My Father Le Bijou 1922
Today’s cigar is a release I have been waiting for since it was announced. Le Bijou is French for “the jewel,” and 1922 refers to the year Jose “Pepin” Garcia’s father was born. The original My Father was created in secret by Pepin’s son Jaime, who conceived of the cigar as a tribute to his father. This new creation is Pepin’s way of honoring his own father.
The new cigars have an all-Nicaraguan blend. The wrapper is dark, called Habano Oscuro by the company. The original My Father has Nicaraguan filler and binder leaves, but an Ecuadoran wrapper grown from Habano seed. The sizes of My Father Le Bijou 1922 are Churchill (7 x 50), Petit Robusto (4.5 x 50), and a Toro (6 x 52). The cigars have a MSRP of $7 to $12 dollars.
The photo comes courtesy of ShowMeYourAsh.com since my camera is acting up.
Cigar: My Father Le Bijou 1922
Size: 4.5 x 50 (Short Robusto)
Wrapper: Habano Oscuro
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Strength: Full
Appearance and Construction (18/20): This short robusto features a wrapper that is chocolate in color with some veins. It is exquisitely rolled with a well placed triple cap. The cigar has a solid weight to it with no soft spots however, the foot of the cigar reveals some stems which was a little disappointing. The band of the cigar is among the best in the industry and despite being a little busy it works. The Le Bijou 1922 features a secondary band letting the consumer know it is such. Prior to sparking it up, there are some visible oils on this stick that I hope are a sign of good things to come.
Flavor & Notes (27/30): Prior to lighting up the cigar the notes were of a sweet tobacco. There was some spices present but very faint. Upon sparking up the cigar I was surprised that this cigar lacked the typical Pepin wake up call of pepper. The stick starts off very smooth with some rich mocha notes and some subtle spices which ease you into the smoke. As we continue the first third of the smoke it slowly picks up in strength and the trademark Pepin pepper is there especially through the nose. The second third of the cigar the spices really begin to pick up. There is a slight mint here, and I have mixed feelings about the note. It’s interesting, but I think it would prevent me from smoking these on a regular basis.
Burn/Ash/Draw (22/25): The cigar burned with a slight waviness to it from start to finish. It never got out of hand, but I did make note of it. The ash had a brindle effect to it, and it held on for half the cigar with only the slightest bit of flake. The draw was perfect and the stems noted in the appearance section never really came into play.
Overall (23/25): This complex cigar was very enjoyable and despite the mint note it is definitely worth a re-visit. I plan to age the rest of the smokes that I have and revisit this cigar in 6 months. It is a nice addition to the My Father line of smokes.
Rating: 90
Price: $7.00