Archive for the ‘my_father’ Category

My Father El Centurion

Thursday, August 15th, 2013

In 2007, the El Centurion was released in limited quantities. If my information is correct, this release will be a regular production product, and the blend differs from the original. A friend of mine picked some of these up before I had the chance. His opinion was positive, to say the least. I was able to nab some at a My Father event Ed  had not too long ago. Being a Don Pepin fanboi, I jumped at the chance to buy some.

 

Wrapper: Nicaraguan Sun Grown Criollo 98

Binder: Nicaragua

Filler: Nicaragua

Size: Robusto 5.75 x 50

Price: Around $7.50

 

Pre-Smoke & Construction:

The wrapper was very rugged looking, almost like worn leather. The smell was a fairly strong barnyard (poop). As you’d expect, the cigar was solidly packed, with only minor inconsistencies. The draw had slight resistance, with a dark, earthy, leathery, and sweet flavor.

The burn required a few minor corrections, and the ash held for almost an inch and a half.

1 My_Father_El_Centurion cigars

Flavor:

There was no buildup in the first third. I picked up dark chocolate and espresso from the first puff. Retrohaling revealed an easy pepper. The smoke feel was thick, and the aftertaste lingered for quite some time.

2 My_Father_El_Centurion cigars

Much like the first third, the second third was earthy, with cocoa, espresso, and easy pepper. There was a floral background note, and a touch of cedar.

3 My_Father_El_Centurion cigars

The last third kept the same flavors. The difference was in the delivery. Cocoa and coffee dominated the flavor profile. Pepper was up next, while wood and earth stayed in the background. The aftertaste left a tingle on the gums and lips, and lingered for at least thirty seconds.

4 My_Father_El_Centurion cigars

Conclusion:

This was a very good medium bodied cigar. It has all the flavors and characteristics that I like. The biggest bragging point about the El Centurion is balance. It isn’t the strongest, or even the best, but, it has great balance. I’ll be smoking more of these without a doubt.

El Tiante Habano Oscuro

Wednesday, May 16th, 2012

Once again, I am reviewing an El Tiante cigar. The Oscuro was included in a sampler that I won on the Stogie 411 first anniversary show. Thanks again to Stogie 411 and El Tiante for the smokes! Like the Rosado, the Oscuro is made in the My Father Cigar factory in Esteli, Nicaragua. You know the routine… I paired with fine filtered Florida tap water.

 

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano Oscuro

Binder & Filler: Nicaraguan

Size: Piramide 6 x 52

Price: Around $8.00

 

Pre-Smoke & Construction:

The dark wrapper had virtually no flaws, just a visible seam or two. It had an earthy smell, while the foot was more of a straight up natural tobacco. The cigar was solidly packed, with some minor soft and hard spots. Nothing was drastic enough to be of concern. The draw had slight resistance. The pre-light flavor was a musty, earthy flavor.

The ash held for just over an inch, and the burn required a couple small corrections.

1 El_Tiante_Habano_Oscuro cigars

Flavor:

The first third: Pepper. Nice pepper with a zing. It didn’t take long for black coffee to join in. The aftertaste hung around for awhile, and kept that peppery tingle.

2 El_Tiante_Habano_Oscuro cigars

The pepper calmed just a bit in the second third. It became more of a sweet dry cocoa mixed with pepper. Coffee was up next. Eventually everything evened out and had equal strength. Like before, the aftertaste left a spicy tingle on the tongue and lips. Everything just came together in this third.

3 El_Tiante_Habano_Oscuro cigars

The last third kept the same core flavors – peppery sweet spice, cocoa, and black coffee. What changed was the delivery. Strength increased, and everything just tasted richer than before.

4 El_Tiante_Habano_Oscuro cigars

Conclusion:

This was a good, solid medium bodied cigar. The flavor profile was pretty simple and straight forward, but well refined. Construction was great as well, which is what we’ve come to expect from anything out of the My Father factories. What about the price? It’s a little on the high end, but the cigar does deliver. You’ll have to judge for yourself. I liked it!

