha (coffee, chocolate), earth, cedar, pepper, vegetal notes” and scored it 89 with a “Buy One” recommendation.

Corona Cigar’s description of the ES 2026 Tuxtla specifically describes the San Andrés wrapper as delivering “a refined profile of cocoa, earth, pepper, and a subtle natural sweetness.” That natural sweetness is a characteristic of the San Andrés valley’s volcanic soil and microclimate. The wrapper adds a chocolate richness to Tatuaje’s Nicaraguan core that is different from the spicier, more peppery character of the habano wrapped originals and the darker, drier profile of the Broadleaf wrapped Reserva versions. Pete Johnson told Cigar Aficionado that the Tuxtla series was born from his ongoing experiments with swapping wrappers on existing blends to see how the flavor changes. The San Andrés wrapper smooths out the Nicaraguan core, adds cocoa and earth depth, and dials back the raw pepper that can dominate fresh habano wrapped Tatuajes.

The Tatuaje Exclusive Series

The Exclusive Series (ES) is Tatuaje’s annual limited edition line for select retailers. Each year, Pete Johnson creates a new cigar specifically for the ES program, giving it a unique blend, size, or wrapper that distinguishes it from the rest of the Tatuaje portfolio. The ES designation means this is a limited production cigar that will ship to authorized retailers in finite quantities. When the production run sells through, the ES 2026 Tuxtla will not be restocked. Previous Exclusive Series releases have used different wrappers, sizes, and blend configurations, making each year’s ES a distinct cigar. The 2026 edition marks the first time the Tuxtla concept (San Andrés wrapper swap) has been applied to the annual Exclusive Series, connecting Pete Johnson’s two ongoing experimental projects into a single release.

The Tuxtla series: Pete Johnson’s Mexican experiment

Pete Johnson’s fascination with Mexican San Andrés tobacco dates to 2012, when he released the Tatuaje Mexican Experiment, a regional limited edition that Cigar Coop described as a cigar that “quickly developed a cult following.” The Mexican Experiment was exactly what the name promised: Pete Johnson experimenting with a Mexican wrapper on his Nicaraguan core blend. He revisited the concept with ME and ME II in 2019, then escalated the project in 2022 by launching the Tuxtla series, a systematic program of taking popular existing Tatuaje cigars and re wrapping them with Mexican San Andrés leaf.

The original Tuxtla series debuted with three cigars in May 2022:

• Avion 13 Tuxtla: 6 7/8 x 52 perfecto, limited to 2,000 boxes of 25, MSRP $12.50. Based on the fifth in a series of annual box pressed perfectos born from the Fausto line. The original Avion 13 used a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper.
• Tatuaje 7th Tuxtla: 5 5/8 x 46 corona, limited to 2,000 boxes of 25, MSRP $9.50. Based on the seventh vitola in the Seleccion de Cazador (Brown Label) series. Previous variants included habano, Connecticut Broadleaf (Reserva), and Ecuadorian Sumatra (Capa Especial) wrappers. Cigar Coop scored it 89.
• Tatuaje T110 Tuxtla: 4 3/8 x 52 petit robusto, limited to 4,000 boxes of 25, MSRP $10. Based on the T110 line dating to 2009. The Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapped T110 Capa Especial finished No. 3 on halfwheel’s Top 25 Cigars of 2021 list.

Pete Johnson told halfwheel at the time that he planned to add more cigars to the Tuxtla series and that “some of the releases could end up becoming full production offerings.” He followed through: subsequent Tuxtla releases included the Lomo de Cerdo (Pork Tenderloin, 5 1/8 x 52), Belle Encre Tuxtla (5 3/8 x 48 perfecto), Bon Chasseur Tuxtla (5 3/8 x 52), La Riqueza SE 2024 Tuxtla, and the 10th Anniversary Tuxtla. The ES 2026 Tuxtla is the newest addition, applying the San Andrés wrapper to the annual Exclusive Series for the first time.

