我父親

My Father -- The Full-Strength Nicaraguan Cigar Standard-Bearer Honoring a Father

The name "My Father" translates into Chinese as "wo fu qin" ("my father") -- the most direct tribute by Don José Pepin García to his own father, Don Pepin García Sr. (1922-2007).

From a Cuban exile master blender to one of the most respected family dynasties in the Nicaraguan cigar industry, the story of four generations of García family cigar artisans is one of the most moving legends in the cigar world over the past 20 years.

1922-1995: The García Family's Tobacco Lineage in Cuba

1922: Don Pepin García Sr. Is Born

Don Pepin García Sr. was born in 1922 in Cuba's Vuelta Abajo region -- the García family had been tobacco farmers for generations. Don Pepin Sr. was the first generation of the family to truly enter "cigar manufacturing" as an artisan, handling everything independently from tobacco growing to cigar rolling.

1950: Don José Pepin García Jr. Is Born

Don José Pepin García (known as Pepin) was born in Cuba in 1950 -- the son of Don Pepin Sr. Pepin began learning cigar making from his father at the age of 11 -- a true cigar artisan who grew up in the tobacco fields and factories.

1959-1995: 36 Years in Cuba

After the Castro Revolution in 1959, the Pepin family did not immediately go into exile; instead, they continued working as cigar artisans in Cuba. Pepin worked in the Cuban cigar industry for 36 years:

• Worked at H. Upmann Factory (1970-1985)
• Worked at La Corona Factory (1985-1995)
• Became one of the most respected master blenders in the Cuban cigar industry

1995-2003: Exile in Miami and the Birth of the Don Pepin García Brand

1995: Pepin Goes into Exile in Miami

In 1995, Pepin (age 45) finally went into exile in Miami, United States -- more than 30 years later than many Cuban exiles. By then, Little Havana in Miami had already become the cigar-industry center of the Cuban exile community.

1995-2003: Eight Years as a Master Blender

In Miami, Pepin served as master blender for other brands:

• 2002: Served as master blender for Pete Johnson's new brand Tatuaje
• Developed blends for multiple American boutique cigar brands
• Built his reputation in the U.S. market

2003: The Don Pepin García Brand Is Born

In 2003, at the age of 53, Pepin finally founded his own cigar brand -- Don Pepin García. He established the El Rey de los Habanos factory in Little Havana, Miami, using an all-Nicaraguan tobacco blend.

Don Pepin García lines:

• Don Pepin García Blue Label -- medium to full strength
• Don Pepin García Cuban Classic
• Don Pepin García Black Label -- full strength

The flavor profile immediately drew attention in the cigar industry -- Pepin's skill as a master blender combined with Nicaraguan tobacco to produce a distinctive style: "full strength, yet complex and layered."

2008: The Birth of My Father -- A Tribute to His Father

Why a Second Brand Was Created

In 2008, when Pepin was 58, he decided to create a second brand -- My Father. The reasons were:

1. To honor his father, Don Pepin Sr. -- the deepest cigar influence in Pepin's life
2. A higher-end positioning -- My Father was positioned above the Don Pepin García lines
3. Co-founded with his son, Jaime García -- establishing family succession

My Father's Manufacturing Base: Estelí, Nicaragua

Pepin also established My Father Cigars S.A. in Estelí, Nicaragua -- moving production from El Rey de los Habanos in Miami to Nicaragua. Since 2008, all García family cigars have been made in Nicaragua.

2009-2015: My Father's Golden Period -- Two Cigar Aficionado Cigars of the Year

2009: Launch of the My Father Series

My Father Series (core entry line):

• Robusto (5" x 50)
• Toro (6½" x 52)
• Belicoso (5⅛" x 52)
• Lancero (7½" x 38)
• Le Bijou (early version)

Blend: Habano Ecuador wrapper + Nicaragua binder + Nicaragua filler Flavor: full strength, earth, pepper, dark coffee, roasted nuts, dark leather Global price: USD 8-15 per cigar

2010: My Father Le Bijou 1922 -- Commemorating His Father's Birth Year, 1922

"Le Bijou" means "the jewel" in French -- Pepin considered his father "the most precious jewel in my life."

My Father Le Bijou 1922:

• Petit Robusto (4½" x 50)
• Robusto (5½" x 52)
• Toro Box Pressed (6½" x 54) -- Box-Pressed square pressing
• Torpedo Box Pressed (6¼" x 52)
• Churchill (7" x 49)

Blend: Habano Oscuro wrapper + Nicaragua binder + Nicaragua filler Flavor: full strength, dark cocoa, dark coffee, caramelized sugar, dark leather, roasted nuts

2012: Flor de las Antillas -- Cigar Aficionado 2012 Cigar of the Year

Flor de las Antillas was launched in 2012 (a tribute to the "flower of the Antilles"):

• Toro (6" x 52)

Flor de las Antillas Toro received Cigar Aficionado's 2012 Cigar of the Year honor -- the first time the García family won CA's Cigar of the Year. The cigar world took notice -- from that point on, the García family stood alongside Padrón and Fuente as one of the "top non-Cuban family dynasties in the world."

