Don Pepín García Clásico 20th Anniversary

Most people who smoke cigars these days probably only think of one brand when they hear the name, Pepín García. But before My Father Cigars, Inc. existed, the García family sold most of their cigars under a brand named after the family patriarch: José “Don Pepín” García.

The brand was sold through El Rey de los Habanos, Inc., which was also the name of the factory in Miami’s Calle Ocho neighborhood that produced many of the Don Pepín García brands like the original Blue Label as well as the Series JJ and JJ Maduro.

However, that factory never produced the Don Pepín García Cuban Classic, which came with a black band. When the line was introduced in 2006, the El Rey de los Habanos factory was getting backed up due to the growing popularity of Tatuaje and others. So Tabacalera Cubana S.A. in Estelí, Nicaragua was opened as a second production facility. It’s there where the Cuban Classic was first rolled.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Cuban Classic line, and as such, a commemorative cigar was created. The aptly named Don Pepín García Clásico 20th Anniversary is made with entirely of Nicaraguan tobacco grown on the García family’s farms. As with many of the My Father anniversary editions, it is offered in a 6 1/2 x 52 toro extra vitola and features some pelo de oro tobacco in the blend.

Each Don Pepín García Clásico 20th Anniversary cigar has an MSRP of $22. Production is limited to 2,500 boxes of 20 cigars, each of which also includes a My Father-branded single guillotine cutter.

• Cigar Reviewed: Don Pepín García Clásico 20th Anniversary
• Country of Origin: Nicaragua
• Factory: My Father Cigar S.A.
• Wrapper: Nicaragua (Habano)
• Binder: Nicaragua
• Filler: Nicaragua
• Length: 6 1/2 Inches
• Ring Gauge: 52
• Shape: Round
• MSRP: $22 (Box of 20, $440)
• Release Date: April 2026
• Number of Cigars Released: 2,500 Boxes of 20 Cigars (50,000 Total Cigars)
• Number of Cigars Smoked For Review: 3

The three Don Pepín García Clásico 20th Anniversary cigars are covered by attractive dark brown wrappers that are slightly toothy to the touch, and while there is very little oil present, there is virtually no mottling that I can see. Two of the three cigars have a couple of protruding veins, but none of them are overly distracting. The cigars are firm when squeezed, which makes it easier to find large soft spots on the first and second cigars, both of which are located in the same place just under their secondary bands. Creamy but generic nuttiness leads the aromas from the three wrappers, but there are also notes of cedar, barnyard, sweet hay, light milk chocolate and a slightly sour earthy note. The nuttiness is more distinct from the feet—distinct enough that I am reminded of salted almonds—but there is also quite a bit of black pepper that was not present on the wrapper, followed by baker’s spices, creamy leather, earth and sweet breadiness. After straight cuts, the cold draws on all three cigars are both nutty and creamy, with more of the almond note as well as creamy cedar, cinnamon, light citrus, leather tack, earth and some sweet hay, while the last cigar also has a massive amount of raisin sweetness.

All three cigars start off the same way: light spice on my tongue and lips, bitter espresso, and some black pepper. After about 10 puffs, flavors of creamy peanut butter and cedar take over the top spots in the profiles, followed by secondary notes of coffee beans, leather, dry straw, potato chips, gritty earth, and a touch of tartness. The retrohales for all three cigars feature similar notes of black pepper and raisin sweetness, but the amounts are different: the first cigar has the most of both, the second cigar has less black pepper while the third cigar has the least amount of sweetness by far. However, each cigar has a very distinct red pepper note on the finish that seems to be getting stronger as the first third burns down. Flavor is full, the body hits a solid medium and the strength lands at a point just over the medium mark. Construction-wise, the first two cigars each need a single burn correction, but there is plenty of thick smoke and the draw resistance is excellent.

During the second third, the major change in the profiles is the strength, which increases enough that all three cigars hit medium-full. While the main flavors are very similar to what I noted in the first third—cedar and peanut butter—there is not as much complexity to the secondary flavors, which now include gritty earth, leather tack, barnyard, baker’s spices and generic breadiness. The amount of red pepper on the finish has also increased noticeably for all three cigars, and while I would not characterize it as overwhelming yet, it is strong enough to be a significant factor in the profile. There is more black pepper on the retrohale. While the second cigar still has quite a bit of raisin sweetness, it has decreased for the first and third cigars. Flavor remains at full for the second cigar—but decreases to medium-full for the other two—and the body increases to medium-plus for all three cigars. My second and third cigars run into burn issues that need to be corrected with my lighter.

All three cigars hit the full strength mark early on and there is also some new spice present on my tongue and lips. Peanut butter and cedar continue to top the flavor profile, but they aren’t as strong and have to compete with an increased amount of red pepper on the finish. At various points, additional notes of gritty earth, burnt bread, leather, barnyard and a light vegetal note show up, and while the raisin sweetness on the retrohale has all but disappeared for the first and third cigars, that flavor is thankfully a bit more noticeable in the second cigar. Flavor is now at medium-full for all three cigars, while the body has increased to medium-full. Once again, the second and third cigars have burn problems that need a touch-up, but the smoke production remains copious and the draws are excellent.

Final Notes

• In 2023, My Father also released a trio of limited edition cigars to commemorate the 20th anniversary of its Don Pepín García brand.
• Pelo de oro—which means golden hair in Spanish—is tobacco that is well-known for its golden appearance. However, it is perhaps more notable because Cuba banned the seed due to its propensity to develop mold. The Garcías grow the seed in Nicaragua, as do others in Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic, Peru and elsewhere.
• When I started smoking way back in 2007 or so, the Don Pepin Garcia Blue was one of the first premium cigars I smoked. I especially liked the Blue Lancero Puff ‘N’ Stuff Release. I did not smoke many of the Cuban Black cigars, mostly because I found the Blue to be almost perfect for my palate at the time.

• During the last third of my final cigar, the wrapper developed a small crack, as you can see from the photograph above. Thankfully, it did not get any worse, and the construction was unaffected by it, though the persistent combustion issues cost this cigar multiple points.
• This would be a great blend to review with Redux, though I may wait a couple of years.
• The bands on all three of these cigars came off like a dream, a nice change from what seems to be the majority of companies that seem to use too much glue.
• The cigars for this review were purchased by halfwheel.

• These cigars are listed as being 6 1/2 x 52 vitolas. Above are the measurements we took when we measured them.
• This is a very slow-burning cigar, so the final smoking time, which averaged out to two hours and 54 minutes for all three cigars, was not a surprise.
• If you would like to purchase any of the Don Pepín García Clásico 20th Anniversary cigars, site sponsors Atlantic Cigar Co., Cigars Direct, Corona Cigar Co. and Small Batch Cigar sell them on their respective websites.

Don Pepín García
Don Pepín García Clásico 20th Anniversary
My Father Cigars Inc.
My Father Cigars S.A.
Nicaragua
Toro Extra