Tuxtla series releases

Pete Johnson and Tatuaje

Pete Johnson founded Tatuaje (“tattoo” in Spanish) in 2003 after partnering with José “Pepin” García, who had recently arrived in the United States from Cuba. The name reflects Johnson’s love of tattoo culture and the artistry of hand crafted work. Pepin García became Tatuaje’s manufacturer, and My Father Cigars S.A. in Estelí, Nicaragua, has produced every Tatuaje cigar since. The relationship between Johnson and the García family is one of the longest running and most respected brand/factory partnerships in the cigar industry. In 2024, the two brands released La Union to celebrate 20 years of working together. The La Union logo features “an artistic rendering of Pete shaking Jaime’s hand with Pepin blessing the union,” representing “the bond and commitment to family and hard work that the Garcias and Pete have had since the first cigar was rolled in 2003.”

Tatuaje’s portfolio spans a wide range from the approachable Havana VI (Red Label) through the full bodied Black Label (originally Pete Johnson’s personal blend) and the cult favorite Monsters Series. The Brown Label (Seleccion de Cazador) is the backbone of the brand, offering traditional Cuban style flavors in a range of vitolas. The limited edition culture that defines Tatuaje (Monsters, Krueger, Jason, Face, Skinny Monsters, Little Monsters, Pudgy Monsters) has created one of the most devoted collector followings in the premium cigar world. The Tuxtla series and the annual Exclusive Series fit squarely into that limited edition identity: finite production, unique blends, available only until they are gone.

San Andrés Tuxtla: the tobacco region

San Andrés Tuxtla is a city and municipality in the state of Veracruz, Mexico, located in the volcanic highlands of the Sierra de Los Tuxtlas mountain range. The region is home to the vast majority of Mexico’s premium cigar tobacco industry. Halfwheel confirmed: “San Andrés Tuxtla is the name of the city and municipality that is home to the vast majority of Mexico’s premium cigar industry, including its tobacco growing region.” The volcanic soil, high humidity, cloud cover, and elevation create ideal growing conditions for wrapper leaf. San Andrés tobacco is prized for its dark color, rich oil content, and flavor profile of cocoa, earth, natural sweetness, and pepper. Major cigar manufacturers including General Cigar, Plasencia, and numerous boutique brands source wrapper leaf from San Andrés Tuxtla. Pete Johnson chose the name “Tuxtla” for his series as a direct tribute to the region where the wrapper is grown.

Banding

Cigar Coop praised the banding approach: “I like the concept of how Pete Johnson worked the banding. He basically uses the same primary band of the original cigar the Tuxtla is based on and then adds a green band with the text ‘TUXTLA’ in white. The scheme works great and makes it really easy to identify this cigar as a Tuxtla series blend.” The secondary green Tuxtla band is a visual cue that instantly communicates the San Andrés wrapper swap to anyone familiar with the series. For the ES 2026 Tuxtla, expect the standard Exclusive Series primary band paired with the green Tuxtla secondary band.

Pairings

The Tuxtla series’ cocoa, mocha, earth, cedar, pepper, and natural sweetness profile pairs well with beverages that complement dark chocolate and coffee. An espresso or cortado is the most direct pairing: the mocha notes that Cigar Coop identified as the dominant first third flavor will mirror the coffee in the cup. A bourbon (Woodford Reserve, Maker’s Mark, Buffalo Trace) brings caramel, vanilla, and toasted oak that amplify the wrapper’s cocoa and sweetness while balancing the pepper. A dark beer (porter, stout, or brown ale) echoes the chocolate, roasted coffee, and earthy character. Mexican hot chocolate (champurrado or chocolate abuelita) is a thematic pairing that directly matches the San Andrés wrapper’s cocoa and spice with a traditional Mexican preparation. A medium to dark roast coffee (single origin Mexican or Guatemalan) keeps the pairing geographically aligned while complementing the mocha notes. An aged rum (Ron Zacapa 23, Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva) brings molasses, dried fruit, and toffee that complement the wrapper’s sweetness. For food, dark chocolate (70% cacao or higher), roasted almonds, or beef jerky all echo the dominant flavor groups.

