Don Pepin Garcia Cuban Classic (Black Label) 1977 Corona
Size – 5.5 x 38
Age – 1 month
Cost – $6
Wrapper – Corojo (Nicaragua)
Construction – Expertly constructed with a beautiful wrapper, no flaws and great symmetry.
Burn – An even burn was interrupted in the second third by a wrapper split, possibly due to slight over-humidification although no other sticks from the same humidor have had this problem.
Ash – A firm salt and pepper ash
Draw & Smoke – Draw was very tight on this cigar, making it difficult to produce a puff full of smoke. Improved slightly in the final third.
Flavor – Prelight aroma was a very rich and earthy tobacco smell. After lighting I was treated to a bold blend of cedar, deep earthy tobacco and some black pepper. As the small cigar moved along at a fairly brisk pace, the core flavors of wood and tobacco persisted while the pepper become a bit more muted. At about halfway, a really pleasant aftertaste + aroma combination teamed up to enhance the cigar even further. The Black Label’s aroma was excellent, a rich sweet tobacco smell.
Strength – Med/Full
Rating – 7/10
Value – 4/10
Drink – Water
Notes – I plan to buy some more of these cigars and age them a bit longer; they deserve to be revisited for review, possibly in a different size. I think this really is a 9/10 stogie but the wrapper split, the very firm draw and low smoke volume all diminished the experience. Otherwise this is a cigar with a great flavor profile and an intoxicating aroma. The $6 price tag for a 38 ring stick does move it out of the value range.
Reviews
38 Ring, 7/10, Cigar Review, Corojo, Don Pepin Garcia, Med/Full
Don Pepin Garcia Blue Label Toro
Size – 6 x 50
Age - Less than 1 month
Cost – $7 online
Wrapper – Corojo (Nicaragua)
Construction – Good construction except for 2 small tears in the wrapper edges and a slightly splayed foot. (7/10)
Burn – The burn started uneven and stayed that way. While there was no tunneling or relights, the ash was defined by a fairly scraggly line around the cigar. (7/10)
Ash – The ash is medium to light grey and very compact; it held snug for 2″ and would probably have gone longer had I not bumped it off.
Draw & Smoke – An somewhat tight draw yielded lots of billowing white smoke in each puff.
Flavor – The Blue Label starts of with a nice shot of peppery spice. Strong but balanced flavors then layered on: leather, coffee and sweet spice. This is a cigar with plenty of flavor and a lot of body. The corojo wrapper produces a nice rich, sweet room aroma. The second half did not differ much from the first; the Blue Label starts off strong and follows through.
Strength – Full
Rating – 9/10
Value – 6/10
Drink - 12-year Glen Livet scotch, neat. A great pairing as the earthy flavors complimented this full body cigar quite well.
Notes - There’s not much new to say about the DPG Blue – there is a reason this line has generated so much discussion online (and most certainly in local shops). It’s a great showcase for one of the all-star blenders in the cigar world – a tasty, rich full bodied cigar that’s a wonderful way to spend an evening. I was a bit disappointed by the construction and burn issues. Hopefully this is only the case with the one cigar I picked out of the coolidor for the review. I’m guessing some time at the bottom of the humidor will make this smoke even better.
Reviews
50 Ring, 9/10, Cigar Review, Corojo, Don Pepin Garcia, Full