El Tiante Habano Rosado

Thursday, May 10th, 2012

Recently I Skyped with the Stogie 411 show on their first anniversary. I hung around in the chat room, and before I knew it, I somehow won a sampler from El Tiante. So thanks to Stogie 411 and El Tiante for the cigars! If my information is correct, this cigar was blended by Don Pepin Garcia, and is made in the My Father factory.

 

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano Rosado

Binder & Filler: Nicaraguan

Size: Toro 6 x 50

Price: $7.98

 

Pre-Smoke & Construction:

The wrapper was oily and shiny, real shiny. No flaws were noticed, just some medium sized veins here and there. The smell of the wrapper reminded me of hay. The foot had more of an earthy, spicy odor. The cigar was evenly packed, and was rock solid. Despite this, the draw was good, with slight resistance. The pre-light flavor was hard to pin down. I’d say it was leathery and earthy.

The ash held for around an inch, and the burn required only one minor correction.

1 El_Tiante_Habano_Rosado cigars

Flavor:

The first third opened up with a woody flavor. It wasn’t the usual cedar though. Retrohaling revealed a nice peppery spice that had a tinge of sweetness. The aftertaste was earthy with hay. Simple but good.

2 El_Tiante_Habano_Rosado cigars

The peppery spice mellowed out a bit in the second third. Woodiness remained, but fell to the background. It was mostly noticeable in the aftertaste. The smoke took on a creamy feel, mixed with a sweet spice. At times, I could swear there was a floral component, but it was illusive and I never pinned it down. Overall the flavor profile seemed much more refined than in the first third.

3 El_Tiante_Habano_Rosado cigars

The last third saw an uptick of the sweet spice. It reminded me of tingly cinnamon and pepper. As a result, the aftertaste was very sweet and clung to the mouth and lips. There still was a woody and earthy component, as well as that elusive floral note.

4 El_Tiante_Habano_Rosado cigars

Conclusion:

This was a very good medium to full bodied cigar. It had a nice build of flavors, body, and strength. The flavors were simple, yet there were complexities that were challenging at times. There is nothing to complain about. I could smoke more of these, and would recommend them.

La Reloba Seleccion Sumatra

Monday, April 16th, 2012

Today’s review is another Pepin creation and is made by My Father Cigars. I will admit, I am a bit of a Pepin whore. Like many of you out there, I like many of his blends. As you’ve come to expect, I lack any more details about this cigar. So let’s get to it…

 

Wrapper: Ecuador Sumatra

Binder: Nicaragua

Filler: Nicaragua

Size: Torpedo 6.12 x 52

Price: Around $6.00

 

Pre-Smoke & Construction:

The oily wrapper had no visible flaws, and had some blotchy color variances. The smell of the wrapper was a mild, sweet earthiness with wood. The foot smelled the same, but had a spicy note. The cigar had some minor soft and hard spots, and bounced back when squeezed. The draw was good, with slight resistance. The pre-light draw was a simple sweet earthiness with cedar.

The burn required one minor correction, and the ash held for just over an inch.

1 La_Reloba_Seleccion_Sumatra cigars

Flavor:

The first third had a smooth cedary core with some pepper through the nose. It wasn’t your traditional black pepper, it was much smoother and had a slight zing. A sweet, floral undertone developed a little later.

2 La_Reloba_Seleccion_Sumatra cigars

In the second third, the pepper calmed down significantly. Cedar and nuts took it’s place (yes, I said wood and nuts). The floral notes fell to the background, and a sweetness came to the forefront. It was slightly bitter and reminded me of dark chocolate. A spice developed that had a cinnamony sweet tingle.

3 La_Reloba_Seleccion_Sumatra cigars

The last third kept pace with the second third. The cinnamon spice was more noticeable, and the strength and body may have increased slightly.

4 La_Reloba_Seleccion_Sumatra cigars

Conclusion:

This was a good medium to full bodied cigar. It didn’t have that peppery blast you may expect from a Pepin blend, and I have no problem with that. It shows some versatility in his blending style. There is really nothing bad to report. I’d recommend this cigar any day.

