Yesterday you got an idea of how many people it takes to make a single cigar. And if you were paying careful attention, you would have seen the care and skill that goes into making each Don Pepin Garcia Cuban Classic cigar.

Commonly called the Don Pepin Garcia “Black” Label to differentiate it from the Don Pepin Garcia Blue Label, this puro is made in Don Pepin’s factory in Esteli, Nicaragua. With classic five inch by 50 ring gauge robusto proportions, this cigar can be had for around $6 per stick.

The Cuban Classic’s looks were similar to the Blue Label, though just a bit darker with fewer veins. The Corojo wrapper is a lovely caramel color.

Power-packed with plenty of slightly salty ligero tobacco, this cigar starts out very spicy but soon it becomes creamier. The robusto is not as complex or balanced as the Blue Label, but it still has a pleasing, full-bodied flavor profile. As the cigar progresses, the spice fades all together, but the buzz-inducing warm tobacco taste remains. Additionally, the finish is noticeably dry and a touch bitter.

Construction was excellent with an even burn and perfect draw. The cigar was a little soft to the touch, but that didn’t seem to result in any ill effects. (Like most cigars utilizing a heavy blend of ligero tobacco, this cigar might benefit from being kept at a slightly lower humidity that usual.)

Overall, this is a quality smoke – as you would expect from Pepin – but I don’t think it is as good as many of his other lines. Still, there is a lot to like in the Cuban Classic Robusto if you enjoy full-flavored cigars.

Additionally, I think there is some serious aging potential with this stick, and I should note that the samples that made up this review were only aged for a few months. Perhaps an additional six months or a year of humidor time and this cigar would score even better.

In the end, for its full flavor and excellent construction, the Don Pepin Garcia Cuban Classic Robusto earns a rating of three and 1/2 out of five stogies.

[To read more StogieGuys.com cigar reviews, please click here.]

-Patrick S

Tags: cigars