Don Pepin Garcia “Blue”
I’ve been on a bit of a Pepin kick these days. When I saw the blue label sitting on the shelf of some random shop in the area, I had to pick a couple up for review. I can’t remember the name of the shop, but I do remember the selection was limited, and the humidity was way to high for cigar storage. I had to let the cigars rest a bit in proper storage before lighting up. After a small meal, I grabbled the usual cup of water and got to the review…
Wrapper: Corojo Oscuro
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Size: Invicto 5 x 50
Price: Around $7.00
Pre-smoke & Construction:
The cigar was visually appealing. The brown wrapper looked oily with a few veins here and there. Sniffing it revealed a slight sweetness and wood. Sniffing the foot had more of a peppery odor and actually made me sneeze. When I squeezed the cigar, I found no soft spots. If anything, it was a little too firm for my liking. The pre-light draw, as predicted, was a little snug and tasted of sweet earthiness.
I had to do a few burn corrections, and the ash was rock solid for well over an inch. The tough draw loosened up quickly after lighting and became a distant memory.
Flavor:
As I suspected, the first third opened up with a blast of peppery spice. A smooth earthiness followed, with a thick feeling texture afterwards. After an inch or so, the pepper calmed a bit and leveled out.
The second third kept that peppery edge, but at the same time smoothed out into what would be the theme for the rest of the cigar. A sweet earthiness remained while hints of coffee and mocha came and went. One puff, there they are, the next, gone. Repeat this for the entire third. Good times…
You’d think the last third of the cigar is when it would reach it’s peak intensity. Not the case this time. That peppery “Pep” remained but calmed down a lot. It still had a nice zing, but like I said, it calmed down substantially. This allowed the sweet earthy notes to shine and mingle with coffee and slight woody flavors.
Conclusion:
This was a really good full bodied cigar. It had that signature Pepin blend I so much enjoy these days. I’m a fan of spicy foods and a good cigar with smooth blasts of pepper. I appreciate how the initial draws told me to “Pay attention!” Don Pepin Garcia – You’ve got a winner here.
