My Father

“Emotional roller coaster” is the term that comes to mind when describing my experience with My Father: The Judge. This cigar was first showcased at IPCPR 2016. The Judge was inspired by a dear friend of the Garcia family, who’s an actual judge. Just like the name implied, The Judge grand robusto has a larger and unique vitola at 5”x60” with a soft box press and a medium to full body in terms of strength. It is also worth mentioning that it was No. 7 Cigar of the year for 2017 on Cigar Aficionado.

Blend Specifics

• Cigar Reviewed: My Father: The Judge
• Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sumatra
• Binder: Nicaragua (Corojo & Criollo)
• Filler: Nicaragua (3 different types of tobaccos from Garcia’s farm)
• Size: 5×60 Grand Robusto

Appearance & Construction

As usual, the MF line impressed me with their band design. The golden scripted “MF” logo centered itself at the beginning of the final third mark, followed by “The Judge” right beneath it with its background fading into the walnut shell colored wrapper. Since it was the first time I’ve encountered this type of vitola, the cigar felt bulky, yet it rested comfortably between my thumb and index finger. The cigar had two very minor veins and a little weight to it, and firm to the touch. The wrapper appears dry visually, but there was a slight oily feel to it. Overall, The Judge has a very solid construction.

Flavor and Smoke Characteristics

When dry pulling, I mainly get barn yard, dry wood, leather and a hint of caramel with white pepper spice at the finish. At the foot of the cigar, I was able to smell more of a barn yard funk and spice which made me sneeze a couple of times.

I took my time toasting the bottom foot of the cigar, making sure each side was toasted properly before making my way to the middle. Once smoke started to emit, I smelled the scent of sweet granola, dry hay and pepper. Upon taking my first pull, I was surprised as to how mellow the actual smoke was. Flavor wise; dry wood and hay was the main profile with a creaminess of raw almond and a sweetness of caramel. There was also a bitter and earthy accent as if you were gnawing on an old bark and soil. There were two interesting characteristics that I wanted to point out; the smoke was silky but dissipated quickly with a bitter taste that I can only associate to the bitterness from a bitter melon. On the contrary, the bitter smoke left a long-lasting lingering sweetness on my palate.

The Judge continues to evolve as I arrived to the second third of the cigar. The nuttiness took the lead at this point, the bitterness and the spiciness in terms of flavor toned down to a hint. The lingering sweetness still existed as well as the bitterness in the smoke, but I realized my mouth was drying out quicker than usual and the only experience I can compare this experience to is when you accidentally chewed on peanut shells.

To my surprise, The Judge still had much life to offer at the final third. In addition to the bitterness in the smoke, a much more delicate floral essence emerged. The white pepper spice was gone, and the hint of sweet caramel at the beginning became a salted caramel instead which offered a savory aftertaste along with the lingering sweetness.

Conclusion

The Judge was a very unique smoke, it was very complex and balanced. The cigar structure remains consistent throughout the whole session, which is why I barely mentioned it in my review. I enjoy the shift of flavor every now and then. However, it would not be one of my go to if I had choices between the MF line. The bitterness in the smoke is very off-putting, unless you enjoy the taste of a bitter melon.

Final Rating: 87

It’s September, and that means we’re continuing to work through 2019 new releases. Personally, I’ve smoked a number of releases that seemed to be duds, but the cigar we’re reviewing today thankfully breaks that mold. La Promesa (“The Promise”) from My Father Cigars is dressed like so many other MF releases, but the story behind the cigar is unique. According to Cigar Aficionado, “the promise” refers to the promise that José “Pepín” García made to his family when he left Cuba in 2001 to be successful in the cigar industry and make his family proud.

The cigar is produced in five sizes:

• My Father La Promesa Robusto Grande (5 1/2 x 54)
• My Father La Promesa Toro (6 x 52)
• My Father La Promesa Lancero (7 1/2 x 38)
• My Father La Promesa Petite (4 1/2 x 50)
• My Father La Promesa Corona Gorda (5 1/2 x 48)

Product Specifics

• Cigar Reviewed: My Father La Promesa
• Wrapper:  Ecuador Habano rosado oscuro
• Binder: Nicaragua
• Filler: Nicaragua
• Size: 5 1/2 x 54 (Robusto Grande)

Appearance & Construction

My Father cigars almost always feature extremely expensive bands, and this is no exception. Both of the double bands are highly ornate, with high def printing, debossed lettering and framing, gradient coloration (which can be particularly expensive because of the number of colors) are just a few of the features of the band.

The outer wrapper has a few veins and a very visible layer of oil coating the entire cigar. A whiff off of the foot brings forward aromas of old barn, tree bark, coffee, and some light baking spices. The pre-light draw on the other hand is bright, with some lemongrass, cooking spices, and light cocoa.

Flavor & Smoke Characteristics

A couple of things of note come to mind when I light up the La Promesa from My Father Cigars. First is the texture. The mouthfeel of the smoke is great. Silky smooth but with tinges of spice and some textured cedar that help the cigar make a distinctive entrance. Second is the aroma: the cigar is extremely aromatic with a combination of cedar, grass, floral, cafe au lait and cocoa. Puffing the cigar generates billows of cool, smooth smoke, and the retrohale is nicely balanced between toasted bread, paprika, and baking spices. Strength-wise, the cigar is somewhere in between mild and medium in both strength and body.

So far, a great entrance, and lacking the blast of spice that is so characteristic with My Father blends.

As the La Promesa burns through the first third and into the second, the ash holds steady and the burn stays straight. Strength and body don’t budget at all, continuing to hold halfway through mild and medium. There’s some change to the flavors, but the cigar mostly retains its initial texture (i.e. very smooth, with almost no spice). On the palate, some almond develops alongside baking spices, powdered sugar and cake dough. It’s an enjoyable, mostly sweet profile.

Thankfully, at halfway the La Promesa starts to pick up a bit more oomph, with some spice re-entering and the smoke taking on a toastier texture. The trend continues well into the second third, with some distinctive cedar entering the mix and bringing the overall profile away from sweetness and more toward a more bitter profile. Great development and a nice added complexity.

By the final third, the transformation of the flavor profile is complete, with a wood-forward character that also has a decent amount of spice and black pepper mixed in. Still, it’s very balanced, and the sweeter flavors haven’t totally disappeared. The only negative is that near the end the heat of the smoke picks up a bit, prompting me to smoke a bit slower.

Conclusion

La Promesa is an excellent addition to the My Father product lineup. It’s a lot more subtle than other offerings, and features a velvety smooth smoke full of elegantly sweet flavors of toasted bread, cake dough, powdered sugar, cedar, floral and cafe au lait.

This cigar would pair very well with a mild rum which could bring out a bit more spice and wood early on.

Final Rating: 91