CIGAR OF THE NIGHT –JANUARY’S SMOKE

Don Pepin Garcia Cigars 

1 OF 25! The first smoke of the year and the first time the club has rated a Don Pepin Garcia cigar. We did not have a cigar representative this month, so our Humidor Master Gary Flynn pulled this gem out of the walk-in humidor at Rigby’s, as he knew most members had not tried it yet.

The Don Pepin Garcia label is owned by My Father Cigars. From their “About Us” tab on their website, it says “Born in Cuba in 1950, third generation master blender Jose ‘Pepin’ Garcia rolled his first cigar at the young age of 11, and it was then that his passion for tobacco and premium cigars was born. After becoming a world-renowned master roller in Cuba and earning many accolades, Garcia began his journey toward even bigger goals.

In 2003, Garcia came to Miami and opened a small cigar factory called El Rey de los Habanos with his son, Jaime, and daughter, Janny. His early blends received critical acclaim and rave reviews. This was the perfect foundation for the company to grow, and it grew quickly. Leveraging the expertise that Jose Pepin gained from launching the Tatuaje, San Cristobal, or La Aroma de Cuba brands, he had the expertise to bring this vision to life. Along with his eponymous Don Pepin Garcia brand, all the pieces were in place for Pepin to take the company to new heights.

In 2008, Jaime Garcia developed the original and top-rated My Father blend which was a tremendous accomplishment. In 2009, the family moved their thriving operation to a state-of-the-art factory and farm in Estelí, Nicaragua, that would take on the name of Jaime’s incredible new top-shelf blend. The opening of My Father Cigars S.A. brought forth a new, prosperous chapter for My Father Cigars, and the Garcia family dream became a reality.”

As far as cigar makers go, they are on the short list of companies that have won the #1 Cigar of the Year multiple times. Last year with the 2024 My Father The Judge Grand Robusto, the 2015 My Father Le Bijou 1922 Torpedo Box Pressed, and the 2012 Flor De Las Antillas Toro. I got tired of counting the number of times a Garcia cigar or one they made for another label was in the Top 25 Cigar of the Year with Cigar Aficionado. But for the last 5, 6, or 7 years straight, My Father Cigars and the Garcia family have had at least 3 different labels in the Top 25 each year with several #2 spots.

For January’s smoke, we had the Don Pepin Garcia Original Generosos Toro in a 6″ x 50 gauge. It is a Nicaraguan Puro – filler tobacco, binder, and wrapper. The wrapper is an extra-oily cinnamon-colored Habano Rosado. With 58 people present, it scored a Redneck Ratin’ of 90/100.

Our sponsor for the event was Jessica Holtman, the newest partner at the Moore Law Firm in Paris, TX. Jessica is a local girl born and raised here in Paris. She imported her husband Gary from Troy, TX after getting married so they could begin their lives together and raise their two daughters here. Jessica joined the Moore Law Firm in July of 2018 after receiving her Juris Doctorate with Dean’s Honors from Texas A&M School of Law in Fort Worth. Her law practice has focused mainly on general litigation cases that you would need to go to court for such as divorce, custody, family law matters, and other cases like disputes about land ownership,

property lines, contract terms, and business partnerships. Moore Law Firm proudly serves Lamar, Delta, Hopkins, Fannin, and Fannin Counties, as well as they assist their clients in any county as required.