Sometimes in the cigar world, manufacturers and brand owners decide to twilight a particular blend, much to the dismay of the consumer who enjoyed it so much. In the case of My Father Cigars and their Don Pepin Garcia Series JJ Maduro, the consumer stepped in, by virtue of Atlantic Cigars.
You see, when My Father Cigars announced they were pulling the Don Pepin Garcia Series JJ Maduro from their catalog, Atlantic Cigars reached an agreement with Pepin to produce the cigar exclusively for them.
I recently was gifted a Don Pepin Garcia Series JJ Maduro Selecto by one of my Stogie Press associates and have to admit I did not know the whole story behind it. I was familiar with the Series JJ which was part of package deals at shop events but not the Maduro variety. So here I am reporting on this classic which as we have learned is only available at Atlantic Cigars.
The complete lineup of the Don Pepin Garcia Series JJ Maduro includes 5 vitolas with prices ranging from $6.15 – $8.55 on the Atlantic Cigars site.
- Belicoso – 5 3/4 X 52
- Petit Corona – 4 5/8 X 42
- Robusto (Selecto) – 5 X 50
- Toro – 6 X 54
- Gordo – 6 X 60
The blend of the Don Pepin Garcia Series JJ Maduro is described as:
- Wrapper – Nicaraguan Corojo
- Binder – Nicaraguan
- Filler – Nicaraguan
For this review I sampled the Don Pepin Garcia Series JJ Maduro Selecto
Cigar Review Notes
- Dark brown oily wrapper with a few veins
- Solid to the touch with tight packing
- Pre-light aromas were sweet and fruity on the foot and fermented leaf along the barrel
- Cold draw is salty and earthy with a sprinkle of pepper
- First puffs were like – Pow!! A wack of pepper – HELLO!!
- Pepper settles after half-inch
- Leather and fruit breaks in once the pepper recedes
- A beautiful light grey to white ash develops on thick char line
- Peppery oak aroma wafts off the foot
- Hint of cocoa enters in the second third
- Aroma shifts to more of a spicy honey – that is a welcome treat.
- Ash is well-formed
- Slight wave develops near the half way point that required a mild touch up
- Sweetness and cedar enter the mix
- Lots of oil developing on the wrapper, giving it a fairly high sheen
- Touch of bitterness rears its head as it moves into the final third
- The bitterness evolved into a bitter-sweet cocoa at the finish
- Solid medium strength
- Total Smoking time was 1 hour and 20 minutes
In conclusion, at less than $5.00 for a bundle of 20, the Don Pepin Garcia Series JJ Maduro robusto is an easy buy. This is a well constructed cigar that offered a terrific balance of flavors and aromas that had me wanting more as it approached the nub.
Don Pepin Garcia Series JJ Maduro