Stogie Reviews: Don Pepin Garcia Blue Label Generoso
Wednesday, May 9th, 2007Don Pepin Garcia makes cigars in the heart of Little Havana in Miami. And just in case you forget that while smoking the Don Pepin Garcia Blue, there’s a little American flag on the both sides of the band to remind you that this is a domestic-made cigar.
Above the little American flag is a Cuban flag to remind you of the deep Cuban heritage that goes into every cigar Jose “Pepin” Garcia makes. In Cuba, Garcia made some of the finest Cuban cigars and, now in the land of the free, he continues to produce excellent stogies such as the Tatuaje, EO 601, and the many Don Pepin Garcia lines.
The Don Pepin Garcia blue (which retails for around $8 per stick) is a Nicuraguan puro that features a corojo wrapper, a criollo binder, and a mix of criollo and corojo in the filler. The cinnamon brown corojo wrapper – wrapped into a Cuban-style triple cap – was silky to the touch despite appearing a bit veiny.
After cutting the head and toasting the foot, I took a puff to experience this very full-bodied cigar. In terms of taste, the cigar compares with the Joya de Nicuragua Antaño, but this cigar was anything but one-dimensional.
The 6 inch by 50 toro featured a cornucopia of flavor. Pepper, leather, clove, coffee, cedar, and earth were all apparent in the Generosos. Adding to the complex blend was a bitter-sweet chocolate finish.
The burn was a bit uneven, but the draw was easy and the light gray ash was sturdy. This cigar produced an abundant amount of aromatic smoke.
After the blockbuster start, I found myself thinking that if this cigar got any more full-flavored, then I might have to put it down (and I have a palate that thoroughly enjoys a potent smoke). Fortunately – as if predicting this reaction – instead of getting stronger or harsh, the Pepin Garcia Blue gained a sweet and creamy edge as it progressed. With this new smooth quality added to an already very complex array of flavors, I proceeded to smoke this cigar down to its nub.
Overall, the Don Pepin Garcia Blue Generosos is an impressive smoke, blending Nicuraguan tobacco into a rich, complex, Cuban-like flavor that earns it four and 1/2 out of five stogies.
[To read more StogieGuys.com cigar reviews, please click here.]
I agree with the props for Garcia cigars. Tatuaje has become just about my favorite brand right now. No question Garcia is making some of the best smokes in the industry.
I know this comment will be out of date in only a few days but if you really like these sticks then head over to famous-smoke.com and pick them up on sale now for 10% off a box plus a free 5 pack of the Invictos.
The invictos are also on sale for $20 a five pack in case you don’t want to jump right in to a box.
[...] Overall this is very good cigar – well worth the over one and half hour investment. Still for a cigar blended by Don Pepin Garcia, I was surprised that it wasn’t more full flavored. [...]
[...] So the next time you’re enjoying a fantastic smoke (particularly a Pepin-made cigar like the Tatuaje or Pepin’s namesake line) be sure to appreciate the hard work and skill that went into creating your tobacco treat. [...]
[...] Commonly called the Don Pepin Garcia “Black”Label to differentiate it from the Don Pepin Garcia Blue Label, this Nicaraguan puro is made in Don Pepin’s factory in Esteli, Nicaragua. With classic 5 inch by 50 ring gauge robusto proportions, this cigar can be had for around six dollars a stick. [...]
Absolutely spot on review. I smoked my first Blue this last weekend, and although I’m pretty new to cigars, I do know what I like, and all your comments ring true about this smoke. I too like a full-bodied smoke, and this one does not disappoint. I too was hoping after the first few puffs that it didn’t get any stronger. I too found that, almost magically, the cigar tempered into a very complex and satisfying smoke. I seldom want to smoke more than one cigar a day. The Don Pepin Garcia Blue Generoso had me wanting another. Highly recommended for anyone who likes a spicy, strong, complex cigar.
[...] Stogie Guys smoked the Generosos also and gave it at 4.5/5 Stogie Rating. [...]
Just a chip off it’s black-banded brother. Relentlessly high-noted without any depth. I found these and the Cuban Classics simply boring: strong, but neither rich nor full, lacking in character. Give me a Camacho Corojo.
[...] Opus X. Some other cigars that I feel can hold up to a margarita are the CAO Brazilia, the Don Pepin Cuban Classic (Black), the EO 601 Green, the Joya de Nicuragua, the Montecristo Cabinet Selección, the Padron [...]
[...] Stogie Guys smoked the Generosos also and gave it at 4.5/5 Stogie Rating. [...]
[...] read my colleague’s May 2007 review of the Generoso vitola of this line as I lit up this 5 inch by 50 ring gauge Invictos. Despite the [...]
[...] well are the Partagas Spanish Rosado, the Montecristo Petit Edmundo, the EO Cubao or the Don Pepin Garcia Blue Label. A riskier pairing – but potentially with a high upside – would be a maduro to match the [...]
[...] has been almost a year since I reviewed this smoke, and thankfully it hasn’t changed much in that time. While not quite as [...]
[...] little spice of it’s own to stand up to Michter’s classic peppery flavors. The CAO LX2, Don Pepin Blue Label, or even the Opus X seem well-suited for the [...]
[...] has been almost a year since I reviewed this smoke, and thankfully it hasn’t changed much in that time. While not quite as [...]
[...] little spice of it’s own to stand up to Michter’s classic peppery flavors. The CAO LX2, Don Pepin Blue Label, or even the Opus X seem well-suited for the [...]