Jaime Garcia made the original My Father line in honor of his father Don Pepin Garcia.  He (Don Pepin Garcia) enjoyed the blend so immensely, that he decided to create the Le Bijou 1922 line in memory of his own father.  It uses Pelo de Oro (Habano Oscuro) wrapper which is very very hard to grow along with Nicaraguan tobaccos as the binder and filler.

Petit Robusto “4 1/2 x 50″ $7.00

Toro “6 x 52″ $11.00

Torpedo “6 1/8 x 52″  $11.75

Churchill “7 x 50″  $12.00

Grand Robusto “5 5/8 x 55″  $10.75

Corona Gorda “5 5/8 x 46″  $7.50 (Available at Federal Cigar)

Lonsdale “6 1/2 x 42″  $8.00 (Federal Cigar 91st Exclusive)

My Father Le Bijou 1922 Torpedo Box Press

Wrapper:  Nicaraguan Habano Oscuro

Binder/Filler:  Nicaraguan

Size:  6 1/8 x 52

Vitola:  Torpedo Box Press

MSRP:  $11.75

Days In Humidor:  90

Smoke Time:  1hr 45min

Drink:  Water

Location:  Tasty Tobacco Shop

Construction/Appearance:

Beautiful box press on the torpedo vitola with the usual double bands on the cigar.  I like the style and appearance of the bands but feel they take too much away from the cigar at times.  Unlike the other regular production Le Bijou 1922 cigars, these have an orange band on the foot.  This is similar to the Jaime Garcia TAA 2011 which is the same exact vitola (torpedo box press) except with a blue band.  The construction is consistent with a slight give and the chocolate wrapper contrasts well with the band.  The wrapper isn’t that toothy and the cigar feels slightly below average in terms of weight while holding it.  Even though the ring gauge is 52, the torpedo shape along with the box press makes this cigar accomodating to those that favor smaller ring gauges.

Burn/Draw:

After making a very clean cut across the head, the cold draw feels smooth and clean.  This is a big plus on torpedos because sometimes a cut can either make the draw too tight or too loose.  When in doubt, always make smaller cuts.  The burn starts out wavy, then evens out for the duration of the smoke though it needed a few touchups.  I absolutely enjoyed the draw which was smooth and efficient.  There was a steady stream of smoke for the most part.  The ash gray and stayed fairly intact but it seemed to fall off after 1/2 inch each time.

Flavor/Aroma:

Wrapper has a nice cocoa and cedar combination while the foot gives off chocolaty notes that are delicious.  The initial draw blasts me with a dose of pepper, wood, and nuts.  The pepper was on the front and also on the finish lingering for a while.  About 1/4 inch into the cigar, the profile mellows just a bit while the pepper remains on the finish.  Rich wood and earthy notes dominate the cigar while it feels like a strong medium already.

In the second third, every draw has a peppery sensation.  At times there is a sweet undertone right in the middle of the draw.  The smoke has a creamy texture and feel balanced with earthy and chocolate notes.  I can feel the strength continuing to build as I enter the last part.  This third doesn’t change much but dominance of each note does as leather comes to the forefront along with wood and nuts. The My Father Le Bijou 1922 torpedo box press definitely ends up as a full bodied cigar.

Final Thoughts:

• The flavors in the cigar don’t vary dramatically though they are enjoyable.  Each cigar was consistent in it’s own way as well as when compared with each other.  I found the second part to be my favorite of the cigar because of the subtle sweet notes that I experienced.
• One thing that impressed each time is the construction, burn, and draw characteristics of this cigar. It was always above average if not close to excellent and even though the ash didn’t hold as long as I thought it would, I would consider that a minor aspect of the experience.
• This vitola is one of my favorite from the Le Bijou 1922 Line.  The corona gorda and lonsdale are wonderful sizes to try out because of the smaller ring gauge but the petit robusto is also good.  I feel the box press makes a tremendous difference in experience both asthetically and in enjoyment value.
• At $11.75, it is a high price tag, but it could be worthy of a box buy if you enjoy the shape and flavor profile.  While most people find the cigar to be good, I think there is a niche group of cigar smokers that truly love the notes and balance found in this line.
• The My Father Le Bijou 1922 cigars benefit from resting anywhere from 2 months and up just because the pepper notes mellow out.  That’s been my experience with various vitola and letting them sit in your humidor for about 4-6 months will help balance out the cigar.