Wednesdays are " Wharf Wednesdays" for me and James, my cigar smoking buddy.  At lunch we quickly scarf something down at Burger King (usually from the value menu) and then drive about 150 yards to the Wharf, our local cigar shop, for a lunch cigar.  Now, I have stated previously that my usual selection is anything by Tatuaje, but today I decided to stray off a bit and get something from Don Pepin's lines.  I know, I know...Don Pepin blends for Pete Johnson at Tatuaje, but I enjoy the style of his blends.

Today's selection was the Don Pepin Garcia Series JJ Selectos.  A nice manageable Robusto which is the perfect lunch size cigar.  How did it rate?  Let's see....

Construction: As with all of the Don Pepin cigars (were these made in the My Father factory?) the construction was as near perfect as you can get.  These had been stored well at The Wharf as was evident by the very yellow cellophane.  The triple cap cut easily and did not fall apart....Probably because I have been cutting the cigar a bit more shallow than in past years, but I digress.

Pre-light Aroma and Draw: The wrapper on this cigar is red-brown with a very interesting mottled pattern that harkened to the Cabaiguan brand from Tatuaje (oh my, is a review on the way for that beauty).  Needless to say my hopes were high.

Light and Burn: Perfection.  Lit with a match, the JJ blazed to life and performed the usual Don Pepin self-correcting-light.  I had perfect burn with a nice medium gray ash.  I think I did about three very small touch-ups along the way thanks to my OCD when it comes to even burning cigars.

Tasting: The opening Don Pepin spice did not disappoint -  heady and rich.  I noticed that the aroma of the lit cigar was very floral and unusually pleasant.  Not to mention the fact that I could smell it.  My olfactory sense is notoriously bad and it is often hard to smell a cigar when you are smoking it anyway - probably from sensory overload.  I was happy to be able to smell this one.  While not as aromatic as an ACID or any flavored cigar, I did enjoy it quite a bit.  As the cigar progressed I tasted notes of coffee, wood, and something like toasted dinner rolls.  Very enjoyable.

Value: At about $9 I was happy with the purchase.  While not a value stick, it certainly earned a space in my usual rotation.

Final Thoughts: As powerful as this cigar turned out to be - full bodied and full flavor - it was a very easy smoke. I realized after the fact that it's a Nicaraguan Puro as well. Glad I had food on my stomach though.  Highly recommended to seasoned smokers.

Wrapper: Nicaragua
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua 

Strength: Full disguised as Medium

Size: 5x50

The Series JJ

There is that mottled look I mentioned.  You could also see a ghostly discoloration where the bands were sitting