Stogie Reviews: El Centurion Emperadores

14 Sep 2010

Don Pepin Garcia burst on the scene when Tatuaje, a cigar made for Pete Johnson, first started garnering high praise and plenty of buzz. By the 2007 industry trade show, Pepin, formerly a top cigar man in Cuba, had established himself as one of the most prolific makers of non-Cuban cigars. That meant he was ready to release his first solely produced limited edition cigar. El Centurion

Called El Centurion, the blend was originally available in just three sizes: Guerreros (robusto), Gladiadores (toro), and Emperadores. The latter is a belicoso that measures 5.5 inches with a ring gauge of 52. It features a Nicaraguan Habano wrapper around Nicaraguan-grown Cuban seed criollo ’98 and corojo ’99 leaves that have been aged three years.

It’s a very attractive smoke with a few veins and muted sheen. The large red, orange, and gold band is ornate, and notable because only a very small script signature lets you know that this is a Don Pepin Garcia smoke.

Just 850 boxes of each size were ever produced, all of which reportedly sold out on the first day El Centurion became available. Few remain today. A handful of places still sell them for $12-15 each. (I got mine from CitizenCigar.com, which sells boxes for $230.)

El Centurion starts off with plenty of cedar along with cream and graham cracker sweetness. Adding to the complex blend are subtle pepper, paper, coffee, and bread flavors. The profile is medium-bodied but dense with flavor. It’s a deliciously complex cigar that is is well-rounded and balanced from start to finish. Time seems to have done wonders.

Each of the three samples I smoked before writing this review demonstrated excellent physical qualities. Particularly notable was a razor thin black burn line, a sign of a well-aged smoke.

This cigar reminded me of a cross between two others made by Don Pepin Garcia: My Father and the Tatuaje Reserva SW. Those are two fine smokes. And while I’ve sampled nearly all of Garcia’s creations, I must conclude that this is his finest masterpiece. (The only line I’ve yet to smoke is the new My Father Limited Edition.) With high priase like that you can probably guess how this cigar review ends. This is a special cigar that unfortunately will never be made again. That’s why it earns five stogies out of five.