In 2011, Pete Johnson crafted a special cigar for retailers who were members of the Tobacconists Association of America (TAA) and attended the group’s annual conference. The cigar, simply known as the Tatuaje TAA, was said to be based on two of Johnson’s most sought after cigars—the Tatuaje Pork Tenderloin and Barclay Rex. Since then, the Tatuaje TAA has become an annual release, an incentive for the retailers to attend the conference. For those unfamiliar with the group, Patrick Lagreid summed it up quite conscicely a few months ago: The TAA is a fairly small group of some of the country’s top tobacconists, a group of about 80 retailers (though many have multiple locations) as well as about 40 manufacturers. The association gathers annually to discuss issues facing the industry and retailers, as well as to have its annual trade show, a unique event that works on a group buying format in order to secure exclusive deals for these generally high-volume merchants. This year’s Tatuaje TAA began shipping a few weeks ago. Johnson describes the 6 x 52 toro as fitting in between the 2011 (5 5/8 x 54) version and the 2012 release, which measured 6 1/4 x 50. ...
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