For its contribution to the Tobacconists’ Association of America’s (TAA) Exclusive Series Program this year, My Father Cigars released a new line with a vintage feel that would kick off an ongoing celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Don Pepín García brand.
The line, called the Don Pepin – Vintage Edition, is a Nicaraguan puro that uses a corojo 99 leaf for the wrapper. It debuted in three sizes.
Note: The following shows the various Don Pepin – Vintage Edition vitolas. Some of these cigars may have been released after this post was originally published. The list was last updated on Aug. 10, 2023.
- Don Pepin – Vintage Edition Robusto (5 x 54) — $13.50 (Box of 10, $135)
- Don Pepin – Vintage Edition Toro (6 x 52) — $14 (Box of 10, $140)
- Don Pepin – Vintage Edition Toro Gordo (6 x 60) — $14.50 (Box of 10, $145)
90
Overall Score
The Don Pepin - Vintage Edition comes out of the gates swinging with big, clean and crisp flavors and doesn't let up for nearly the entire length of the cigar, something that might seem like a challenge to the senses but ends up working quite well. While it's not a cigar I'd be likely to recommend to a novice smoker, this is certainly right up the alley of an experienced palate that likes a cigar that brings a lot to the table. I can't say that it's the most detailed or nuanced cigar I've ever smoked, and it's one that will show off a wide range of the flavor wheel, but what it does offer, it offers incredibly well. For a full-flavored treat for the palate, the Don Pepin - Vintage Edition is definitely worth picking up.
The cigars come wearing a band that has a vintage feel, as it dates back to one of the earliest bands ever known to be on a Don Pepín García cigar. It’s a noted departure from the design of the current Don Pepín García offerings, which includes the blue-banded Original line, as well as the black-banded Cuban Classic, the white-banded Serie JJ, and the recently updated Don Pepín García Vegas Cubanas line, which wears green bands.
The TAA is a fairly small group of some of the country’s top tobacconists, about 80 retailers, as well as 40 or so manufacturers. The association gathers annually to discuss issues facing the industry and retailers, as well as to have its annual trade show, a unique event that works on a group buying format in order to secure exclusive deals for these generally high-volume merchants.
As part of the TAA’s buying events, a number of manufacturers will create new cigars for the group, or in the case of the Don Pepin – Vintage Edition, the company gave TAA members first crack at the line. Janny García, vice-president of My Father Cigars, told halfwheel that the initial production was completely sold out but that the company has plans to release the line on a more widespread basis in the future.
- Cigar Reviewed: Don Pepin - Vintage Edition Toro
- Country of Origin: Nicaragua
- Factory: My Father Cigars S.A.
- Wrapper: Nicaragua (Corojo 99)
- Binder: Nicaragua
- Filler: Nicaragua
- Length: 6 Inches
- Ring Gauge: 52
- Vitola: Toro
- MSRP: $14 (Box of 10, $140)
- Release Date: May 2023
- Number of Cigars Released: Undisclosed
- Number of Cigars Smoked For Review: 3
No matter how many times I look at this cigar, my eyes always get drawn to the band first, which I really like for its color combination, simplicity and clean and clear design, not to mention that it has a definite throwback feel to it. As soon as I take the cigar out of the cellophane, I notice that the wrapper has a bit of oiliness to it, not quite glossy or dripping, but there’s an immediate feeling of oiliness as soon as my fingers touch the cigar. The cigar has an interesting density, showing a firm core and spongier outer layers on some of the cigars, though that does vary among the three selected for this review. The foot has a very interesting aroma that gets my mind racing to identify the new aromas, resulting in a list that includes clothes in an old cedar chest, bran muffins, lemon-lime soda, a bit of pepper, and then some freshly made frosting, all with a nose-cooling sensation. The cold draw is smooth, maybe a touch firm, with a creamy flavor that is more simple, subdued and familiar than what the aroma offered.
The Don Pepin — Vintage Edition Toro has a very agreeable start, with toast, light pepper and damp cedar all wrapped in creaminess for the taste buds, while retrohales are both more pepper-forward and more intense in that component than what hits the palate. The wood and pepper combination gets my mind thinking about habano tobacco, but then the combination deviates just enough to make me realize it’s not a habano wrapper but a corojo 99 leaf. After the first clump of ash drops, I find a thick creaminess developing in the profile, first thickening up the body of the smoke and then joining the flavor with a touch of vanilla. While it’s an enjoyable change, It’s a quick one as the pepper comes back quickly, not quite with a vengeance but certainly on a mission. The conclusion of this section comes at about the pace I would expect without much else in the way of change. The blend hits the ground running, finds its step early and doesn’t deviate. Flavor is medium-full, body is medium-plus and strength is mild. Construction is fantastic across the board and across all three cigars.
