Creature from Tatuaje

Having debuted almost 20 years ago and with more than 100 releases, it’s hard to know what to say about the Tatuaje Monster Series that hasn’t already been said. But that’s the challenge when a new release comes out, such as the one that was shown off this spring at the 2026 PCA Convention & Trade Show and which began shipping to retailers in mid-June, well ahead of the Halloween holiday that the line has been closely associated with since its debut.

In 2008, Tatuaje released The Frank, the first Monster Series cigar. It was inspired by Frankenstein, came packaged in boxes that were designed to look like coffins, and set off what has become, in one way or another, an annual release for Tatuaje. Early on, Pete Johnson, Tatuaje’s founder, said his plan was for 13 different Monsters, something that was completed in 2019.

Along the way, Tatuaje added spin-offs of the Monster Series in the form of smaller versions of the Monster Series cigars, typically released in samplers. Some of those cigars, like the Skinny Monsters, went on to receive their own standalone, non-sampler versions.

While those samplers have appeared sporadically and in different forms, the 13 Monster Series cigars followed a very similar release cycle, typically released ahead of Halloween. Since 2021, Tatuaje has been revisiting the original Monster Series cigars, rereleasing new production of the original Monster Series cigars under a Monster Series Redux sub-series. So far, five have been released, following the same order as those original releases.

Earlier this year, Tatuaje deviated.

In April, it showed off the Creature from Tatuaje, a 6 7/8 x 52 perfecto with an all-Nicaraguan blend, made at My Father Cigars S.A. in Estelí, Nicaragua. Unlike the recent Monster Series Redux cigars, this is a new full-size Monster, based on a blend that has appeared in two of the aforementioned samplers containing smaller versions of other Monster Series cigars. It’s the 101st release in Tatuaje’s Monster Series, and the full-size version of two previous Creature releases.

The first version was the Tatuaje Monster Mash Creature, which debuted in September 2021 as part of the Monster Mash sampler. That collection featured the original 13 Monster Series releases in their original ring gauges, just an inch-and-a-half shorter. The Tatuaje Monster Mash Creature was a 5 3/8 x 48 perfecto vitola. A keen eye may notice that the Monster Mash Creature had a 48-ring gauge, while the full-size Creature From Tatuaje has a 52-ring gauge.

Three years later, a second Creature version would emerge, this time in the Monster Smash sampler, which contained the 14 blends, each in a box-pressed 5 1/4 x 52 robusto vitola.

In keeping with the Monster Series being named for movie monsters, Creature from Tatuaje gets its name from “Creature from the Black Lagoon,” the 1954 movie about a mysterious animal—an amphibious humanoid—found in a remote jungle in the Amazon Rain Forest and the scientists who seek to investigate it.

But in a departure from “regular” Monster Series releases, this isn’t The Creature From Tatuaje, breaking a naming convention that has been part of the series since its start. Also, while previous coffin-shaped releases came in 13-count boxes, this one comes in 10-count boxes.

The Creature from Tatuaje shipped to stores in the middle of June 2026.

The picture above shows all 101 Monster Series-related cigars: the now 14 full-size cigars, the various sampler releases, the redux cigars, etc. In an effort to make this post easier to scroll through, just click here if you’d like to see the full list and more details about each release.

• Cigar Reviewed: Creature From Tatuaje
• Country of Origin: Nicaragua
• Factory: My Father Cigars S.A.
• Wrapper: Nicaragua
• Binder: Nicaragua
• Filler: Nicaragua
• Length: 6 7/8
• Ring Gauge: 52
• Shape: Round
• MSRP: $19.54 (Box of 10, $195.40)
• Release Date: June 2026
• Number of Cigars Released: 7,000 Boxes of 10 Cigars (70,000 Total Cigars)
• Number of Cigars Smoked For Review: 3

I don’t smoke regular-size Monster Series releases on a regular basis, but the Creature from Tatuaje reminds me of the size range that the line has embraced since day one. It’s a vitola that’s not obnoxiously long or thick, but it is sizable in both departments, and the combination makes it a bit imposing. All three cigars have a matte brown wrapper with some variation in color that I can see at the seam lines, but it’s relatively minor. There’s a little oiliness left in the wrappers, but texturally, I would say they feel on the dry side, with just a touch of texture. The first and third cigars are decently firm with a softer spot or two, while the second cigar is about as firm, but it’s more consistent with no soft spots or variance. The foot has a fairly nondescript aroma; there’s some dry tobacco and pepper, but it is very mild. The first and third cigars have cold draws that are smooth and near ideal, with a touch of resistance but no restriction. Both have a mellow, creamy sweetness that reminds me of a combination of vanilla pudding and a honey drizzle. The second cigar has a firmer cold draw, while the flavor is a mild mix of light creaminess, loose soil and dry wood.

