Best My Father Cigars
The history of My Father cigars, a relatively young brand, has deep Cuban roots that go back generations with the Garcia family. Jose ‘Pepin’ Garcia is one of the greatest cigar-makers of his generation. With his son, Jaime, and daughter, Janny, Garcia has built a substantial empire in the world of premium cigars. Today, the family patriarch is known by his admirers as simply “Pepin.” Born and raised in Cuba, Pepin spent over fifty years there developing his immense expertise as one of the island nation’s most talented cigar-makers, overseeing production for legendary brands, including Cohiba, Montecristo, and Partagas.
In the early 2000s, Pepin departed for the States to join his children, and within a few short years, the Garcias were blending cigars in a small factory in Miami. It didn’t take long for critics and cigar lovers to take notice of the first Tatuaje cigars Pepin produced for Pete Johnson. Pepin debuted his own line, Don Pepin Garcia, which scored several impressive ratings. By the end of the decade, Pepin and Jaime were blending and producing millions of premium cigars, including the La Aroma de Cuba and San Cristobal brands, in a sprawling new factory in Estel, Nicaragua, where they established My Father Cigars as a forced to be reckoned with. One glance at the top ten My Father cigars you can smoke is sure to make your mouth water.
1. My Father Le Bijou 1922
The 97-rated My Father Le Bijou 1922 marks the second ‘#1 Cigar of the Year’ title from Cigar Aficionado for Pepin and Jaime Garcia. Le Bijou 1922 is an intoxicatingly full-bodied smoke drawn from an oily Cuban-seed wrapper grown in Ecuador and a hearty blend of Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos. Le Bijou 1922 pulses with peppery notes of dark chocolate, leather, espresso, and earth before a spicy finish. This dark and decadent smoke goes great with a peaty scotch.
2. My Father
With so many hits in the My Father portfolio, it’s easy but unwise to overlook the original My Father blend. An oily Cuban-seed wrapper grown in Ecuador covers a magnificent amalgam of vintage Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos. Tasting notes of leather, earth, cinnamon, and red pepper entice the tastebuds in several handmade classics. The original My Father cigars exhibit the hallmarks of great cigar-making that made Pepin famous decades ago.
3. My Father La Opulencia
Flavors of cocoa, wood, and nougat grow stronger from the first puff to the last in My Father La Opulencia. A hearty collection of sizes is blended from a lustrous San Andrés Oscuro wrapper fermented for optimal smoothness and drawn over a robust blend of vintage Nicaraguan long-fillers. This 95-rated gem earned ‘#2 Cigar of the Year’ honors from Cigar Aficionado following its debut in 2018.
4. Don Pepin Garcia Original
The earliest fans of My Father cigars still consider Don Pepin Garcia Original one of the best cigars the Garcias ever created. An oily, reddish-brown Nicaraguan Corojo Oscuro wrapper leaf conceals a meaty core of Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos in a classic collection. Nutty notes of toast, earth, cocoa bean, and black pepper layer the palate prior to a long, chewy finish.
5. Flor de las Antillas
My Father cigars were a known commodity by the time the Garcias debuted Flor de las Antillas in 2012, but this cigar catapulted their reputation to new heights thanks to a 96-point rating and the brand’s first ‘#1 Cigar of the Year’ title from Cigar Aficionado. Unlike most new releases which premiere over the summer and arrive on store shelves in fall, Flor de las Antillas launched in the spring. Cigar lovers were quickly infatuated with its robust but smooth profile of cocoa and cayenne pepper with caramelly texture. A reddish-brown Sun Grown Nicaraguan wrapper harbors a luscious interior of premium aged long-fillers the Garcias grow on their Nicaraguan estates.
6. My Father The Judge
My Father The Judge is a popular smoke meticulously handmade in a series of blocky, box-pressed sizes by Pepin and Jaime Garcia. In 2024, the critics in Cigar Aficionado ranked The Judge as their ‘#1 Cigar of the Year’ with a stellar 98-point rating. Tasting notes of cedar, leather, earth, and cocoa weave a complex tapestry across the palate before a long, toasty finish resonates with hints of nuts. Savor this big-ring classic drawn from an oily Ecuador Sumatra wrapper leaf over a signature recipe of premium Nicaraguan tobaccos grown in Jalapa, Estelí, and Namanji.
7. Jaime Garcia Reserva Especial
Jaime Garcia Reserva Especial is blended from a full-bodied amalgam of Nicaraguan long-fillers draped in a toothy Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper. Pepin’s son, Jaime, proved his proficiency for blending premium cigars is on par with his father in a top-selling Nicaraguan classic. Chocolaty notes of oak, pepper, and coffee bean preclude a sweet and earthy conclusion.
8. Flor de las Antillas Maduro
Sweet notes of wood and chocolate command the senses with hints of baking spices and raisin in Flor de las Antillas Maduro. A dark and well-aged Nicaraguan wrapper leaf conceals a delicious blend of long-filler tobaccos grown in Nicaragua and Ecuador. Fans of the original Flor de las Antillas won’t be disappointed with the sweet and earthy character the Maduro delivers.
9. My Father La Promesa
My Father La Promesa is fittingly named for “the promise” Pepin made to his family that he would succeed as a great cigar-maker when he departed Cuba and arrived in America to start over in the early 2000s. Pepin pays homage to his heritage with a vibrant profile of hickory, chocolate, leather, and almond before a buoyant spice lies in its wake. La Promesa is blended from an Ecuador Habano Rosado wrapper leaf and an intricate and zesty interior of Nicaraguan long-fillers.
10. My Father Connecticut
My Father Connecticut is less usual for Pepin Garcia, considering the cigar is finished in a light-tan Ecuador Connecticut wrapper leaf. Inside is a robust blend of Nicaraguan long-fillers, handcrafted in a handful of popular sizes. Don’t be deceived by the mild appearance of My Father Connecticut. These cigars still pack a nice kick with notes of smoked pecan, graham cracker, cinnamon, and plenty of pepper.
