My Father by Don Pepin Garcia No. 1 Cigar Review

Happy Post-Father's Day!

I didn't have time to photo fresh cigar photos, maybe when I get the chance but I have a simple snapshot off my phone when I was puffing away...so without further ado, this is the Garcia family "My Father" cigar, supposed named in honor by Jaime to his father Jose Pepin Garcia. My father has always been a very basic person, work (save to support the family), eat simple, gamble a little in Mahjong, watch sports and love the family, so I try to honor him when I can. He doesn't smoke cigars. But for all the dad's that do take care of their kids well...

The background of the father's cigars, Jose Pepin, has a good reputation and the name just brings enthusiasm in wanting to try such an honor. I tried this cigar when I first got it, didn't take notes like so many cigars. I just enjoyed them without a thought but I remembered it being good and then again yesterday on Father's Day, I'll bring you the notes for the second cigar.

I had a five pack of the No. 1

Vitola: Robusto (5.25" x 52RG)

Price: $10.00

Wrapper: Ecuador (Cuban Origin) Habano

Binder:Nicaragua (Cuban Origin)

Filler: Nicaragua (Cuban Origin)

Aged in Humidor: 1 Year 6 Months

Appearance and Construction:

It's built well not too tight though. The cigar looks like any other cigar similar to the others from Esteli. The wrapper is a tan color.

Draw: A bit on the loose side but it's right

Aroma: Medium aged sweetness with hints of a buttery scent

Ash: Light grey with a little flaking, no black burn rings, there are ripples but rolled evenly

Fumes: Medium

Burn: A speckle of uneven

Boldness: Medium
Harshness: Only light bitterness at the end
Strength: Medium to Lightly Strong
Complexity: It does have it's points where the notes change but not overly so

Tasting Notes:

Before I leave it in the humidor out of the clear wrap for a few months, I take a whiff of the foot while still clear wrapped is if of caramelized/aged almost sweet tobacco. One of the cigars you can taste the soil it comes from. The cold draw is a light spice especially a little tingle when touching the tip of my tongue.

(1) Grassy
(2) Sweet in a aged tobacco leaf
(3) Just to throw it out there during it's first impression from a smell of the wrapper before even lighting it is like a sweet potato pie (I think the aroma has been building up)

Initial light (circling with butane lighter): Toasty caramel-like creamy air of well aged tobacco leaf, smooth.

1 cm in: notes of dark candy

The first half is as described with a toasty, aged sweetness of tobacco leaf, hints of caramel, a nice sweet buttery aroma and occasional hints of spice, woody (cedar) and tobacco.

Up to the second of third half and the fumes are a gentle, slowing down a bit as I let it rest with a nice calmer profile in taste than the first. Still toasty, lighter in the caramel-like notes and a airy buttery profile to compliment. This is where I notice the speckle of uneven burn midway through the second and I touch it up and after a few more minutes at about 2.5" the ash drops, I am being gentle.

Forgive me for adding some notes because I'm also reflecting on life as I sit back and enjoy each puff... Like a bonsai tree to know where to cut, know the things in life to keeps things at bay or as they are when they are beautiful or at it's joy. I'm also reminded of a quote that without knowing harshness there's no sweetness in life. This cigar has very little harshness and that little speckle of uneven burn is part of life's beauty.

I'll end the last part of the second with dissipating caramel sweetness, still toasty but it gets a feeling like I'm smoking a average cigarette or cheap cigar now. I'm losing interest.

I leave it alone to rest for a few minutes then bring the butane lighter and bring it back to life as it dies out a bit.

On relighting the third I get a a deep charcoal toast and then as I let it burn a tranquil buttery toasty profile comes back with the a dark toasty caramel on tobacco. It has a different aroma this time, a little less enjoyable. It's the same profile but faded and more rustic. It's profile is bolder with a tannin note. It's complexity is somewhere in between liking and not liking. It comes and goes with blandness of an average cigar to bits of dark toast. Down to a little less than 2 inches left and I'm not really enjoying the cigar any more. It's dark almost like toasting wood charcoal. Overall I'd rate this a 91 cigar, enjoyable, no real harsh spots but be aware of upper medium to dark boldness.

I also have much respect for the positive things that outshine the negative things my father does, in the same naming honor