Some creaminess and earth start off the Creature from Tatuaje, with the creaminess feeling like it mutes the earth sensation a bit. There’s a little pepper added a few puffs in, followed by a thickening of the smoke that gives it a more pleasant mouthfeel compared to where it was out of the gate. Between the three, the third cigar is better out of the gate, exhibiting a more developed, rounded and layered flavor than the other two. Woodiness begins to move into a lead role, followed closely by a loose, dry soil sensation. There’s not a lot of pepper on my taste buds, but retrohales are more than happy to make up for it. A little more than an inch in, there’s a bit of chalk starting to enter the profile. This profile closes out the section, an interesting transition point that leaves me wondering where the cigar is going next. Flavor is medium, body is medium-minus and strength is mild. Construction is very good thus far, and I have no issues with the cigars.

The second third of the Creature from Tatuaje keeps with the creaminess but adds a little toffee sweetness, turning into a bit of a very sweet coffee drink. There’s a little nuttiness, which I like, especially in combination with the creaminess. That said, it’s limited to the third cigar when it comes to a clear definition of flavor; the first two cigars are muddled, and I struggle to figure out just what the cigar is offering. A retrohale delivers a blast of pepper and gets the experience more focused, a quick and snappy call to attention. After kind of fading, the creaminess comes back into the profile, giving the cigar a lighter profile than I might have been expecting, but one that’s pretty enjoyable. The midpoint nudges the profile back towards earthiness and a little bit of room temperature black coffee, giving the cigar a bit of an acidic bite on certain puffs, though it’s tame. As this section progresses, more chalk comes in, while some tar emerges at the end of this section in the first cigar, a development revealed by the sudden change in flavor and confirmed by the brown liquid on my finger when I press it against the head of the cigar. While not pleasant, it is fairly easy to solve, as a clip of the head removes the problem. The creaminess fades as this section wraps up and leaves me with a dry, earthy profile, specifically kind of a loose soil sensation, while a little charred wood finishes off this section, a very subtle addition but one that doesn’t need a lot of quantity to make a notable impact on the flavor. Flavor finishes around medium, maybe medium-plus, while the body is medium and strength is mild. Construction is pretty solid, as the draw and burn line on all three cigars are very good. I feel like I could use some more smoke production, and thankfully, the cigar hasn’t needed relights or touch-ups.

There’s a pretty straightforward earthiness leading the profile as the Creature from Tatuaje gets into its final third, a bit rocky, a bit thin, and just a bit peppery. Some creaminess comes back into the profile to give it a little more complexity as well as soften the edges of the rocky, earthy flavor, though I find that the profile isn’t as dynamic or engaging as I would both like and expect. The earthiness begins to develop, rounding and filling out to a better flavor, accented by some black pepper. Retrohales are notably less peppery than they have been to this point, now a very gentle tingle for my nostrils. There’s not much change in the flavor profile until the final two inches, when the flavor gets soft and chewy, offering a flavor that is reminiscent of a really moist brownie, though without the outright chocolate sweetness. It’s both a better flavor and a better experience with the puffs and overall smoking experience. The flavor wraps up around medium-plus, body moves up to medium-plus as well, and strength is still mild. The first and third cigars have brief burn issues, needing full-on relights, while the second cigar doesn’t have any burn issues. All three do well with the draw and burn line, while smoke production is good but feels like a bit more would be beneficial.

Final Notes

• This is not the first time a Monster Series blend has come out first in a smaller vitola in a sampler and then got a full-size release. It also happened with The Mummy, The Chuck and The Tiff.
• Fortunately, the only time the tar showed up was during the middle section of the first cigar. It didn’t return and wasn’t an issue for the other two cigars.
• I’m not crazy about the black-on-black band of the Creature from Tatuaje; I understand the supposed style aesthetic, but I just want to read the band.
• I still remember being at my house in Seattle and securing a box of The Frank, and then receiving it and thinking how utterly cool it was. To think that I reviewed the 101st entry into the Tatuaje Monster Series is a bit mind-blowing.
• If you’re wondering about the next Monster Series redux, it should be The JV13. If the past release schedules hold, it should be arriving in September or maybe early October. That said, Tatuaje has not confirmed its release.
• The cigars for this review were purchased by halfwheel.

• The company lists these as a 6 7/8 x 52 perfecto. The numbers above are the measurements we found for the three cigars used for this review. For reference, 6 7/8 equals 6.875 when using decimals.
• Final smoking time was two hours and 35 minutes on average.
• Site sponsors Cigars Daily, Cigars Direct, Corona Cigar Co., LM Cigars and Small Batch Cigar carry the Creature from Tatuaje.

Creature From Tatuaje
My Father Cigars S.A.
Nicaragua
Perfecto
Tatuaje
Tatuaje Creature
Tatuaje Monster Series