2015: Le Bijou 1922 Torpedo Box Pressed -- Cigar Aficionado 2015 Cigar of the Year

My Father Le Bijou 1922 Torpedo Box Pressed received Cigar Aficionado's 2015 Cigar of the Year -- the García family's second CA Cigar of the Year honor.

The García family became one of the few brands in the cigar industry to win "CA Cigar of the Year" twice -- standing alongside Padrón (2003 + 2007).

A Panorama of the García Family Cigar Empire

Brands Under the Family

Brands manufactured by the García family at My Father Cigars S.A. in Nicaragua:

1. My Father (flagship) -- Pepin + Jaime's own brand
2. My Father Le Bijou 1922 -- commemorating Don Pepin Sr.
3. Flor de las Antillas -- a tribute to the Antilles, 2012 CA Cigar of the Year
4. El Centurion -- commemorating 100 years of Cuban cigar history (including the H-2K-CT vitola)
5. Don Pepin García (early brand) -- Blue Label / Cuban Classic / Black Label
6. Jaime García -- honoring his son Jaime
7. Tatuaje (manufactured for Pete Johnson) -- American boutique cigar brand
8. L'Atelier (manufactured for Pete Johnson)

García Family Structure

• Don José Pepin García (1950-) -- founder, master blender, CEO
• Janny García (Pepin's daughter) -- vice president, head of marketing
• Jaime García (Pepin's son) -- second-generation master blender, founder of his own Jaime García brand
• Don Pepin García Sr. (1922-2007) -- Pepin's father, the person honored by My Father

My Father vs Padrón vs Arturo Fuente Comparison

Cigar Prince's three-sentence summary:

• Padrón represents "balanced elegance" in full-strength cigars -- an advancement into medium to full strength
• My Father represents "direct intensity" in full-strength cigars -- a benchmark of full strength
• Fuente represents "elegant Dominican" style -- primarily medium strength

García Family Style Characteristics

Box-Pressed Square-Pressing Craft

The García family makes extensive use of Box-Pressed construction (cigars pressed into a square shape rather than a round one) -- bringing the filler and wrapper into closer contact, making combustion more stable, and concentrating the flavors. Le Bijou 1922 Torpedo Box Pressed is the most complete expression of the García family's Box-Pressed craft.

Habano Ecuador / Habano Oscuro Wrappers

García favors Habano-seed tobacco grown in Ecuador -- this Habano Ecuador is a "non-Cuban wrapper with some of the closest terroir characteristics to Cuban tobacco."

Full-Strength Flavor Philosophy

The García family's cigar philosophy: "A true cigar should have depth, character, and not be flat." As a result, García family cigars all lean toward medium to full strength -- there are no mild cigars.

Advanced Notes for My Father Collectors

Entry Collection (NT$30,000)

• My Father Robusto x 10 (NT$5,000)
• My Father Le Bijou 1922 Petit Robusto x 5 (NT$4,500)
• Flor de las Antillas Toro x 10 (NT$8,000)
• Don Pepin García Blue Label x 5 (NT$2,500)
• El Centurion x 5 (NT$5,000)

Advanced Collection (NT$200,000)

• My Father Le Bijou 1922 Torpedo Box Pressed x 10 (commemorating the 2015 CA Cigar of the Year)
• Flor de las Antillas Toro x 20 (commemorating the 2012 CA Cigar of the Year)
• Complete set of 5 My Father Le Bijou 1922 vitolas
• Complete El Centurion series
• Jaime García series

From W Cigar Bar Gentlemen's Cigar Lounge

W Cigar Bar is an authorized dealer of Pacific Cigar Company (PCC is Habanos S.A.'s official Cuban import channel in Taiwan) -- primarily supplying Cuban lines. My Father is supplied in Taiwan through authorized distributors of the García family -- cigar appreciation at W Cigar Bar in Da'an District is presented with Cigar Prince Wilson Tsai.

For enthusiasts: "After Padrón 1926 No.9, then My Father Le Bijou 1922 Torpedo Box Pressed" -- this is the most direct comparison for experiencing "two full-strength Nicaraguan family dynasties." Padrón is balanced and elegant Nicaragua; My Father is direct and intense Nicaragua.