Back in June 2016, My Father Cigars released its latest annual limited edition cigar, the My Father Le Bijou 1922 Limited Edition 2016. With the exception of 2014;  each year since 2010, My Father Cigars has released a one-and-done limited edition release. There have been two common denominators of these limited editions.  First, each cigar is a 6 1/2 x 52 Toro; and secondly, these releases have incorporated rare Pelo de Oro tobacco into the blend. What was unique about the 2016 edition is that it was the first one to be branded under the My Father Le Bijou 1922 line. While the Limited Edition 2016 shares the Le Bijou 1922 name, it is an entirely different blend. From a marketing standpoint, it made a lot of sense to brand this with the Le Bijou 1922 name, because it was the My Father Le Bijou 1922 Box Pressed Torpedo that had won Cigar Aficionado’s Cigar of the Year award in 2015. Today we take a closer look at what the My Father Le Bijou 1922 Limited Edition 2016 has to offer.

The original Le Bijou 1922 line was launched back in 2009. The cigar was created by company founder Jose “Pepin” Garcia – a.k.a Don Pepin Garcia.  The cigar pays homage to Garcia’s father, Jose Garcia who was born in 1922. The name Le Bijou is French for “The Jewel”. The Le Bijou 1922 is highlighted by a dark oscuro wrapper.  While it’s a different wrapper on the My Father Le Bijou 1922 Limited Edition 2016, it still keeps true to the line as it uses a dark oscuro wrapper.

Like several of the other annual limited edition releases, the My Father Le Bijou 1922 Limited Edition 2016 comes packaged in an individual coffin.

Without further ado, let’s take a closer look at the My Father Le Bijou 1922 Limited Edition 2016 and see what this cigar brings to the table.

Blend Profile and Vitolas Available

The My Father Le Bijou 1922 Limited Edition 2016 uses an Ecuadorian Oscuro wrapper. This is different than the Nicaraguan Oscuro wrapper found on the regular production Le Bijou line.  In addition, the cigar features all-Nicaraguan tobaccos for the binder and filler grown from the Garcia family farms. As mentioned the blend incorporates Pelo de Oro. Pelo de Oro is a tobacco that is often only available in limited quantities. This is because Pelo de Oro is susceptible to blue mold and other diseases. As a result, it produces low yields.

Like all of the Limited Edition cigars, the My Father Le Bijou 1922 Limited Edition 2016 is in a 6 1/2 x 52 Toro.  A total of 4,000 fourteen-count boxes have been produced.

My Father Le Bijou 1922 Limited Edition 2016

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Oscuro
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Country of Origin: Nicaragua (My Father Cigars SA)
Toro: 6 1/2 x 52 (Coffin Release)

For completeness, we list all of the entries in the My Father Limited Edition Series:

My Father Limited Edition 2010

Wrapper: Hybrid Ecuadorian Habano Rosado/Criollo
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Country of Origin: Nicaragua (My Father Cigars SA)
Toro: 6 1/2 x 52 (Coffin Release)

My Father Limited Edition 2011

Wrapper: Hybrid Ecuadorian Habano Rosado/Criollo
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Country of Origin: Nicaragua (My Father Cigars SA)
Toro: 6 1/2 x 52

Jaime Garcia Reserva Especial Limited Edition 2011

Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf Viso
Binder: Nicaraguan Cuban-seed (including Pelo de Oro)
Filler: Nicaraguan Cuban-seed (including Pelo de Oro)
Country of Origin: Nicaragua (My Father Cigars SA)
Toro: 6 1/2 x 52

Jaime Garcia Reserva Especial Limited Edition 2012

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade
Binder: Nicaraguan Cuban-seed (including Pelo de Oro)
Filler: Nicaraguan Cuban-seed (including Pelo de Oro)
Country of Origin: Nicaragua (My Father Cigars SA)
Toro: 6 1/2 x 52

My Father Limited Edition 2012

Wrapper: Hybrid Ecuadorian Habano Rosado/Criollo
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Country of Origin: Nicaragua (My Father Cigars SA)
Toro: 6 1/2 x 52

Don Pepin Garcia 10th Anniversary Limited Edition 2013

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano-seed (2009)
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Country of Origin: Nicaragua (My Father Cigars SA)
Toro: 6 1/2 x 52 (Coffin Release)

My Father Limited Edition 2015 5th Anniversary

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano Rosado Oscuro
Binder: Nicaraguan Corojo 2006, Nicaraguan Habano
Filler: Nicaraguan
Country of Origin: Nicaragua (My Father Cigars SA)
Toro: 6 1/2 x 52 (Coffin Release)

Jaime Garcia Reserva Especial Limited Edition 2017

Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf Viso
Binder: Nicaraguan Cuban-seed (including Pelo de Oro)
Filler: Nicaraguan Cuban-seed (including Pelo de Oro)
Country of Origin: Nicaragua (My Father Cigars SA)
Toro: 6 1/2 x 52

Appearance

As mentioned, the signature characteristic of the original Le Bijou 1922 line is the dark oscuro wrapper and the My Father Le Bijou 1922 Limited Edition 2016 is no exception. The wrapper had a dark chocolate brown color to it. There was some oil on the surface. The dark color of the wrapper did a good job at hiding the wrapper seams, but there were some visible veins that created a slightly bumpy surface.

