Don Pepin Garcia (cigar brand)

Don Pepín García is a brand of hand-made premium cigar owned by El Rey de los Habanos, Inc.

History and Background
The brand was created by José "Pepín" García and is manufactured at the El Rey de los Habanos factory in the Little Havana section of Miami, Florida, and at the factory in Estelí, Nicaragua, Tabacalera Cubana.

Description
The brand currently consists of three ranges of different strengths. All use Nicaraguan tobaccos in varying combinations. All boxes are stamped with a date code.

Don Pepin Garcia ("Blue Label")
This was the first of the three ranges (the second was the Serie JJ) to be produced, and consists of six vitolas and one limited release (the Lancero). These are full-bodied cigars and are not recommended for a beginning smoker. The wrapper is an oily Nicaraguan Corojo leaf, described as cinnamon in color. The cigars come packed 25 to a cedar box, uncelloed (as of recently, Summer of '07 celloed). The band is blue with gold lettering. The center has "Don Pepin Garcia" in gold on a blue field inside a round red and gold border, with Don Pepín's signature (reduced) below the name. Each wing has the U. S. and Cuban flags within roundels, overlapping.

Ratings/Honors/Awards

 * The Invictos was given a rating of 88 in the August, 2006, issue of Cigar Aficionado magazine.
 * The Magnate received a rating of 89 in the February, 2007, issue of Cigar Aficionado magazine.

Don Pepín García Black Edition ("Cuban Classic/Black Label")
This is the newest range of the brand and was introduced to national distribution in the U. S. in late 2006. It is manufactured at Tabacalera Cubana in Estelí, Nicaragua, and comes uncelloed and packed in cedar cabinets of 20. The cigars are surrounded by a colored ribbon with a label attached which reads Don Pepín García and bears a facsimile of his signature.

The band is similar to that found on the Don Pepín Blue Label, but the background is black. There is a second band as well. This is a straight band with gold borders on a black background with the words Cuban Classic in gold.

The sides of the box are stamped with "20 / Don Pepín (in script) / ♦ BLACK EDITION ♦ / frontmark". As always, the month and year of manufacture is stamped on the bottom of the box.

Ratings/Honors/Awards

 * The entire range was given a vertical tasting report in the 22 May 2007 (p. 2) of Cigar Insider. The 1979 was given the highest rating at 92. The lowest rating of 85 went to the 1973. The 1952 was given a rating of 88, and the 1950, 1970 and 1977 each received an 89.

Don Pepín García Serie JJ ("White Label")
The range was developed by Don Pepín and his son Jaime García. Medium- to full-bodied, the wrapper is a light-brown Nicaraguan Corojo. Packed in plain boxes of 24 except for the Salomon, which comes in boxes of five. The band is similar to the "Blue Label", but is white with a red border. There is also a second, straight band, white, with "Serie JJ" printed on it.

The Salomons are rolled exclusively by Don Pepín himself.