The Light Up:
Don Pepin Garcia released the My Father Le Bijou 1922 cigars at the IPCPR show in New Orleans. The original My Father line was created by Jaime Garcia as a tribute to his father, likewise the Le Bijou which means “the jewel” in French was created by Don Pepin to honor his father who was born in 1922. The Habano Oscuro wrapper was thick and had a beautiful shimmer to it. Using all Nicaraguan tobacco and bearing a new secondary band, this cigar looked more appealing than the original My Father line. Now to the good stuff. Sitting on my back porch, I had in my hand another treat, the My Father Le Bijou 1922 by Don Pepin Garcia. This 6″ x 52 toro was dark and rich. The wrapper had a intriguing scent, like cream or vanilla. The construction was hearty with lots of tobacco packed tightly and wound into perfection by the skilled hands of tobacco artisans. At first puff, the blend was missing the customary Pepin spiciness. I expected there to be more strength like the original, but it lacked in that department a little as well.

The Mid-Stick:
Passing the quarter marker, the cigar began to lose some flavor. The spiciness still remained and was almost unpleasant. The spiciness caught you right in the back of your throat. Some coffee and mocha undertones were present but overpowered. Some hints of sweetness were present and the ash and burn were consistent. I was sitting there contemplating the differences and realized there was no comparison. The original had outdone the current version.

The Finish:
Although the construction was flawless and appearance was gorgeous, I was a little disappointed. I had expected the follow up to blow the original My Father line out of the water. Maybe I got a lemon, who knows. I’ll have to revisit this cigar after aging a few and see what changes occur. The price point didn’t help either. At nearly $12.00 a stick these puppies failed to impress, hey you don’t until you’ve tried them all, right?. We’ll see how it compares the next go around, an 89 in my opinion.

Happy Smoking!
Jorgie

The Light Up:
Ernie Padilla has done it again! Using Corojo 2006 tobacco to blend his new Padilla Dominus brand, this all Nicaraguan-grown blend is fantastic. The Corojo 2006 wrapper has a beautiful shimmer to it and a rich reddish brown color reminiscent of a fine Cohiba. The tobacco was packed nicely and the cigar had good weight to it. I was anxious to see what this cigar had up its sleeve. The light up was tasty with notes of hazelnut and coffee. Strength was medium with some peppery accents. A quarter into the cigar, I was beginning to experience the complexity of the blend. There was definitely more ahead.

The Mid-Stick:
Coming up on the half way point, the cigar picked up some strength. The blend was now full with plenty of smoke. Coffee and hazelnut still lingered and were soon joined by a strong cocoa flavor. The wrapper was burning evenly and the aroma was tantalizing. The draw perfect.

The Finish:
Remaining consistent with his brands, Ernie Padilla was on the mark again, producing another fantastic cigar. The complexity and quality of his cigar is what keeps me smoking the brand. The cigar had neared the end and had remained smooth and creamy all the way through. Although the strength had increased towards the end, the cigar never strayed too far from the initial idea of a smooth full bodied blend. I would definitely recommend trying one for yourself if you’re a Padilla fan, and if not, you’ll soon become one! Although a little pricy at $9.00 for a Robusto, it’s still worth trying. A well deserved 91!

Happy Smoking!
Jorgie

The Light Up:
Here’s a product we’re all familiar with (or I’d hope you would be). My uncle surprised me with this beauty on New Years Eve and I was excited. Padrón has long been my go to cigar whether it be the 3000 maduro or any of the 1964, 1926 or pretty much any Padrón product. It’s been about a year since I enjoyed a Padrón. Call me crazy, but with all of the new boutique cigars on the uprise, I decided to try the newbies and see what the hype was all about. They were all good, but no Padrón! The cigar was gorgeous. A beautiful, shiny maduro which reminded me of fine Godiva chocolates. My first instinct was to look at the foot of the cigar for what I call the chocolate swirls (being the ligero in the blend). For the obvious reason these chocolate swirls made for a more flavorful cigar. I taught my uncle to search for them when I worked at the shop. I’m glad he listened, I taught him well!! The construction, appearance, smell and feel were all flawless, like the perfect diamond. I knew I was in for a treat. I made sure to break out my best equipment for the occasion (glad I brought them along). I carefully cut the head making sure not to cut off too much. You get nervous when you have such a beauty on your hands and want to make sure you do everything right. I lit the cigar with a cedar strip, just for some extra woodiness, not that it needed it! I began my journey into cigar heaven. At first puff my mouth was exploding with flavor. By the first quarter, I was looking forward to the rest.

