The
Don Pepin Garcia Original, or “Blue,” is the cigar that put Don Pepin
Garcia on the map. It has been one of his most respected, and widely
recognized cigars since its release in 2003. It has been the backbone of
the DPG lineup from day one, being the base for many other blends
(including the Don Pepin Garcia 10th Anniversary Limited
Edition) and has had limited edition sizes. These cigars are all made in
the Cuban style of rolling and finished with Cuban style caps.
However,
this is not the purely original blend. This features a maduro wrapper.
What is interesting about this wrapper is that it is not very much
different from the original wrapper, utilizing the exact same seed as
the original, just a higher priming and a bit more fermentation.
There
were only 630 boxes of 18 cigars, all the same size, released. This is
considered a “short run production” not a “limited edition” witch made
it more exclusive as far as location availability. This also keeps it
from bearing a “My Father Limited Edition” band.
The
DPG Blue Maduro does not look that much different than the original
non-maduro version. To an untrained eye there is very little difference;
the only distinction being the peach colored ribbon on the foot of the
cigar instead of the typical blue ribbon. The wrapper is a bit darker
but it is not the deep dark brown that is typically thought of when the
word “maduro” is used. It has more of a lighter milk chocolate look to
it. There are several veins that are thick and can be felt and seen on
the wrapper. Even with the relatively rustic looking wrapper, there is a
beautiful sheen on it.
The
wrapper feels oily and fairly silky to the touch. The scent is very
rich earth making it almost to compost. A lick on the cap feels oily in
the mouth and has a light spice to it that lingers. The cut is easy and a
cold draw has a rich chocolate, coffee, and leather flavor with a bit
of spice again. The draw is firm but not tight. It is a good resistance.
Light with a soft flame.
The
first draw is spicy and earthy. It is balanced from the very first
draw. There is a sweet undertone that is very “wild plants” in nature.
The classic Nicaraguan woody spice undertone is there with a fairly
heavy emphasis on the wood aspects. The texture of the smoke feels
slightly pulpy but it works well with the mild spice. Through the nose
there is a bit of burn but not as extreme as one would expect.
As
the cigar settles in the wood notes take on the sweetness, the spice
mellows considerably, even through the nose. The earth becomes rounder
and has a “fresh” quality to it. It is full in body with the flavors
coating the mouth. The finish is long and contains flavors of the woody
spice mentioned earlier.
The middle third of the
cigar has a more defined black pepper feel to it. It is very much more
refined. The woody notes still abound and the texture has smoothed out,
but still has a slight pulp feel on the finish. The spice remains into
the long finish residing heavily on the back of the palate. The full
bodied nature of this cigar makes the pace of the smoking slow. The burn
is uneven but does not require corrective lights.
The
beginning of the final third has a much more earthy feel to it with
more flavors of coffee and chocolate. This cigar has developed in this
last third, making the experience more of a journey than the first two
thirds. The finish has picked up a sweet earth flavor that is absolutely
fantastic and makes the mouth water. A big consistency in the DPG Blue
maduro is the retrohale. It has not changed for the entire cigar. The
rest of it has developed to a degree but this has not, making the
retrohale the fundamental underlying concept that ties the entire
journey of the cigar together.
The end of the cigar becomes more spicy with a cinnamon kick and a good nicotine kick as well.
Thank you now I know I'm gonna get SOME. The question now is 5er or box. But I'm talking originals doubt I'll find these.
BTW your reviews rock! This is the first thread I bookmarked. Again thank you and keep the reviews coming. I've read them all a few have influenced recent purchases.
"Come party with me in Tennessee for my birthday July we can smoke in the Smokey's."
This cigar belongs to a box that has been aged 5 years. It was purchased with the intent on putting 5 years on it. Today is the day.
This cigar is long and
elegant in scope. It is a nice tan with a smooth, almost seamless,
wrapper. The cap also has wonderful construction. It is difficult to
feel the edges of the leaf making it up when held. There is a very
tiny bit of “give” to this cigar when held firmly. However, this
give is consistent over the length of the cigar. The wrapper itself
has an oily feel and a slight fuzzy feel. The band, an element added
around 2005ish, is a standard Cuban Hoy De Monterrey band with red,
white, and gold. This particular cigar had a blemish near the foot of
the cigar about an inch up.
