Don Pepin Garcia Series JJ 20th Anniversary is a testament to the fact that I have been smoking a long time. The cigar which is named for Jaime and Janny Garcia the kids of Don Pepin Garcia but for the cigar community it has a different meaning. Back on July 22nd, 2010 the cigar community got totally behind Smoke a JJ for JJ the annual celebration of life of the Little Robusto, the son of Jerry Cruz the co-founder of Stogie Review way back in the day. Jeremiah died from SIDS and a few websites created a fundraiser for a donation in his name.
While the Series JJ celebrates its 20th Anniversary, July 22, 2025 would have been JJ’s 18th Birthday.
Cigar Review:Don Pepin Garcia Series JJ 20th Anniversary
Size: 6 x 54 (Toro)
Wrapper: Nicaragua Corojo ’99 Rosado (Shade Grown)
Binder: Nicaragua
Fillers: Nicaragua (Includes Pelo de Oro)
Factory: My Father Cigars S.A.
Release Date: July 2025
Production: Limited (2,500 Boxes)
Box Size: 17 (16 Toro, 1 Salomon)
The Cigar: The salomon version features an Oscuro Rosado wrapper where the Toro which is today’s review has just a Rosado wrapper. The cigar features the white, gold and red Series JJ band which seems to be crisper from when I smoked the cigar back in the day. There is a secondary band to it which which to me reminds me of Las Vegas denoting the 20th Anniversary. A foot ribbon with the initials DPG and 2025written on it round things out. The wrapper has some subtle oils and subtle veins and while the cigar has a nice weight to it, it does feel a bit top heavy with an underfilled foot.
The Taste: The cold draw serves up some notes of raisins, pepper and oak exactly in that order. The foot of the cigar sees an abundance of cocoa with a subtle leather component. Once the cigar is toasted and lit there is that classic Don Pepin spice that I love so much.
Once we settle into the first third of the Series JJ 20th Anniversary and the pepper pulls back notes of cocoa emerge as the dominant flavor profile where it is joined by cedar and leather. A little more than a inch into the cigar a subtle raisin sweetness begins to develop in the background with black pepper on the palate and the retrohale. Speaking of the retrohale it also sees the addition of some melba toast and a touch of rye.
As soon as we move into the second third the ash drops onto my shirt which is part for the course. I can’t tell you how many shirts I have with small holes in them from this. The second third sees the leather notes kick it up a notch but the dominant note to start remains cocoa. As we cross the halfway point dark chocolate notes begin to emerge with some roasted chestnuts and coffee. The retrohale enhances the coffee notes as well the leather with an abundance of black pepper.
Moving into the final third the strength kicks up another notch while the flavor remains full as well. There are notes of espresso with a touch of dark chocolate remaining with an abundance of earth and leather thrown in for good measure. The palate sees the introduction of red pepper which lingers on the long finish while the retrohale sees black pepper and a touch of cocoa.
Conclusion: I remember when the Series JJ came out and it was considered a strong cigar in terms of perceived strength. Today, I find the cigar a shell of what it once was and medium in strength at best which shows you how much the cigar industry and/or my palate has changed. With that said, the Don Pepin Garcia Series JJ 20th Anniversary extremely close to the original as I remember it. I walked past the cigar in the humidor a couple of times being hesitant to drop $22.00 on it after my My Father Blue experience but I am glad I did. This is an outstanding cigar that I will be getting more of, if I can find them.
Score: 96
Price: $22.00 (Before any local or state taxes)
You can find these at Small Batch Cigar and if you log into their website, you can use the coupon code BARRELBURNER and save 10%.