Quick specs

• Vitola: Robusto Gordo (5 5/8 x 54)
• Wrapper: Mexican San Andrés
• Binder: Nicaraguan
• Filler: Nicaraguan
• Factory: My Father Cigars S.A., Estelí, Nicaragua
• Strength: Medium to Medium Full (estimated)
• Production: Limited Edition
• Release: April 2026

What is the Tatuaje Exclusive Series 2026 Tuxtla?

A 5 5/8 x 54 Robusto Gordo with a Mexican San Andrés wrapper, Nicaraguan binder, and Nicaraguan fillers. Created by Pete Johnson. Handmade at My Father Cigars S.A. in Estelí, Nicaragua. The “Tuxtla” designation indicates the cigar uses a Mexican San Andrés wrapper from the San Andrés Tuxtla region of Veracruz, Mexico. This is the 2026 edition of Tatuaje’s annual Exclusive Series, a limited production line for select retailers. Began arriving at retailers in April 2026.

What does Tuxtla mean?

Tuxtla refers to San Andrés Tuxtla, a city and municipality in Veracruz, Mexico, that is home to the vast majority of Mexico’s premium cigar tobacco industry. Pete Johnson named his Tuxtla series after this region because all Tuxtla releases feature a Mexican San Andrés wrapper grown there. The volcanic soil and microclimate of the Sierra de Los Tuxtlas produce wrapper leaf prized for its dark color, oil, and flavor of cocoa, earth, pepper, and natural sweetness.

What does the Tuxtla wrapper taste like?

Cocoa, mocha, coffee, earth, cedar, pepper, vegetal notes, and natural sweetness. Cigar Coop’s review of the Tatuaje 7th Tuxtla found mocha dominant in the first third, transitioning to black coffee in the second third, with earth and coffee co leading in the final third. Cedar, pepper, and vegetal notes were present throughout. The San Andrés wrapper adds chocolate richness and smooths out the Nicaraguan core compared to habano wrapped Tatuaje originals.

How strong is the ES 2026 Tuxtla?

Estimated medium to medium full in strength, medium to full in body. Previous Tuxtla series releases have landed in this range. Cigar Coop found the 7th Tuxtla at “medium strength and medium to full bodied flavors” with slight increases through the smoking experience. The wider 54 ring gauge of the ES 2026 may produce a slightly richer, fuller experience.

What is the Tatuaje Tuxtla series?

A series of limited edition cigars where Pete Johnson takes existing Tatuaje blends and replaces the wrapper with Mexican San Andrés leaf. Launched in 2022 with three cigars (Avion 13 Tuxtla, 7th Tuxtla, T110 Tuxtla). The T110 Capa Especial (Ecuadorian Sumatra version) finished No. 3 on halfwheel’s Top 25 Cigars of 2021. The series has expanded to include Lomo de Cerdo, Belle Encre, Bon Chasseur, 10th Anniversary, La Riqueza SE 2024, and the ES 2026. Pete Johnson’s exploration of Mexican San Andrés tobacco began in 2012 with the Tatuaje Mexican Experiment.

Who is Pete Johnson?

Founder of Tatuaje Cigars (2003). “Tatuaje” means “tattoo” in Spanish, reflecting Johnson’s love of tattoo culture and handcrafted artistry. All Tatuaje cigars are produced at My Father Cigars S.A. by the García family (Pepin and Jaime García). The Johnson/García partnership is one of the longest and most respected in the cigar industry, celebrating 20 years with the La Union release in 2024. Known for limited edition culture (Monsters Series, Krueger, Jason, Face) and a devoted collector following.

Is this a limited edition?

Yes. The Exclusive Series is an annual limited production line. Each year’s ES is a distinct cigar produced in finite quantities for select retailers. When the ES 2026 Tuxtla sells through, it will not be restocked. Halfwheel reported the cigars began arriving at retailers on April 2, 2026.

What pairs well with the ES 2026 Tuxtla?

Espresso, cortado, bourbon (Woodford Reserve, Maker’s Mark), dark beer (porter, stout, brown ale), Mexican hot chocolate, medium to dark roast coffee, aged rum (Ron Zacapa 23, Diplomatico), dark chocolate, roasted almonds, or beef jerky. The cocoa, mocha, earth, and pepper profile pairs with rich, dark beverages and chocolate based foods.