The Light Up:
I attended the My Father event here in Orlando briefly and was able to snag a few of these beauty’s. I had the honor of seeing Ms. Janny Garcia and what a beauty she was! The cigars were beautiful as well. I purchased two of the No.1′s and a No.2 which qualified me to received a free Cuban Classic cigar by Don Pepin. I’ll smoke and review all of these soon. The My Father line was created by Jaime Garcia to honor his father José Pepin Garcia. He secretly worked on the line until someone in the factory leaked the little secret and Pepin found out and obviously approved! The Nicaraguan filler and binder were grown at the Garcia farms in Nicaragua, while the wrapper was acquired from Oliva. I lit the No.1 up which happened to be a robusto, and right away the cigar was slightly peppery. Although a little spice is a Pepin signature, it wasn’t overpowering. Instead I received an earthiness similar to sweet feed or hay. The cigar had lots of smoke and great body with hints of cocoa and coffee lingering around my palate. I’d lean more to the fuller side of the spectrum rather than medium bodied. With smoke in the air and a fully belly from Carlos’N Charlie’s, I proceeded.

The Mid-Stick:
Heading towards the middle of the cigar, it’s heartiness emerged. The spice had returned and the new taste of caramel touched my tongue and gave it a jolt of satisfaction. This was another addition to the Garcia family masterpieces. The cigar burned exceptionally well, despite the windy conditions. I never once had to relight or retouch the cigar, signifying a perfect construction, a characteristic of the Garcia’s quality and knowledge of cigar making. Heading towards the home stretch, I wondered what else this secret would unveil.

The Finish:
Nearing the band, I realized there were no more secrets. She has left it all on the table and the evidence was plentiful. Grey ash laid scattered in the ashtray. The end was near, could this be that there were no more surprises left? I didn’t care, I ventured on past the band and enjoyed every inch. I understand why Cigar Aficionado announced this as their No.3 cigar of the 2009. It lays out everything in front of you and all that’s left for you to do is sit back and enjoy, no need for secrets! Would I smoke it again? Definitely! Verdict: Find one and enjoy! Decently priced at $10.00 and 5.2″ x 52. A strong 92!

Happy Smoking!
Jorgie

The Light Up:
I hope the Holidays were great and everyone got their favorite smokes out of the humidor. This is the first review of the three cigars I smoked on New Years Eve. I remember when CAO first released the MX2 over four years ago. I was working at Sabor Havana Cigars in Miami, FL and was a CAO fan. This new dark beauty reminded me of a gorgeous bar of dark chocolate fresh out of the wrapper. I remember smoking the Robusto which became my favorite and thinking it was a great cigar for the price. CAO strikes again!! This time touching me with one of my favorite things, a box pressed cigar. At first glance on the shelf, I must admit I was over anxious to get my hands on it! Once in my possession, I laid it to rest for about two weeks for the occasion. The cigar wasn’t on the “to smoke list” for New Years Eve, but I really hadn’t made up my mind as to what I was going to smoke, so I packed my travel box with plenty of goodies! Again my curiosity struck when I opened the travel box, and decided to end this torture. Once in my hand, this cigar had some weight on it. Nice and tightly packed, box pressed, I was again in love with the MX2 thus far. The construction, flawless, but what caught my eye once again was the beautiful Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro wrapper! When I lit it up, there was a lot of smoke, and no it wasn’t the fireworks going on around me! Once a quarter into the smoke, I could already taste the spiciness of the Brazilian Maduro binder and the nice fillers that crept through oh so gently onto my palate.

The Mid-Stick:
Half-way through this beauty and I was already thinking about purchasing more to add to the collection. The burn was a little uneven because of the thickness of the double wrapper, but it evened out as the cigar warmed up. The cigar had plenty of body. Medium to Full Bodied, but very smooth on it’s strength transitions. It had now developed a woody, earthy taste with subtle hints of chocolate in the background. The spiciness had faded away, but was replaced with a smooth creaminess. The ash was also impressive, white and sturdy. I lost my first ash at around a third way into the cigar, not bad considering that I had just stood it up on my ashtray for a few seconds, a sign of great construction and good tobacco.

The Finish:
By the time I removed the secondary band and worked my way to the original band, I was in smoker’s heaven. Those of you who have smoked a good cigar know what I’m referring to. That point where time seems to stand still and you seem to be the only one in the room. The moment where you’ve realized you had made a great decision on your purchase, and the point where you want to rush out and buy another. The cigar had developed nicely and the blend was now the star of the show. At 5 1/2″ x 55 and a price just under $7.00, this cigar is at the right price for the everyday smoker. I think Newbies can handle this one, so go out and splurge a little! A definite 91!

Happy Smoking!
Jorgie