L’Atelier Roxy Natural – Blind Cigar Review

Cigar Info

In a heartfelt homage to his beloved canine companion, Roxy, K.C. Johnson of Tatuaje introduced a new petit robusto size to the L'Atelier and L'Atelier Maduro series earlier this year. This latest addition, aptly named “Roxy” in memory of Johnson's late dog, presents a unique dimension to the L'Atelier lines with a smaller size measuring 3 1/2 x 50. We reviewed the Maduro version last month.

Available in 20-count boxes, this offering contains equal amounts of the two distinct blends, providing fans a chance to experience both in the same package. The original L'Atelier blend, known among enthusiasts as LAT for short, is distinguished by its Ecuadorian Sancti Spiritus wrapper, paired with Nicaraguan binders and fillers. In contrast, the L'Atelier Maduro variant uses a Connecticut broadleaf wrapper, also complemented by the same Nicaraguan binder and fillers. Each box is priced at $160 per box which translates to $8.00 per cigar. The cigars were shown off in July of this year, and shipped in August.

Vital Stats:

Vitola: Rothchild
Length: 3 1/2″
Ring Gauge: 50
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sancti Spiritus
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Factory: My Father Cigars S.A.
Blender: Pete Johnson
Number of reviewers: 5 – Angel M. (Angel) Kevin J. (maninblack77) Diana (ArmyRN) Estevan Z. (TheRealBanzi) Noah S. (Noah)
Price: $8.00
Age: 5 Months
Release Date: August 2023
Contributed by: Tatuaje Cigars

Initial Impressions

Appearance: 94

“For a small cigar, this is good-looking. It is the size of a half toro. The cigar is well-formed and very smooth. A faint, oily sheen is on the wrapper and there are no veins, no protrusions, no lifts, and no cracks. The cap is well-formed and appears to be a double cap. The filler is densely packed with dark, almost black with brown speckling colors. The wrapper itself is a light to medium brown with golden hues. It reminds me of a darkly stained pinewood.” –Diana (ArmyRN)

Aroma: 94

“A rich leather-filled aroma emanates from the wrapper while floral and grassy notes galore fill my nostrils when I give this cigar a good sniff.” –Noah S. (Noah)

First Third

Flavor: 94
Strength: Medium
Body/Complexity: Medium

“Right away, I note this cigar is very smokey. There are notes of dark roasted coffee mixed with smoked wood and red pepper that sits on the finish at the back of the pallet. The retro is smooth and the flavor notes are complexly intertwined with no one flavor standing out on its own.” –Diana (ArmyRN)

“Starting things off with some nice honey notes as well as roasted nuts and barnyard. The dominant flavor is roasted cashews. There is a nice white pepper spice on the retro. It didn't take long to smoke through the first third. An enjoyable start though.” –Kevin J. (maninblack77)

Second Third

Flavor: 94
Strength: Mild-Medium
Body/Complexity: Medium

“While this may be a superb smoke, it certainly isn't making for an enticing review. Not one thing has changed from the first to the second third. Literally. Not. One. Thing. Same flavors. Same finish. Same smooth smoke. I can't say I didn't expect such from such a short smoke and I'm certainly not complaining because my palate and I are more than pleased with the smoking experience thus far.” –Noah S. (Noah)

“On a cigar this short it is really hard to break it into thirds. That being said I will try. This “second” third has a lot of similarities to the opening third. The only difference is the cedar finish has tempered and is replaced with a light baking spice. The retro has tempered as well. It is far more neutral. The mouthfeel has got a little heavier while the finish has stayed the same.” –Estevan Z. (TheRealBanzi)

Final Third

Flavor: 93
Strength: Medium
Body/Complexity: Medium-Full

“In the final third, everything remained fairly similar to the second with the pepper in the background and the leather, cedar, and vanilla remaining in the final third. The smoke remained semi-smooth and a tad bit cool in temperature.” –Angel M. (Angel)

“New third, same ole review. I have nothing new to report on this gem and for the sake of not sounding completely redundant I'll spare everyone the recap. Just know that this smoke is still just as delicious, just as smooth, and just as balanced as it started.” –Noah S. (Noah)

Overall Impressions

Draw: 97

“Thankfully the draw on this stick was right down broadway from the first puff to the last. With a cigar so short, any deviation from center either direction would be simply unsatisfactory.” –Noah S. (Noah)

Burn: 93

“Burn line was crisp with dark edges. For a small cigar, it didn't burn too hot. The ash is a very light gray, almost white in some areas. The center of the ash is very dark. The ash holds nicely and never dropped during the entire smoke. I tapped routinely at about 1 inch. The cigar required no touch-ups or corrections during the smoke.” –Diana (ArmyRN)

Construction: 93

“Construction was decent. The wrapper issues were due to the dry winter air I'm sure. The blend was on the mild side and one I usually stay away from. Not a ton of flavors or flavor transitions.” –Kevin J. (maninblack77)

Overall Strength: Medium
Overall Body/Complexity: Medium
Experience Overall: 94

“Overall, this was an excellent cigar. With the interesting flavor transitions from 3rd to 3rd, it kept me very interested. It's always nice to have a shorter cigar for a smaller amount of time that has a significant amount of flavor. This cigar was very delicious with the pepper bomb in the first third that diminished down to the wonderful flavors of Cedar, vanilla, and leather. The smoke texture was on par and right up my alley.” –Angel M. (Angel)

“Was this a good cigar? Sure. But it's not one that's going to wow your pants off. Flavors were mostly roasted nuts, white pepper, and dry tobacco. No big flavor transitions which didn't surprise me considering the size. I doubt if this is a cigar I'd reach for again, but it would make a good dog walker cigar or a good cigar for your morning routine.” –Kevin J. (maninblack77)

“I really enjoyed this little bundle of tastiness. I would definitely keep these around at home and in my travel humidor for a quick smoke. Having a shorter cigar that doesn't sacrifice flavor is quite impressive to me. I was pleasantly surprised by the well-melded notes. I had to really pay attention to catch all of the little nuanced flavors. I nubbed the cigar down and really enjoyed this smoke.” –Diana (ArmyRN)

“I got way more than I expected from this diminutive cigar. There weren't many changes but the flavor profile was good enough to overcome that. This little guy would make a great morning cigar with a nice black coffee. I would recommend it to anyone that is short on time but want a quality cigar. I can't wait to see what this was.” –Estevan Z. (TheRealBanzi)

“My only wish for this cigar is that it was longer purely for the sake of having more incredible smoke to enjoy. Every puff from the first to the last was chock full of immensely robust and pleasant flavors that were well balanced, complimentary of one another, and consistent to a tee. A perfect draw produced mouthful after mouthful of creamy smooth smoke and despite a few minor touchups, the smoking experience was trouble-free and thoroughly enjoyable. In my opinion, the complete lack of transition in flavor is appropriate and almost preferred given the short length of this cigar. Anything more would be a lot to keep tabs on over such a short period of time. Cigars this short certainly have their place and this one would be perfect for a lunch break or any other circumstance where time just isn't a luxury. 10 out of 10 will smoke again!” –Noah S. (Noah)

Smoking Time (in minutes): 43

To view the complete scores and notes, click here

L'Atelier Roxy Natural – Blind Cigar Review