Cigar Review: My Father Limited Edition 2011

Toro, 6.5" x 52 ring gauge / $22.50, Burns

I missed out last year...when the first Limited Edition from My Father came out, I heard about it first on some other blog, decided I probably couldn't afford it (money was a bit tighter a year ago) and by the time I got to my local tobacconist...they were gone anyway! I wish I had been able to buy a couple of those and compare them to this year's version, but...that just was not in the cards. Anyway, this year the star aligned, but I still felt my heart jump when faced with spending $45 on two cigars. This review is based on the first one I smoked, but since then I have smoked the second and found it to be consistent. Information was a bit hard to find, so I am going to credit (or blame) this info to The Cigar Feed: wrapper, filler and binder are all Nicaraguan and the blend includes some Pelo de Oro. This blend is by Jaime Garcia (Pepin's son and heir-apparent...ap"heir"ently).

I remember last year when a couple folks went a little over-the-top in describing how beautifully this cigar was presented. I have to say, "Yes," the double-bands are quite ornate and attractive, but maybe the individual coffins they came in last year took it another step further? Hard to say since I didn't see those. The wrapper leaf was immaculate to the eye, a rich chocolate brown in color, with small-to-medium veins, a perfect triple-cap, and a slight oily sheen. I got aromas of earth, cedar and leather on the wrapper and a richer earth with a bit of chocolate on the foot. As usual, my Xikar Xi was more than up to the task of cleanly trimming the cap from this stogie (is this one too expensive to call a "stogie?"). The prelight draw had wood and earth flavors--which I kind of expected--and a dried fruit sweetness--which I really had not.

One of my first strong impressions after lighting was, "Wow! what a blast of maple on the retrohale!" Nothing something that usually comes to mind after lighting anything from the My Father factory. On the palate, there was a strong cedar note with some spice on the finish. Subsequent retrohaling had more of a nutty quality with a bit of pepper spice. The rest of the first third had plenty of cedar flavor up front as well as unsweetened cocoa powder on the finish. There was a little lingering spice from time-to-time, too.

As the second third got started, I noted how creamy and smooth the LE 2011 had gotten. At this point it seemed like much of the cedar flavor had ebbed away and I was getting a rich, sweet tobacco flavor with a bit of a coffee note.

The final third remained creamy and sweet, but there was a growing black pepper burn as well. I have serious reservations about recommending any cigar over the $20 mark--hell, I balk at many cigars above the $10 mark! This My Father LE 2011, though, was exquisite. A medium-to-full bodied sensory delight from beginning to end that fulfilled the mission of any cigar in this price range--to be different, special and worth the price. Not only did I find it worth of that price--it was the best cigar I can remember with a My Father label on it. Construction was as perfect as you would expect as well. For newer smokers, I would have to advise buying these...but only because you should sit on them for a while--first, there was sufficient nicotine strength by the end to be offputting to novices; second, you just don't want to smoke this until your palate is developed enough to fully appreciate it (unless you have the means to buy a couple boxes...then have at it!). Experienced smokers should definitely give this one a try if your budget allows. I was able to get a very good deal for half a box of these (after my initial 2 stick purchase), so I will be enjoying these periodically for at least the next 6 to 12 months...longer if I can hold out!

Body: 7/10

Strength: 8/10

Complexity: 8/10

AFP Scale

Prelight: 2/2

Construction: 2/2

Flavor: 5/5

Value: 1/1

Total: 10/10

Have a different opinion? Leave a comment below...