The unlit smell is very
hey and barnyard with maybe a hint at black tea. The Band comes off
with zero trouble. A lick on the cap is pretty tame. A mild sour note
and a mild spice are noticed on the lips when prepping the cut.
Double guillotine is used. The draw is near perfect with good air
flow but some resistance.
Soft flame.
The initial puffs are
earthy and musk, leaning slightly to the sweet and woody side.
Through the nose, and long into the finish, is the classic “Cuban
twang” that I describe as a “sharp earth” note. The finish is a
variant on the musk and sharp earth. Dusty Books would a close
comparison, but it does have more of a woody note. The finish is
short. There is no spice anywhere to be found.
As the cigar settles in,
the flavors calm down some, losing the sweeter elements. Wood and
earth are the main flavors with a bit of the dusty attic on the
finish. The ash falls fairly early. It did fall evenly and naturally.
The middle third has a
thicker feel to it. The smoke is heavier. The flavors are deeper.
There is a hint at black pepper. The finish lengthens and becomes
more woody. The Cuban signature flavor profile is still there it has
just become more rich. A black tea flavor comes out but it is mild
and an undertone. On the back end of the middle third the black tea
note enters the finish, again as an undertone. The cigar has
developed into a nice medium body with hints at a spice it lost over
the last 5 years. The Burn is very even, but not perfect.
The final third is much
more of the dusty attic and much woodier. The black pepper note has
picked up --not in the spice element, but the flavor. A sweeter note
comes out and attached itself to the sharp earth flavor. This
development makes the mouth water quite literally. The finish
lengthens considerably and is heavy on wood flavors.
The cigar ends mostly on
these notes. The last few puffs bring a warmer smoke and a bit of a
spice element that throws it out of balance. It is done at the nub.
The ash falls consistently
at about a half an inch. No burn issues in any way.
Good to see you around. Great review, and very cool post to share. So, is it time to start smoking them up, or do they still have more aging potential after 5 years?
Comments
8-14-15 been in humidor since 8-17-14
Don Pepin Garcia Original (Blue) Maduro (6x52)
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Corojo 99
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Blender: Don Pepin Garcia
The Don Pepin Garcia Original, or “Blue,” is the cigar that put Don Pepin Garcia on the map. It has been one of his most respected, and widely recognized cigars since its release in 2003. It has been the backbone of the DPG lineup from day one, being the base for many other blends (including the Don Pepin Garcia 10th Anniversary Limited Edition) and has had limited edition sizes. These cigars are all made in the Cuban style of rolling and finished with Cuban style caps.
However, this is not the purely original blend. This features a maduro wrapper. What is interesting about this wrapper is that it is not very much different from the original wrapper, utilizing the exact same seed as the original, just a higher priming and a bit more fermentation.
There were only 630 boxes of 18 cigars, all the same size, released. This is considered a “short run production” not a “limited edition” witch made it more exclusive as far as location availability. This also keeps it from bearing a “My Father Limited Edition” band.
The DPG Blue Maduro does not look that much different than the original non-maduro version. To an untrained eye there is very little difference; the only distinction being the peach colored ribbon on the foot of the cigar instead of the typical blue ribbon. The wrapper is a bit darker but it is not the deep dark brown that is typically thought of when the word “maduro” is used. It has more of a lighter milk chocolate look to it. There are several veins that are thick and can be felt and seen on the wrapper. Even with the relatively rustic looking wrapper, there is a beautiful sheen on it.
The wrapper feels oily and fairly silky to the touch. The scent is very rich earth making it almost to compost. A lick on the cap feels oily in the mouth and has a light spice to it that lingers. The cut is easy and a cold draw has a rich chocolate, coffee, and leather flavor with a bit of spice again. The draw is firm but not tight. It is a good resistance.
Light with a soft flame.
The first draw is spicy and earthy. It is balanced from the very first draw. There is a sweet undertone that is very “wild plants” in nature. The classic Nicaraguan woody spice undertone is there with a fairly heavy emphasis on the wood aspects. The texture of the smoke feels slightly pulpy but it works well with the mild spice. Through the nose there is a bit of burn but not as extreme as one would expect.
As the cigar settles in the wood notes take on the sweetness, the spice mellows considerably, even through the nose. The earth becomes rounder and has a “fresh” quality to it. It is full in body with the flavors coating the mouth. The finish is long and contains flavors of the woody spice mentioned earlier.
