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| My Father Cigars’ El Hijo (exposed binder/filler on right) |
Late last year, Smoke Inn launched its “Microblend Series. The intent of the Microblend Series is to a produce a limited run of retail exclusive cigars made by some of the biggest manufacturers. The first release was a the Tatuaje Anarchy and the second was a retail exclusive of the Padron 1964 Anniversary. The Anarchy was one of the best cigars I’ve had this year and is definitely a Cigar of the Year candidate (I have not sampled the Padron as of yeat) For the third cigar, owner Abe “Ming” Dababneh turns back to Don Pepin Garcia (who blended the Anarchy for Tatuaje) with a special edition from My Father Cigars. This one is called the My Father Cigars El Hijo. Once again, Abe is making available another outstanding product.
The name “El Hijo” means “The Son”, so it keeps with a lot of the theme of My Father Cigars. This is denoted on an orange colored second band under the traditional “My Father” band.
Without further adieu, let’s break down the My Father El Hijo. Note, this cigar was gifted to me prior to the general availability release by Smoke Inn, so I am defaulting to a pre-review.
Blend Profile
One key selling point on what makes the blend unique is the special Ecuadorian Habano wrapper. This wrapper was taken from a small, limited-supply batch that was harvested in 2009.
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano 2009
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Vitolas Available
A single vitola is only available – and that is a 5 1/2 x 52 box-pressed Toro. Another unique characteristic is how the foot is unfinished without wrapper – meaning the binder and filler are exposed. Part of the rationale behind this was to give the cigar a little time before the flavor of the wrapper kicks in.
Preparation for the Cigar Experience
For this cigar experience, I placed a straight cut into the cap. The pre-light draw was very satisfying giving me a combination of coffee, butterscotch, and a touch of cedar. From this point, I was excited about firing this cigar up and see what the El Hijo would bring to the table.
Flavor Profile
The El Hijo started with some coffee and notes and sweetness. The sweetness surprised me because I was expecting a more raw flavor given I was only into the part of the cigar without the wrapper. For the sweetness, I definitely categorized this as more of a cedar sweetness. Once the cigar reached the Ecuadorian Habano wrapper, I definitely picked up some traditional pepper notes.
The cigar settles back into a flavor profile of coffee, cedar sweetness, and pepper notes. These three flavors were the dominant ones throughout the smoke – varying on which flavor is on the forefront. I also detected some floral and earth notes along the way. It’s safe to say that the spice takes over toward the end of the smoke. However, the pepper spice seemed to be more of a cedar spice by the end of the cigar experience.
The nub was a little disappointing as it was softer and hotter than I would have liked it, however the flavors were not harsh.
Burn and Draw
Overall, the El Hijo had a pretty straight burn – and required few or no touch-ups. While it burned at a good rate, this cigar seemed to burn hotter than I would have liked – and unfortunately this went right to the nub. The good news is that this did not create any harsh notes. The draw for the El Hijo was excellent – no issues with that.
Strength and Body
The El Hijo definitely had more pop to it than I gave it credit for. From a strength profile, I would categorize this as medium to full, but more full toward the end. From a body standpoint, the notes had enough depth to also make it into the medium to full range.
Final Thoughts
I’ll admit, if I’m comparing this to the Tatuaje Anarchy as far as the Microbatch Series goes, the Anarchy beats the El Hijo every time. However, if I am comparing this within the My Father line – this stands up with some of my favorites – namely the My Father Le Bijou 1922 and Jaime Garcia Reserva Especial. This is a very good cigar and I would smoke it again. I do believe the El Hijo appeals more to a seasoned cigar enthusiast. I’m not sure yet if I would recommend this to a novice enthusiast or not. Overall, I’d still recommend getting some of these before the supply runs out.
Summary
Burn: Good
Draw: Excellent
Complexity: Medium
Strength: Medium to Full (Full toward end)
Body: Medium to Full
Recommend to Experienced Enthusiast: Yes
Recommend to Novice Enthusiast: TBD
Source: This cigar was gifted to me by a friend who also happens to represent the My Father Cigars’ brand. By no means does this influence the direction of this assessment.