There’s an interesting shift of the flavor as the Don Pepin – Vintage Edition Toro gets into its second third that I can’t quite identify, other than it reminds me a bit of lemon-lime soda for a few puffs. It’s not consistent in intensity, but it does consistently show up at spots, reminding me of a Sprite that has been left out and warmed up to at least room temperature if not a bit warmer than that. The challenge for that flavor is that it can find itself in a battle with the wood and black pepper, and the more the pepper is challenged for the lead role, the more it turns up the intensity, particularly in retrohales. The smoke also picks up an attribute that makes it sting my eyes on occasion. Yet for all this vibrant, senses-seeking pepper, there’s no nicotine strength. As the second third comes to a close, the flavor dries out a bit more, now feeling like it’s removing moisture from my mouth on the finish of each puff. Construction is generally very good, with a slightly firm draw, even burn line and good smoke production. Flavor is medium-full if not outright full, body is medium-plus and strength is still shy of medium.
The final third starts by seeing the pepper and bright wood flavors largely leave the profile, revealing a creamy undertone that is understandably overshadowed when those bigger flavors are present. It’s a bit of a dangerous flavor sensation because it seems to call for a retrohale, and when I do that, I’m greeted by the pepper and wood that I thought was on a break. While the Don Pepin — Vintage Edition Toro doesn’t make a massive pivot in the final section, a minor one makes the pepper a bit sharper, leading to the sense of palate fatigue as the profile has stayed largely on the same track that it established in those first puffs. Combustion becomes an issue in this section for the first cigar, while the puffs feel just a bit more labored in another and each draw feels like it’s working through a more tightly bunched section of tobacco. That said, the burn line and smoke production remain very good. Flavor finishes medium-full, body is medium-full and strength is just getting into medium territory.
Final Notes:
- My Father Cigars has previously celebrated both the 10th and 15th anniversaries of the Don Pepín García line by way of limited edition releases.
- The 2023 group of TAA Exclusive Series Program includes cigars from Villiger, Kristoff, Plasencia, Tatuaje, Quesada, C.L.E., Miami Cigar & Co., Ferio Tego, Joya de Nicaragua, Espinosa, E.P. Carrillo, La Palina, General Cigar Co., Forged Cigar Co., My Father, J.C. Newman, Rocky Patel and Crowned Heads, as well as a XIKAR cutter from Quality Importers Trading Co.
- As for when the Don Pepin – Vintage Edition will get a wider release, a firm date has not yet been confirmed to me, though I have heard some chatter that it won’t be this year.
- I can’t say that I recall ever seeing these bands on a Don Pepín García release, though if it dates back to the earliest days of the brand, it would mean that they also date back to my earliest cigar smoking days.
- My Father had one of the more impressive showings at the 2023 PCA Convention & Trade Show that I saw; if you missed it, you can see my coverage of their booth here.
- At the 2023 PCA Convention & Trade Show, the company rolled out a new booth as well as some high-end limited editions that further celebrate 20 years of the Don Pepin Garcia line.
- While the Don Pepin – Vintage Edition is definitely full-flavored, I wouldn’t say it was full in strength. The final third has some nicotine to it, and I’m sure if I smoked two of them back-to-back, I would have picked up enough to have me thinking about having some white sugar, but one didn’t hit me that hard.
- The cigars for this review were purchased by halfwheel.
- Final smoking time was two hours and 45 minutes on average.
- Site sponsor Corona Cigar Co. carries the Don Pepin — Vintage Edition Toro, but is out of stock as of publication time.
90
Overall Score
The Don Pepin - Vintage Edition comes out of the gates swinging with big, clean and crisp flavors and doesn't let up for nearly the entire length of the cigar, something that might seem like a challenge to the senses but ends up working quite well. While it's not a cigar I'd be likely to recommend to a novice smoker, this is certainly right up the alley of an experienced palate that likes a cigar that brings a lot to the table. I can't say that it's the most detailed or nuanced cigar I've ever smoked, and it's one that will show off a wide range of the flavor wheel, but what it does offer, it offers incredibly well. For a full-flavored treat for the palate, the Don Pepin - Vintage Edition is definitely worth picking up.
I strive to capture the essence of a cigar and the people behind them in my work – every cigar you light up is the culmination of the work of countless people and often represents generations of struggle and stories. For me, it’s about so much more than the cigar – it’s about the story behind it, the experience of enjoying the work of artisans and the way that a good cigar can bring people together. In addition to my work with halfwheel, I’m the public address announcer for the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks during spring training, as well as for the Salt River Rafters of the Arizona Fall League, the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury, the G-League's Valley Suns, and previously the Arizona Rattlers of the Indoor Football League. I also work in a number of roles for Major League Baseball, plus I'm a voice over artist. Prior to joining halfwheel, I covered the Phoenix and national cigar scene for Examiner.com, and was an editor for Cigar Snob magazine.