There are two bands on the My Father Le Bijou 1922 Limited Edition 2016. The primary band is the classic peach/pink, green, gold, and white My Father Cigars band found across the line.

The secondary band sits below the main band. At the center of the band on a gold background, is the text “Limited Edition” in red cursive font. Below that text is “Le Bijou 1922” in black cursive font. There are two gold ribbon designs toward the bottom of that band with the text “HAND” on the left ribbon and “MADE” on the right ribbon –both in black font. On the left side of the secondary band has an orange background with a black “MF” logo. On that orange background there are also some pale “MF” logos in wallpaper mode. To the right it says “My Father Cigars” in black font with the signatures of master blenders Don Pepin Garcia and Jaime Garcia all in gold font – also on an orange background with pale “MF” logos. Finally, the remainder of the band also has some gold, red, green, and white accents.

An orange ribbon surrounds the footer with the text “My Father Le Bijou 1922 Limited Edition 2016” in black cursive font.

Preparation for the Cigar Experience

Prior to lighting up the My Father Le Bijou 1922 Limited Edition 2016, I chose a straight cut to remove the cap of the cigar. I then moved on to the pre-light draw. The cold draw delivered a mix of cocoa, leather, and a slight amount of cedar. Overall I considered this to be an excellent pre-light draw. At this point, I was ready to light up the Le Bijou 1922 Limited Edition 2016 and see what the smoking phase would have in store.

Flavor Profile

The start to the My Father Le Bijou 1922 Limited Edition 2016 delivered a mix of red pepper, cedar, cocoa, and earth. Early on the chocolate notes moved into the forefront and very much had a creamy texture to it. I also found a nice (but not overpowering) sweetness to the chocolate. The red pepper, cedar, and earth settled in the background where the earth morphed into more of classic black coffee flavor. Meanwhile, the retro-hale produced a mix of red pepper and cedar.

As the Le Bijou 1922 Limited Edition 2016 moved through the first third, the coffee notes increased, and by the start of the second third, it was on even ground with the chocolate notes. At times in a cigar I will refer to a fusion of coffee and chocolate-like notes as “mocha”, but in this case, the notes were separate and distinct. There still were notes of cedar and red pepper in the background and I also detected a slight citrus note.

During the second third, the coffee notes continued to become more prominent and the chocolate notes diminished. As the chocolate notes diminished, it also shed some of its sweetness and creaminess. By the end of the second third, the chocolate notes were more like an unsweetened dark chocolate note. It was in the background that the cedar notes remained. The red pepper was also present, but there was now some black pepper mixed in. The citrus note that had surfaced earlier had dissipated.

As the Le Bijou 1922 Limited Edition 2016 moved through the final third, the red and black pepper increased and closed in on the black coffee notes in the forefront. The pepper never eclipsed the other flavors. Meanwhile there still was some dark chocolate and cedar in the background. This is the way the smoking experience of the My Father Le Bijou 1922 Limited Edition 2016 came to a close. The resulting nub was firm to the touch and cool in temperature.

Burn and Draw

While the Le Bijou 1922 Limited Edition 2016 didn’t exhibit the prettiest burn at times, it still performed quite well. The cigar maintained a straight burn path from start to finish. There was a slight amount of unevenness on the burn line, but this was never a cigar that was in danger of tunneling or canoeing. The resulting ash wasn’t overly firm. There also was a bit of flowering and mild flaking at times. The ash itself had a salt and pepper color. Meanwhile, the burn rate and burn temperature were both ideal.

The draw to the My Father Le Bijou 1922 Limited Edition 2016 performed quite well. The cigar had a touch of resistance to it – which is something that I like. I also found this cigar produced a nice amount of smoke.

Strength and Body

In terms of strength and body, I found the My Father 1922 Le Bijou Limited Edition 2016 started out medium.  There was a build up in intensity and by the start of the second third, both attributes had progressed to medium to full. I found the intensity continued to build up and while both moved close to “full” by the end of the cigar experience, they just didn’t cross the threshold.

Looking at strength versus body, I found both attributes to balance each other with neither one overshadowing the other.

Final Thoughts

There are two comments I have in regards to the My Father 1922 Le Bijou Limited Edition 2016. First, this cigar was only released once – and that was sixteen months prior to this assessment. Since then the 1922 Le Bijou Limited Edition 2016 had been aging in the Cigar Coop humidor prior to this assessment. On the whole, I would definitely say that aged version is much better than this cigar was when originally released. The second point is that I found this to be a case where the first half smoked spectacular; however while the second half wasn’t bad, it didn’t nearly perform at the level it did in the first half.

Overall this is still a cigar I’d recommend. It’s a cigar that I’d steer to a more experienced cigar enthusiast. As for myself, it’s a cigar I would obtain and it’s worthy of having a five-pack in my humidor.

Summary

Key Flavors: Coffee, Chocolate, Cedar, Black and Red Pepper
Burn: Very Good
Draw: Excellent
Complexity: Medium to High
Strength: Medium (1st Third), Medium to Full (Remainder)
Body: Medium (1st Third), Medium to Full (Remainder)
Finish: Very Good

Rating

Assessment: 3.0-The Fiver
Score: 90

References

News: My Father Le Bijou 1922 Limited Edition 2016 Coming Soon
Price: $23.00
Source: Purchased
Brand Reference: My Father

Photo Credits: Cigar Coop