My Father Le Bijou 1922

Following up on the success of the original My Father line of cigars, Don Pepin Garcia recently released the My Father Le Bijou 1922 cigars at the IPCPR show in New Orleans.  The original line was created secretly by Don Pepin’s son Jaime as a tribute to his father, likewise the Le Bijou (“The Jewel” in French) was created by Don Pepin to honor his father who was born in 1922.

One thing that really raises the bar for this cigar is that Pepin is using Pelo de Oro (Golden Hair) leaf for the wrapper.  Pelo de Oro is considered the father of the modern corojo wrapper which was made by combining Pelo de Oro and Sumatran tobaccos.  The Pelo de Oro is lighter than traditional corojo.  Growing it is outlawed, as it is very prone to disease and can easily infect other plants.  Cigars using this leaf date back to pre-Castro Cuba.  It seems that most tobacco growers don’t want the trouble of growing this leaf, but Don Pepin felt it was worth the hassle.

Pepin has created a new website for the My Father cigars.  You can take a look at it here.

On to the review…

My Father Le Bijou 1922 Petite Robusto
Wrapper:   Nicaraguan Habano Oscuro (Pelo de Oro)
Binder:   Nicaraguan
Filler:   Nicaraguan
Size:   4 1/2″ x 50 RG
Price:   $8.30/single (price I paid)
Drink:   Water

Although Pelo de Oro is known to be a lighter tobacco I would definitely say this wrapper is a medium-dark brown.  The feel of the cigar was very solid, a little too solid, but very consistent.  There was a nice sheen to the cigar and it cut easily but was a bit difficult to light due to a tight draw.

1st Third:
It took a while to get this one going but after about 1/2″ the draw did open up.  I had some flaring of the ash and a wobbly burn for most of the first third.  I detected a buttery sweetness with some cream as the dominant flavors and was surprised at the lack of pepper in this one.

2nd Third:
A little bit of finger rolling and the draw on the cigar seems perfect now.  Moving through the 2nd third of this cigar the flavors became spicier, leaving some heat on the palate.  Burn issues are gone and this is moving along nicely.

Final third:
Unfortunately the Le Bijou seemed to quit on me as I moved into the final third.  Draw issues returned and the cigar became very hard to keep lit, requiring constant touch ups.  Flavors all but left the cigar, with just a minor spice and tobacco flavor remaining.  I was very disappointed in the way this cigar finished.

Overall I really enjoyed the flavors in the first 2/3 of the My Father Le Bijou 1922.  I would not hesitate to pick up another and try it out, as a matter of fact I hope to very soon.  The cigars have just recently hit the shops and I’d love to let a couple of these rest up for a while and see what they can do.   It’s a definite departure from the powerful flavors of the original My Father, but still offers a full-flavored smoke.