French for “the workshop,” the L’atelier cigar brand debuted in 2012 by owner Pete Johnson, best known for his Tatuaje brand. The flagship L’Atelier brand was introduced in three sizes that are virtually identical to the trio of sizes in Cuba’s Cohiba Behike line, right down to the pigtail caps. In the years since, Johnson has expanded L’Atelier with lines such as La Mission and Côte d’Or. Each blend includes at least one leaf of Sancti Spiritus tobacco, a hybrid of the Criollo and Pelo de Oro seed varietals. All L’Atelier cigars are rolled by the Garcia family in their factory in Nicaragua.