Don Pepin Garcia Series JJ Maduro Lancero Review

Series JJ Maduro
Made by: Don Pepin Garcia
Country: Nicaraguan
Vitola: 6 7/8 by 42 (Lancero)

The cigar is pretty hard to find in a lancero vitola. This was part of the Lancero’s collection by Don Pepin Garcia. The production on those was estimated at 1000 boxes, suggesting this is one of 1000 cigars released.  Let’s see what the cigar has to offer with the Don Pepin Garcia Series JJ Maduro Review.

Prelight

The wrapper of the cigar is very toothy and has plenty of medium size veins. Barely visible seams and an exceptionally well done pigtail cap. The foot is giving off traditional notes, cocoa and mixed pepper both very strong. My expectations for the cigar are high. The tooth suggests very thick creamy smoke that I expect to play into the profile alongside the cocoa notes. Perfect cut and a very peppery prelight draw. White pepper on the front followed by a black pepper. There is a slight bitter cocoa on the finish. There is a good amount of resistance on the draw, hoping that it opens up once lit.

1/3

There is a ton of slightly better cocoa on the front it is delicious. Pepper is detectable on the retrohale, and it is faint on the finish. There is a light cedar right before the mix pepper finish. But the slightly bitter cocoa is so robust it dominates the profile at this point. Full-bodied and low strength at this point. The smoke is very creamy, but it cannot contend with the cocoa at this point. The tooth is visible in the ash, and there are no issues with the draw it is perfect now. With eight years of age on this, it is smoking amazingly. I feel like I’m smoking a piece of dark chocolate, there is a note coming up on the finish somewhere between white pepper, leather, and cedar. The best part of this profile is the front by far. Strength seems to be rising to a low to medium and I expect it to rise further. As the first third comes to an end the finish is distinctly spiced gum drops. And it tastes amazing.

2/3

The cigar dropped the spiced gum drop taste. The front maintains a slightly bitter Cocoa and the finish is now a light white pepper. Good burn, not super straight but no issues. The ashes falling off in about inch chunks. The body is down to a medium now, and the strength is at a low to medium still. There is a floral no coming up just behind the cocoa, it’s actually quite strong and clean. Interesting transition, I will be interested to see if the cigar holds this flavor. At the end of the second third there’s a black pepper mixing with the floral note creating an interesting flavor that I cannot say I’ve tasted before.

3/3

At the start of the last third, the slightly bitter cocoa note and the floral note are dancing. Great balance, the cigars finishing off very nicely. Still medium to full body and medium strength. No issues with burn, although I did ask him myself once. It would be a good move to ash this cigar at an inch just in case. As the cigar reached the nub a black pepper came in to play with the floral note again. And the cocoa note came back up to control the front.

Smoke Time: 1 hour and 25 minutes

Conclusion: 89

This actually ended up being a pretty consistent stick. And I have no issue with that because the flavors were delicious, but it did lose points in the transition area because of this. There was the one main transition of the floral note coming up in the second third. Great cigar, if you have the opportunity to smoke one of these go for it. Again thank you to My Father for everything that they have done for Anthony Cigar Emporium over the years. And personally I hope your company releases these cigars again.

Click on the picture to find this cigar at anthonyscigars.com