Cigar Reveal #343
My Father
Don Pepin Vintage Edition
The Don Pepin Vintage Edition was released in 2023 to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Don Pepin Garcia brand, the cigar line that established José "Don Pepin" Garcia as one of the most influential cigar makers of the modern era. While many anniversary cigars focus on rarity or exotic tobaccos, the Vintage Edition was designed as a tribute to the early years of the Don Pepin brand and the classic Nicaraguan profiles that helped build the My Father empire.
The cigar's packaging and band draw inspiration from vintage Don Pepin artwork and branding, reflecting the company's roots before My Father Cigars became an international powerhouse. Rather than revisiting the original Blue Label blend, Pepin and Jaime Garcia created an entirely new cigar centered around a Nicaraguan-grown Corojo '99 wrapper, showcasing how both their farming and blending techniques have evolved over two decades. Produced at the My Father factory in Estelí, Nicaragua, the Vintage Edition was initially released as a limited exclusive before expanding into national distribution.
Don Pepin Vintage Edition
Anatomy
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Nicaragua
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Nicaragua
- Nicaraguan Corojo '99
Don Pepin Vintage Edition
Flavor Notes
First Third
Sweet Spice
Creaminess
Floral
Sweet Spice
Creaminess
Floral
Second Third
Cedar
Earth
Black Pepper
Cedar
Earth
Black Pepper
Final Third
Sweet Tobacco
Nuts
Leather
Sweet Tobacco
Nuts
Leather
Reviews + Notes
Halfwheel
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.
Score: 90/100
Cigar Coop
In the case of the Vintage Edition Toro, it has beautiful packaging and excellent construction, but it simply was not enough. The most critical attribute was flavor, and the herbal-centric profile of the flavor here merely does not work well. The problem was that as the cigar got bolder in strength and body, the shortcomings of the flavor profile in my book were amplified. Ultimately, it’s $14.00, and I know I can do better within the My Father portfolio here. In the end, this is a cigar I don’t see myself returning to, but I would be curious to try the different sizes.
Score: 86/100
Developing Palates
The Don Pepin Vintage Edition Toro had an interesting herbal forward flavor profile in the first third, but by the second third, was fairly linear and did not engage me in the same way and delivered a similar experience in the last third. The burn was wavy at times but required no intervention, and the draw was perfect. I didn’t find anything in the flavor profile here that stood out enough for me to want to return to this cigar in the future.
