Don Pepín García 20th Anniversary Limited Edition Humidor Connecticut

For the 20th anniversary of the Don Pepín García brand, which occurred in 2023, My Father Cigars, Inc. created a pair of limited edition releases though a total of three cigars. The first is the Don Pepín García 20th Anniversary Limited Edition, a 6 1/2 x 52 toro extra that uses a Nicaraguan habano 2000 wrapper, a Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos sourced from Nicaragua, including pelo de oro tobacco. Production was limited to 5,000 boxes of 20 cigars, with 3,900 of those boxes allocated for the U.S. market and the remaining 1,100 boxes slated for other markets. In the U.S., each of those cigars has an MSRP of $40.

But for an even more limited and higher-end release, My Father Cigars partnered with Elie Bleu to create 75 humidors with 100 cigars inside, split evenly between two blends. Both blends are described as variations of the Don Pepín García Original blend, more commonly known as the Blue Label.

The first blend, the Don Pepín García 20th Anniversary Limited Edition Humidor Corojo, uses a Nicaraguan corojo 99 wrapper atop a Nicaraguan binder and filler, which includes pelo de oro tobacco. The other blend, Don Pepín García 20th Anniversary Limited Edition Humidor Connecticut, also uses a Nicaraguan binder and filler, including pelo de oro, but has an Ecuadorian Connecticut shade wrapper. Pelo de oro, as has been documented numerous times before, is known for being challenging to grow due to its proclivity for developing mold, yet the flavor has been celebrated, with the García family some of the varietal’s most ardent supporters.

Both cigars are offered in a 6 1/2 x 54 toro extra vitola and are produced by My Father at its factory in Estelí, Nicaragua.

• Cigar Reviewed: Don Pepín García 20th Anniversary Limited Edition Humidor Connecticut
• Country of Origin: Nicaragua
• Factory: My Father Cigars S.A.
• Wrapper: Ecuador (Connecticut)
• Binder: Nicaragua
• Filler: Nicaragua
• Length: 6 1/2 Inches
• Ring Gauge: 54
• Shape: Round
• Est. Price: $130 (Humidor of 100, $13,000)*
• Release Date: 2024
• Number of Cigars Released: 75 Humidors of 50 Cigars (3,750 Total Cigars)*
• Number of Cigars Smoked For Review: 3

*Each humidor comes with 50 Connecticut and 50 Corojo cigars.

The cigar looks good, dressed in a trio of blue-and-gold bands that carry several hallmarks of the My Father aesthetic. I don’t know why, but this feels like a thicker vitola than I typically see used for wrappers with an Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper, but maybe that’s just me. The wrapper is a touch darker than what I think of as average for an Ecuadorian Connecticut leaf, evenly colored with small, thin veins and a fine seam line that is visible but not distracting. All three cigars are firm, though I notice it’s a bit softer towards the foot in the first cigar. The second cigar also feels like it is heavier than average, and certainly heavier than what I think of for a Connecticut-wrapped cigar, which tends to not only produce a lighter flavor but also feel lighter since the tobaccos generally used in such blends aren’t as thick and heavy. The foot has a very light and bright aroma that reminds me of sweet cornflakes that have a touch of creaminess and some pepper in tow. The cold draw is smooth and mellow with its flavor, leaning more on creaminess, while the cornflakes take a distant supporting role and I don’t get much, if any, pepper.

The first puffs of the Don Pepín García 20th Anniversary Limited Edition Humidor Connecticut keep up the theme of creaminess, with a very thick and milk-like sensation the first thing that I pick up. A retrohale delivers some crisp pepper that strikes quickly before fading away quickly as well, though its introduction in my nostrils seems to alert my taste buds to its presence as well. One cigar gets the pepper going a good bit earlier than the others, while in all three, there are bits of toast and cereal, though both are mild. I don’t know what it is, but once the ash drops off, the flavor begins to wake up, with the light and crisp black pepper hitting my taste buds with enthusiasm. I sometimes get hesitant to use the term refined when it comes to cigars, but for the first inch or so of this cigar, the term seems pretty appropriate. As the pepper continues to steadily increase, a touch of almond comes in at the end of this section, with the three cigars showing some variance in their flavor changes but a common thread. Flavor ranges from medium-minus to medium-plus both across the three cigars and in each individual cigar. Body is more consistently medium and strength is mild. Construction is very good, with no issues, plenty of smoke and smooth draws.

