Cigar Review: Don Pepin My Father Limited Edition Toro 2011

Don Pepin My Father Limited Edition Toro 2011 (6 1/2 x 52)

The Don Pepin My Father Limited Edition 2011 is a follow up to the extremely limited My Father 2010 cigars, which were actually hand-rolled by the father and son team of Don Pepin and Jaime Garcia. For the 2011 release, the blend has remained the same, but the Garcia’s did not do the rolling, allowing for a larger production amount. The cigar is a blend of Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos, and a unique wrapper leaf: an Ecuadorian Habano Rosado/Criollo hybrid. Though this batch didn’t receive the special treatment that the 2010 got, the blend itself had gotten rave reviews when it first came out, and I decided it was time to finally check it out.

The special wrapper on the cigar was a creamy dark-brown color with plenty of tooth, oil, and thick veins throughout. There was an upscale look and feel to the cigar, with its elaborate, regal-looking double banding, and seamless construction. Cold draws gave off an interesting mix of red-pepper spice and coffee notes. It was time to light up.

If you’ve ever tasted a Don Pepin creation, you won’t be surprised to hear that this stogie opened up with a robust, heavy taste of black and red pepper spice. There was also some smoky cedar, which started off in the background, and became more pronounced with each ensuing puff. The burn started off with a bit of a lean to it, but the draw had a perfect resistance. About an inch into the smoke the fiery pepper died down quite a bit, and a pronounced note of dark-roast coffee emerged.

As I burned into the second 3rd, the flavor profile of this stick transitioned dramatically from full and robust, to subtle and smooth. This portion of the smoke was creamy and earthy, with notes of espresso and nutmeg, and a slight sweetness on the finish. The stogie was burning slow and staying nice and cool, despite the slightly crooked burn line.

In the final third the flavors turned again, this time to strong leather, bold black pepper, and rich tobacco. Subtle notes of bread and cream helped to balance the heavier flavors. This taste remained consistent for the rest of the cigar, and made for a long-lasting finish.

I found the My Father Limited Edition 2011 to be a well-crafted, complex cigar. Although I usually tend to gravitate towards spicier smokes, I actually most enjoyed the more laid-back flavors of the second 3rd on this particular stick. As far as performance goes, my only complaint would be in reference to the slightly crooked burn, otherwise this stogie smoked like a champ. All things considered, I award the Don Pepin My Father L.E. 2011 a grade of B+, and I would like to smoke it again. This cigar is another example of the great sticks that I’ve come to expect from the My Father factory.  I have a feeling that there will come a time when these are super-scarce, and a lot of guys will be kicking themselves for not grabbing some when they were abundant.

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