The LAT 54 by L’Atelier

The L’ Atelier brand, French for “The Workshop”, debuted in 2012. Pete Johnson of Tatuaje and some of his friends and family collaborated on the vision of the brand. The team set out to make a Cubanesque cigar, and it’s obvious with the vitolas chosen for the LAT series. The LAT 52, 54, and 56 are mimicked after the Cohiba Behike 52,54, and 56. While one may think that trying to replicate a Behike in today’s world, in that time a Behike wasn’t nearly as expensive as the prices we are seeing today, even before the 2022 price hike.

The LAT 54 stands at 5 & 5/8 inches x 54 RG. Don Pepin of the My Father cigar factory does the honors of production. The wrapper leaf used is an Ecuadorian “Sancti Spiritus”, which is a hybrid of Pelo de Oro and Criollo seed. Below the beautiful wrapper are Nicaraguan binder and fillers. The flavor profile in my opinion is strikingly similar to the Davidoff signature profile. Layers of cedar, barnyard, vanilla, and a slight dry spice drift in and out during the 1 hour and 15 minute smoke time. I would put this is as a medium bodied smoke, unlike the Behike, which is slightly fuller in body. The most impressive part of this cigar was the construction. I never had to touch this cigar up once. The ash stayed on for quite some time which provided a nice, cool smoke. The bottom of L’Atelier boxes are dated, like Tatuaje boxes, which is something everyone should be doing.

Overall, the L’ Atelier is a great option for someone looking to try a Cubanesque cigar. Many cigars that attempt to mimic cigars from Cuba fall into flavor profiles like this- mild-medium and complex, which I am a fan of. Obviously, this cigar doesn’t taste like a Behike. But for 8-9 $ per cigar, and performing the way it does, I’ll be sure to pick these every time.