Tatuaje La Casita Criolla

Tuesday, December 27th, 2011

I picked up this cigar at Ed’s shop. Being a Tatuaje fan, I had to try it. After looking at the stats, it peaked my curiosity more. All Connecticut broadleaf cigar? Who has heard of such a thing? Not me… I was expecting something pretty mild and predictable. Let’s see how it went…

 

Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf

Binder/Filler: Connecticut Broadleaf

Size: Short Churchill 6.5 x 48

Price: Around $7.00

 

Pre-Smoke & Construction:

The dark wrapper was very rugged looking with a blotchy appearance and decent sized veins. This isn’t a bad thing in my opinion. The wrapper had a dark earthy smell, and the foot was more woody. The cigar had some give when squeezed, and had one tight spot around the middle. The pre-light draw had some resistance, but fell within my tolerances. The pre-light flavor was woody, earthy and a bit sweet.

The burn required no corrections, and the ash held for about an inch before flaking off.

1 Tatuaje La_Casita_Criolla cigars

Flavor:

The first third started out with a dominant coffee flavor. There was a slight pepper when passing smoke through the sinus. A spice developed that had a small sweet tingle on the lips and tongue. After about 2 inches in, it was a mixture of coffee, a slight bitter chocolate, spice, and notes of earthiness and sweet spice on the aftertaste. The smoke feel was fairly thick.

2 Tatuaje La_Casita_Criolla cigars

The second third had a thicker smoke feel, creamy even. It had coffee with sweetness added. There was also that bitter component you’d get from dark chocolate. The sweet tingly spice increased in strength a bit but remained smooth. The aftertaste had all these components, but had an interesting, almost floral note to it. There may have been a nutty component as well. This third became very complex and hard to nail down for me.

3 Tatuaje La_Casita_Criolla cigars

The last third basically kept the same pace with the second third. It was complex and full of flavor. The strength may have crept into the full range. A very enjoyable experience.

4 Tatuaje La_Casita_Criolla cigars

Conclusion:

As you’ve gathered, I really liked this medium to full bodied cigar. The stigma that anything Connecticut will be mild and predictable is gone. It packed in the flavors, was pretty complex, and had me stumped most of the time. At the same time it was easy to smoke and relax. I can see this appealing to a large audience of smokers. If I were you I’d try it asap.

My Father El Hijo-Smoke Inn Exclusive

Thursday, July 28th, 2011

The My Father El Hijo is the third installment in the Smoke Inn Microblend series. The first installment was the Tatuaje Anarchy, and the second was the Padron 1964 Anniversary SI-I5. As you may have gathered, these lines are exclusive to Smoke Inn. Back to the cigar at hand…

The foot was left unfinished so the first few puffs are wrapperless. The complete run is only 650 fifteen count boxes, which will be released August 12th, 2011 at Smoke Inn’s West Palm location. You can also order at their website. Now that we have the details out of the way, I paired up with water as usual, and smoked a couple of these cigars.

 

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano

Binder: Nicaragua

Filler: Nicaragua

Size: 5.5 x 52

Price: $9.75

 

Pre-Smoke & Construction:

The dark brown wrapper had minimal flaws, and some medium to small veins. The cap lifted just a little but didn’t cause any problems. The wrapper had a mild earthy smell, while the foot was more spicy. The cigar was consistently packed, and bounced back when squeezed. The pre-light draw had slight resistance, with a dark coffee type of flavor.

The ash held for about 3/4 of an inch, and the burn required no corrections.

1 My_Father_El_Hijo cigars

Flavor:

The first third immediately started with pepper with a nice zing. A woody flavor accompanied it as well. After a few puffs I moved past the shaggy foot and got into the wrapper. From there the smoke smoothed out a bit. The pepper also calmed a little, but it kept it’s zing when passing smoke through the nose. The flavor profile settled in to cedar, coffee and wispy earthy notes. After about 1.5 inches in, the smoke smoothed out into a buttery, velvety smooth feel.

2 My_Father_El_Hijo cigars

The second third continued with that buttery smooth smoke feel. The main flavor was coffee and cedar. Through the nose, the zingy pepper remained but wasn’t hash. Sometimes there were hints of earthiness and an unidentified sweetness. At around the half way point the smoke became less buttery, not in a bad way. It simply dried out a little.

3 My_Father_El_Hijo cigars

The last third saw a return of that buttery smoothness. Some draws felt dry, others were not. The core flavors remained coffee and wood. Through the nose, the peppery spice calmed in to a sweet cinnamon. The zing was constant throughout, leaving a nice aftertaste. The sweetness developed into something similar to caramel.

