When Pete Johnson released the La Riqueza SE in 2022, it was listed as one of the best cigars of the year on NJBS.  Only 4,500 boxes of 10 were produced. In this review, I wanted to see how it performed after more than two years of aging in the humidor.

• Wrapper: USA Connecticut Broadleaf
• Binder: Nicaraguan
• Filler: Nicaraguan
• Size: Toro soft box press, 5 5/8 x 54

The cigar features a silky smooth, slightly mottled coffee brown wrapper with no soft spots. The foot offers aromas of leather, coffee, and earth. The draw is firm, with a cold draw revealing sweet notes of barnyard and cocoa.

The first few puffs present notes of leather and cedar, with undertones of sweet cocoa. The burn is fairly even, with a razor-thin burn line. The ash is white-gray and holds well, naturally falling off after about a quarter inch.

The flavor profile remains consistent in the second third with notes of leather and cedar, becoming creamier as it progressed. The burn went from fairly even to very straight, and the ash continued to fall naturally between 1/4 and 1/2 and inch. In the final third, the leather and cedar notes deepened. The cigar maintained as medium in body and medium strength throughout.

The La Riqueza SE 2022 was very consistent in its profile and showed that it has held up well since its release. While the last two years did take some of the power and strength, there was a bit more nuance to it than I remember. If you are a Tatuaje fan, this will not disappoint and is not just blowing smoke. Recommended…if you can find it. Of course, now I am going to have to do a review of this year’s La Riqueza release. I am looking forward to that.