The Mid-Stick:
Nearing the halfway point, the cigar was on a roll. A chocolate aroma was in the air, while cedar, cream and cocoa entertained my palate like a great show. The burn was perfect and the ash was an exceptional light grey. This cigar was everything a premium cigar should be and then some. Continuing on past the second half of the cigar was pure bliss. The only thing missing was some fine scotch, which oddly enough was no where to be found! No need, the cigar was keeping me busy and the holiday coquito ( a Puerto Rican Egg Nog which has coconut milk, cinnamon, vanilla extract, evaporated milk, condensed milk and Rum. I’ll post a recipe soon!) was good enough.

The Finish:
What’s left to say? The cigar was everything I had remembered and hoped for. I’m really anxious to go out and get a Family Reserve No.45 Maduro (review coming soon). I’ve heard that cigar is wonderful, but back to the Exclusivo. Heading towards the home stretch, this baby never lost any flavor, aroma or strength. It’s what you’ve come to expect from a super premium product. Nicaragua has long been my favorite countries of cigar production. Padrón is the staple of the country. Just the subtle mention of Padrón sends cigar smokers to the store or their humidors, myself included. Price, who cares! This is one of those cigars you smoke on special occasions. Verdict: if you haven’t smoked one, you’re missing out!! A well respected 93!

Happy Smoking!
Jorgie

The Light Up:
Here’s my first cigar review and boy did this cigar surprise me! I walked into Corona Cigars the other day and grabbed this off the shelf. The cigar was beautiful and shiny like a new car! The wrapper was very oily and smelled wonderful. I was determined to get the full experience, so I took a seat in their lovely lounge and proceeded to smoke. I must admit, I haven’t smoked an Alec Bradley cigar since the original Trilogy came out, which has been quite sometime. Not because I wasn’t a fan, but because I was unfamiliar with the product, so I stuck with what I knew (as most of us do). I’ve seen their impressive ratings and decided to give it a try. The cigar started out with a bang! My first mouthful of smoke was intense with woody and creamy aromas floating around my palate, brushing against my tongue exciting my senses. The cigar was definitely a lot stronger than I had expected, thus putting me into a more euphoric state. The burn started off a little uneven, but straightened out with a little encouragement.

The Mid-Stick:
The Corojo 2006 wrapper grown in Trojes, Honduras was burning nicely. Half way through the cigar I was experiencing what most of us do with a great cigar, wonderful aromas of cedar, with a hint of chocolate like a hershey’s kiss. Other scents made their way out and into my nasal passage. At the point of no return, the cigar was burning nicely and I can now experience the full effect of the tried and true blend. I can tell this was blended for the experienced smoker as the cigar was very complex in nature.

The Finish:
Once to the band (as we all have had to make this decision before with a great cigar) I decided to keep on going. The cigar had maintained it’s complexity and strength from beginning to near end. I was still getting mouthfuls of smoke and the taste and aroma were still there, never once dwindling down the path of failure. I was impressed! At $11.75 and with the natural torpedo size of 6″ x 52, this was worth every cent! I loved the box pressed feel and look and would definitely add a few of these to the collection. Definitely not for the novice smoker! My overall opinion, go out and experience one for yourself! I give this cigar a well deserved 91!

Happy Smoking!
Jorgie