4 My_Father_El_Hijo cigars

Conclusion:

This was a very very good medium to full bodied cigar. Thanks to Smoke Inn for sending me a couple samples to try. This is a slow burner with great construction characteristics and flavor. The price is on the high end of my comfort zone, but I think it delivers. I think they are definitely worth a try, especially if you are a fan of My Father cigars.

La Reloba Seleccion Habano

Thursday, March 17th, 2011

The La Reloba Seleccion Habano is a product from Don Pepin Garcia. I obtained this cigar from a Pepin event at St. Pete Cigar not long ago. This cigar is offered with a Sumarta wrapper or the Habano, which I am smoking today. As usual, I don’t have a ton of information about this cigar. All I can offer you are my thoughts. I paired this cigar with water.

 

Wrapper: Nicaraguan Habano

Binder: Nicaragua

Filler: Nicaragua

Size: Robusto 5 x 50

Price: Around $5.50

 

Pre-Smoke & Construction:

Overall, the cigar looked like it was well constructed. The wrapper had small veins with no major flaws. The wrapper and foot had a mild cedary odor. When squeezing the cigar, I found it to be very tightly packed. This probably explains why the draw was a little stiff. The pre-light draw had an interesting dark, almost musty, earthy tobacco flavor.

The burn required several small corrections, and the ash held for about an inch. The stiff draw opened up a little and wasn’t a problem.

1La_Reloba_Seleccion_Habano

Flavor:

The first third didn’t really have a build up. It started right away with a mainly dark earthiness, wood, and a decent spicy pepper. The spice was mainly noticeable when passing smoke through the sinus. A sweetness developed a little later on in this third.

2La_Reloba_Seleccion_Habano

The second third had a significant decrease in the peppery spice, but it did not go away by any means. The core flavors were wood and a sweetness that was somewhere in between cocoa and caramel. Earthy notes were noticed, but only occasionally, and far in the background.

3La_Reloba_Seleccion_Habano

The last third kept pace with the second third. The main differences was a reduction in sweetness. In turn, cedar became the dominant flavor. The peppery spice became more noticeable as well.

4La_Reloba_Seleccion_Habano

Conclusion:

This was a good medium to upper medium bodied cigar. At times the flavor profile seemed unbalanced. But most of the time it was pretty smooth and good. In the end, I enjoyed this cigar. 
This is definitely is not Pepin’s best blend, but I think it is worth a try.

March 11th, 2011 – My Father/Pepin Cigar Event

Monday, March 7th, 2011

 

Make sure to mark your calendar now for the Pepin cigar smoker event at St. Pete Cigar on March 11th, 2011 from 5PM to 8pm. See you there!

St Pete Cigar logo v2

Note from Ed:

We are launching the “First” cigar event of the year on Friday, March 11th from 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm.  We have a new line of cigars from Don Pepin Garcia and the My Father cigars.  They are very excited to be doing the first event of the year for us.

As we have done in the past, buy 3 cigars and get 1 free, buy 5 cigars and get 2 free.  When you buy a box you get 7 free cigars along with 15% off the price!  There will be great door prizes and we will be serving food.  The food is being sponsored by The Law Office of Ron Croft in Seminole Florida.
Tell all your friends to come and enjoy the event in the new cigar lounge.
Thank you again for your support.

My Father Le Bijou 1922

Tuesday, February 22nd, 2011

Ed and I stopped by The Stogie Review once again for our monthly guest spot. As always, the review is posted here for archive purposes.

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The My Father Le Bijou is blended by Don Pepin Garcia. I enjoy the Le Bijou more then the original My Father, which was blended by Don’s son, Jaime. While the flavors are simple and pretty straight forward, I think this is a great smoke.

With the additional capacity of the shop and addition of a lounge, there was a bit of activity taking place during the review. This sort of threw us off at times, which you will surely notice.

Since the straight forward flavor profile left us short for words at times, we sent a tweet out asking if anyone had anything to ask of Ed. Mike from MikesStogies.com chimed in, so Ed and I had some random banter about what we look for when buying cigars. Check out what we thought in this video cigar review.

Running time – 23 minutes.

MP3 Audio Only

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