My Father The Judge: Three Great Alternative Cigars
In December, the critics in Cigar Aficionado awarded My Father The Judge a stellar 98-point rating and their prestigious ‘Cigar of the Year’ award for 2024 for the chunky, box-pressed Grand Robusto. The magazine publishes its anticipated ‘Top 25 Cigars of the Year’ in December or January every year. Getting the coveted number one ranking stimulates demand among consumers and typically results in the cigar being sold out for a while until the manufacturer can increase production to fill the spike in orders. Luckily, My Father cigars are blended by expert cigarmakers Pepin and Jaime Garcia, a famous father-and-son duo from Cuba, whose proficient Nicaraguan factory makes dozens of excellent cigars. Here’s an overview of The Judge.
My Father The Judge
My Father The Judge is blended from an oily Ecuador Sumatra wrapper and an intricate recipe of Nicaraguan long-fillers grown on Garcia family estates in Jalapa, Estelí, and Namanji. The cigar has two binders, a Corojo-seed leaf and a Criollo-seed leaf. The result is a full-bodied profile of leather, cedar, earth, and nuts with a toasty, lingering finish. The critics were clearly enamored with The Judge for its strength and complexity.
Three Alternative Cigars to My Father The Judge
In case your local retailer is out of your favorite sizes of The Judge, we’ve got a few backup cigars to consider in the meantime. Here are three outstanding alternatives to tide you over.
1. San Cristobal Revelation
San Cristobal cigars also hail from the renowned My Father factory in Nicaragua, where they’re also blended by Pepin and Jaime Garcia. San Cristobal Revelation is a 93-rated gem blended from vintage Nicaraguan long-fillers, grown on select Garcia family farms, finished in a flawless Ecuador Sumatra wrapper leaf. Revelation develops throughout a creamy profile of almond, cedar, cinnamon, and cocoa with hints of black pepper. Six meticulous sizes express this medium-bodied smoke, including four box-pressed classics and two big-ring gauge cigars in the round.
2. Oliva Serie V Melanio
The 96-rated Oliva Serie V Melanio also scored ‘Cigar of the Year’ honors in Cigar Aficionado back in 2014. Several box-pressed shapes unfold throughout a medium to full-bodied profile of black pepper, leather, coffee bean, and wood with a touch of caramel around the edges. An attractive Ecuador Sumatra wrapper leaf covers well-aged Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos. Serie V Melanio has been one of the most popular Oliva cigars for a decade.
3. Tatuaje 10th Anniversary Capa Especial
Tatuaje brand founder Pete Johnson has been working with the Garcia family since 2003, when he introduced the first Tatuaje cigars to the market. The brand is well known for producing cigars with robust flavor and aroma and is blended for fans of strong Cuban smokes. Tatuaje 10th Anniversary Capa Especial is a solid standby for The Judge because it also features an Ecuador Sumatra wrapper leaf over hearty Nicaraguan long-filler tobaccos. Smoky notes of wood, espresso bean, and earth leave a powerful impression in a pair of round sizes, a 5.375-by-48 Perfecto, called the Belle Encre, and the 5.375-by-52 Bon Chasseur.