The middle third of the cigar has a more defined black pepper feel to it. It is very much more refined. The woody notes still abound and the texture has smoothed out, but still has a slight pulp feel on the finish. The spice remains into the long finish residing heavily on the back of the palate. The full bodied nature of this cigar makes the pace of the smoking slow. The burn is uneven but does not require corrective lights.
The beginning of the final third has a much more earthy feel to it with more flavors of coffee and chocolate. This cigar has developed in this last third, making the experience more of a journey than the first two thirds. The finish has picked up a sweet earth flavor that is absolutely fantastic and makes the mouth water. A big consistency in the DPG Blue maduro is the retrohale. It has not changed for the entire cigar. The rest of it has developed to a degree but this has not, making the retrohale the fundamental underlying concept that ties the entire journey of the cigar together.
The end of the cigar becomes more spicy with a cinnamon kick and a good nicotine kick as well.
Burn to the nub
time: 1 hour 50 minutes
Burn: 8.5
Draw: 9
Taste: 9.5
Aftertaste: 10
Construction: 10
Balance: 9
Feel: 9
Overall: 9.3
now I know I'm gonna get SOME. The question now is 5er or box. But I'm talking originals doubt I'll find these.
BTW your reviews rock!
This is the first thread I bookmarked. Again thank you and keep the reviews coming. I've read them all a few have influenced recent purchases.
5-11-17 been in humidor since 5-10-12
Hoyo de Monterrey Le Hoyo des Dieux (6.1 x 42)
Wrapper: Vuelta Abajo Cuba
Binder: Vuelta Abajo Cuba
Filler: Vuelta Abajo Cuba
Box Code: RUE JUN11
This cigar belongs to a box that has been aged 5 years. It was purchased with the intent on putting 5 years on it. Today is the day.
This cigar is long and elegant in scope. It is a nice tan with a smooth, almost seamless, wrapper. The cap also has wonderful construction. It is difficult to feel the edges of the leaf making it up when held. There is a very tiny bit of “give” to this cigar when held firmly. However, this give is consistent over the length of the cigar. The wrapper itself has an oily feel and a slight fuzzy feel. The band, an element added around 2005ish, is a standard Cuban Hoy De Monterrey band with red, white, and gold. This particular cigar had a blemish near the foot of the cigar about an inch up.
The unlit smell is very hey and barnyard with maybe a hint at black tea. The Band comes off with zero trouble. A lick on the cap is pretty tame. A mild sour note and a mild spice are noticed on the lips when prepping the cut. Double guillotine is used. The draw is near perfect with good air flow but some resistance.
Soft flame.
The initial puffs are earthy and musk, leaning slightly to the sweet and woody side. Through the nose, and long into the finish, is the classic “Cuban twang” that I describe as a “sharp earth” note. The finish is a variant on the musk and sharp earth. Dusty Books would a close comparison, but it does have more of a woody note. The finish is short. There is no spice anywhere to be found.
As the cigar settles in, the flavors calm down some, losing the sweeter elements. Wood and earth are the main flavors with a bit of the dusty attic on the finish. The ash falls fairly early. It did fall evenly and naturally.
The middle third has a thicker feel to it. The smoke is heavier. The flavors are deeper. There is a hint at black pepper. The finish lengthens and becomes more woody. The Cuban signature flavor profile is still there it has just become more rich. A black tea flavor comes out but it is mild and an undertone. On the back end of the middle third the black tea note enters the finish, again as an undertone. The cigar has developed into a nice medium body with hints at a spice it lost over the last 5 years. The Burn is very even, but not perfect.
The final third is much more of the dusty attic and much woodier. The black pepper note has picked up --not in the spice element, but the flavor. A sweeter note comes out and attached itself to the sharp earth flavor. This development makes the mouth water quite literally. The finish lengthens considerably and is heavy on wood flavors.
The cigar ends mostly on these notes. The last few puffs bring a warmer smoke and a bit of a spice element that throws it out of balance. It is done at the nub.
The ash falls consistently at about a half an inch. No burn issues in any way.
Time: 1hour 45 minutes.
Burn: 10
Draw: 9
Taste: 9
Aftertaste: 8.5
Construction: 10
Balance: 9
Feel: 8
Overall: 9.1
Check out the developing you palate threat.
...while your at it, check the link in my signature line.