My Father No. 1

The My Father story began when Jose Pepin Garcia opened a small cigar factory in Miami, Florida in 2003. After first gaining notoriety with the Tatuaje brand owned by Pete Johnson, Jose Pepin Garcia’s son Jaime created the My Father cigar as a tribute to his father. The company has since expanded to Nicaragua, and now offers a large line up of premium cigars rolled in Latin America and Miami. In less then twenty years My Father has risen to stand amongst the top cigar brands of the new world, and it all started with the My Father No. 1.

The My Father cigar is offered in both modern and classic Cuban vitolas: Lonsdale, Corona, Robusto, Belicoso, Churchill, Panatela, and Toro.

The Stats

  • Origin Country: Nicaragua
  • Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano Rosado / Criollo Hybrid
  • Binder: Nicaraguan
  • Filler: Nicaraguan
  • Dimensions: 5.25 x 52
  • Smoke duration: About 1 hour and 20 Minutes
  • Rarity: Regular production

The Verdict

  • Appearance & Construction: 12 / 15
  • Flavor of First Third: 8 / 10
  • Flavor of Second Third: 7 / 10
  • Flavor of Final Third: 8 / 10
  • Smoking Experience: 16 / 20
  • Overall Experience: 32 / 35

OVERALL RATING: 83

I am often impressed by the construction and quality of My Father cigars. Some have had spotless wrappers, with outstanding texture that are remarkably premium. The few My Father No. 1’s that I have had do not maintain that impressive distinction. The wrapper featured in this review has a visible seam, and the label glue pealed away a thumb tack sized hole. The smoking experience didn’t suffer from the tear, but premium cigars don’t get the benefit of the doubt.

The draw was open, and a cold puff revealed pepper spice, barn yard, raisin and anise. The first light was quick to please with a buttery cookie, raisin, bread, hay, faint pepper, and a perfume note. The body and strength was a hair below medium, which is a highlight. It remained light and approachable which is uncommon for modern Nicaraguan cigars. The few that I sampled each suffered from burn issues requiring touch ups and corrections. The wrapper was determined to capsize every inch or so. The constant attention and corrections had a significant impact on the smoking experience. The second third was more of the same with a steady sweetness, raisin, and the introduction of cedar. As the cigar moved towards the final third the wood notes developed a hearty flavor and resembled oak like a barbecue smoke. The bold oak flavor remained pleasant and was the high point of the cigar. The final third finished with notes of anise, and a distinct perfume that I describe as raisin but is hard to put a finger on. Overall, the flavors are enjoyable and I can see why it has been so successful. I haven’t had many quality issues with My Father cigars, but this series proved to be troublesome. I can certainly see how this could score higher if the construction issues were not present, and the flavors were able to dominate the experience.