Review: Don Pepin Garcia Firecracker


In my quest to try every cigar that Pepín García makes, I ran across the Don Pepin Garcia Firecracker, which is a cigar that is make exclusively for Two Guys Smoke Shop in New Hampshire. It looked interesting shape wise, so I ordered a few to try out.

The stick itself is a 3 X 50 cigar with what looks like (appropriately enough, given the name) a fuse on top and a shaggy foot. It is a very cool look, but a 3 inch stick sounds longer than it really is. This thing is PUNY, meaning you will not mistake it for a “A” anytime soon. Like the other cigars in the Don Pepin Garcia “Blue Label”  Line (the name is “Don Pepin Garcia” and features a blue band) – all of the tobacco used is from Nicaragua.

  • Cigar Reviewed: Don Pepin Garcia Firecracker
  • Country of Origin: Nicaragua
  • Factory: Tabacalera Cubanas S.A.
  • Wrapper: Nicaragua
  • Binder: Nicaragua
  • Filler: Nicaragua
  • Size: 3 Inches
  • Ring Gauge: 50
  • Vitola: Firecracker
  • MSRP: $4.99 (Boxes of 50, $157.50)
  • Date Released: June 2007

Don Pepin Garcia Firecracker 1.png

The cigar literally NUKED me with pepper from the first puff. However, interestingly, it was almost like a chili pepper taste, not a black pepper taste. The best way to describe it is as a more HOT pepper, kinda like pepper and spice together in almost equal amounts. It was like taking all of the power and flavor from a regular Don Pepin Garcia (Blue Label) cigar, and condensing it into a 45 minute smoke.

Dominate flavors were chili pepper (duh), some spice, leather and a just a tiny bit of cedar. This is NOT the most complex of cigars, the flavors did not change at all from the beginning to the end (although the Intensity of the power ebbed and flowed, even in such a small stick), but it was extremely enjoyable nonetheless, mostly due to the well balanced pepper flavor.

Don Pepin Garcia Firecracker 2.png

It did get very hot at the end with about a half inch left; so much that I had to put it down. There was also an almost amazing amount of smoke for such small stick, which smelled quite a bit like… pepper! The burn and draw were great all the way through, but that is the case with most of the DPG sticks.

The Bottom Line: While not as good a smoke as the Fuente Short Story or even the Tatuaje Petit Reserva, I enjoyed this cigar quite a bit, and will keep a few on hand for when I want that classic Pepin Blue taste, but quite a bit more power.

 

Final Score: 88

11 comments
Jeff Lopez
Jeff Lopez

Wow! That was a pretty quick review. Nickname "Firecracker" does suit the cigar, hope it does'nt burst out in the mouth. But my favorite still remains the cuban cigar Habanos.

LiLo
LiLo

Great review, These are great north east winter smokes! :)

SignalHill323
SignalHill323

Nice review... though you should probably point out that its quite a peppery smoke. I didn't quite get that sense from your review! ;-)

Nice pics once again. The blue in the label really come out very well in contracts to the "Two Guys" site pic which is completely washed out.

dj
dj

Neat! And w/o your review, I might not have given them a second glance.

cpstaley
cpstaley

I had been looking for these for awhile...didn't know they were exclusive to a specific store, now I know where I can get some...

alden
alden

Brooks--

Good review. i agree that it's not as good as the tatuaje petit reservas (my fav). It pretty dang good. Still got a few left in the Humi.

SkinsFanLarry
SkinsFanLarry

Brooksey, great review as always....love your pic's my brother!

Cyrann
Cyrann

I like these... yet for some reason always forget about them.

AJ
AJ

Thanks for the quickie Brooks! :) I've got one of these waiting for me in the humi!

dstokley
dstokley

thanks for the review brooks, that is an interesting length for a cigar.

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  1. [...] redux review is of a cigar I reviewed back when SmokingStogie.com was still relatively new, the Don Pepin Garcia Firecracker.I wrote this back in September of 2009:In my quest to try every cigar that Pepín García makes, I [...]