Fall 2020 PCA Magazine

26 PCA The Magazine | AUTUMN 2020 PREMIUMCIGARS.ORG My Father La Promesa Size: Petite – 4 ½ x 50 Filler: Nicaraguan Binder: Nicaraguan Wrapper: Ecuador Habano Rosado oscuro Factory: My Father Cigars S.A., Nicaragua MSRP: $7.80 per single Smoking Time: 58 minutes The Blend T H E R E V I E W Don Pepin Garcia set the bar high for this cigar: Its mission was to honor the family legacy in the cigar industry, and to show the world what Don Pepin could accomplish. First impressions are generally visual, and this cigar hits the right notes straight out of the gate. The primary band is the classically ornate My Father theme of gold lettering on a subtle pink field. Traces of bright red frame the logo, with a soft aqua-blue gracing the background. It’s beautiful. The sub- band brings a new element: the heart-shaped shield reproduces the central color scheme, punctuated by the name La Promesa in an electric blue, which jumps out from the muted background, announcing this cigar as something special. An orange ribbon forms the footer. Combined, the two bands and the ribbon take up nearly 3 inches of the 4 ½ inch cigar, and yet the elements come together for an impressive look. Appearance: This is an attractive cigar. The wrapper color is a deep, red- brown hue, with just enough sheen to invite further inspection. A well-formed multi-seam cap tops off a clean wrapper leaf with fine veins and barely noticeable seams. Construction: The La Promesa provides yet another example of excellent construction from the My Father team. The feel is uniformly firm with no soft spots. Cold draw and aroma: The wrapper gives off a light, earthy aroma, with a deeper, more pungent barnyard fragrance coming from the foot. A subtle sweetness balances the earth nicely. A punch cut opens up a free draw, offering a nice hint of pepper, complemented with some sweetness. There is also a pronounced flavor of wood. Light-up: Instantly the symphony of taste sensations makes itself known. Sweet cream is punctuated by a blast of chili pepper. Along with the cream is a hint of chocolate and an undertone of woodiness and leather. The flavors alternate as the cigar progresses, eventually settling down to a main menu of pepper and cream. Transitions: After dropping two ¾-inch ashes, just into the second- third of the cigar, the sweetness has receded and the pepper has increased. There develops almost a touch of harshness, or a lack of smoothness, but the cigar is smoking very well and I’m willing to overlook this sharpness and see what comes next. A note of citrus tang becomes noticeable. D CIGAR REVIEW BY LARRY WAGNER