The second third of the Don Pepín García 20th Anniversary Limited Edition Humidor Connecticut starts off by picking up a rather dry profile, with a flavor that draws on a group of mouth-drying flavors, from hay to plain crackers and dry tobacco leaves. From a physical sensation standpoint, there is something truly unique about when my mouth and tongue get dry in the way that the cigar is making them with this profile; it’s like my tongue starts to constrict a bit and the taste buds almost rise up as a result. Before too long, creaminess returns to the profile to soothe that sensation, but I can tell that a larger shift is starting to happen as the pepper is a bit more lively, a bit earthier, a bit smokier, and if nothing less, a bit more peppery. Sure enough, earthiness begins to emerge, the dry flavors pick up some toast and char. By the midpoint, the profile is in a pretty different place than where it was in the first third, as all the core flavors have undergone a good bit of transformation. This new profile takes the second third to its conclusion and sets up what could be a pretty robust, flavor-packed final third. Flavor in this section ranges from medium-plus to medium-full, body is medium-plus and strength is now medium-minus. Construction remains good in terms of draw, burn line and smoke production. Combustion feels like it is starting to slow down towards the end of this section but the cigars manage to avoid needing a relight.

The final third starts by getting toastier, and then that toast turns a touch burnt, which gives the profile a rougher sensation than it has thus far offered. I find myself turning to retrohales to balance out the sensations of the cigar, though the smoke through the nose is equally as textured and stimulating, so it’s more of a matter of spreading out the effects. In the third cigar, my eyes even get into the action, stinging when the smoke hits them. Flavor-wise, the final third becomes a tug-of-war between the softer, smoother creaminess and the rougher, more robust flavors of black pepper, and each side finds traction for a few puffs before giving way to the other. While the toastier aspects of the profile probably win time of possession, it’s a more even affair between the impact of each of the flavor sets on my senses; the pepper is the more up-front, while the toasty, dry flavors are more lingering, and impart a distinct physical sensation. As the cigar comes to a close, I find myself latching onto the core creaminess that’s in the profile while letting the other aspects do their thing as peripheral flavors and sensations, much like latching onto an individual musician in a band or symphony. Flavor finishes medium-full with a few steps into full territory, while body is medium-plus and strength has risen to medium. The vast majority of construction aspects are very good, with a smooth draw, even burn line and good smoke production. One cigar really struggles with combustion in the final third, leading me to be a bit more mindful with my puffing rate in the other two cigars, a decision that yields good results as my lighter doesn’t get used on those two cigars.

Final Notes

• My Father never replied to emails seeking confirmation about when this release shipped or its MSRP. Based on listings from various retailers, the humidors began shipping in May or early June and are typically priced at $13,000.
• It’s been said before, but I will say it again: My Father designs some of the most impressive bands that I see on cigars. While we can argue specifics and preferences about design details, they seem to do it about as right as any company.
• There was a bit of wrapper damage done to the first cigar with the removal of the foot band. A small bit of glue made contact with the leaf and tore it off.
• My Father released limited edition cigars for the 10th and 15th anniversaries of the Don Pepín García line. Both of those releases were offered in a 6 1/2 x 52 toro extra size—the 15th was also offered in a robusto size—and included some pelo de oro tobacco in the filler.

• For some reason, when I went to cut the head of the second cigar, my scissors weren’t able to make a clean cut, and certainly not as good of a cut as they made on the first cigar.
• I didn’t find much nicotine strength in the Don Pepín García 20th Anniversary Limited Edition Humidor Connecticut, but as noted above, there is plenty of sensory stimulation from the second half of the cigar.

• The company lists these as a 6 1/2 x 54 toro extra. The numbers above are the measurements we found for the three cigars used for this review. One quirk: the Connecticut version was 4.3g heavier on average compared to the Corojo.
• The cigars for this review were purchased by halfwheel.
• Final smoking time was two hours and 40 minutes on average.
• Site sponsor Atlantic Cigar Co. carries the Don Pepín García 20th Anniversary Limited Edition Humidor Connecticut.