This is one of the hyped up Nubs, the 3 ¾ inch small ring 58 with the Cameroon wrapper. The cigar has a strong aroma of manure, a light colored wrapper with small veins but the predraw is too light, too easy even though the cigar feels well constructed.



After lighting I could taste that this cigar is made my Oliva due to their recognizable sweet flavor that you find in any Oliva blend, but it’s combined with a spicy herb flavor. Soon after it’s wood instead of the sweetness but the spicy herbs continue to be noticeable. Halfway I get a slight burning sensation which fades away soon and the wood & herbs are flavorful again. Only the last part of the cigar is really enjoyable.





The draw is way too easy, but the close to perfect burn, the firm white ash and the amount of smoke are good.



Would I buy this cigar again? No, there are better cigars in the price range and the Nub habanos is better than the Cameroon.

Appearance: 7 / 10
Construction: 6 / 10
Draw: 6 / 10
Burn: 8 / 10
Smoke & ash: 7 / 10
Aroma first part: 6 / 10
Aroma second part; 6 / 10
Aroma third part: 7 / 10

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I got this 5 Vegas Miami toro when JohnnyKay5 bombed the shit out of me with not 1 but 2 Don Pepin Garcia samplers. This toro is 6 x 48 and has a peppery barnyard aroma. The wrapper has some spots on it and lots of veins. The construction feels good. The cigar band is simple. The fire end is a bit box pressed. Instead of cutting the cigar I decided to try and punch it. The predraw is fine. I smoked this cigar in SmokeyNL’s backyard.





I could taste pepper and cedar and soon after that there was some leather, all with a chocolate aftertaste on the background. After 1/3rd its cedar which changes into a peppery chocolate at the halfway point. When the chocolate fades away, I can taste the cedar again with the pepper that decided to stick around. The last few puffs give me lots of nuts with pepper and some chocolate. The structure of the flavors is warm. The flavors are full but smooth. This cigar is good enough to nub.





The smoke is good and there is enough of it. The ash is white with some dark spots. I would call this medium bodied full flavored, it is the mildest Don Pepin cigar I smoked so far. Because I smoked outside and there was some wind, it was hard to keep a straight burn.



Would I buy this cigar again? It is a Don Pepin stick, so you can’t go wrong. Yes, I will buy this cigar again.

Appearance: 7 /10
Construction: 7 / 10
Draw: 7 / 10
Burn: 7 / 10
Smoke & ash: 7 / 10
Aroma first part: 7 / 10
Aroma second part; 7 / 10
Aroma third part: 8 / 10

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The Don Pepin Garcia black series is the first blend Jose Pepin created in his factory in Estelí, Nicaragua and I think it’s the least expensive of all the lines that carry Don Pepin’s name. The different vitolas all have a year to their name instead of the vitola type, the 5 x 54 belicoso that I smoked is the 1970.



The small belicoso has a nice wrapper, almost without veins, and oily. The construction feels good, I can’t detect soft spots of plugs upon inspection. The cigar has a sweet aroma. The predraw is fine and leaves a peppery flavor in my mouth.



A fruity peppery coffee with wood flavor is what I taste when I light the cigar. The pepper and the coffee fade away quickly and I can taste some wood with wild fruit. For a moment I can also taste some sal ammoniac candy (a kind of liquorice that I love) with a fresh minty aftertaste. The flavors are very uncommon but also very nice.



Halfway the sal ammoniac disappears and the wild fruit flavor is getting milder, but I can still taste it on the background of the wood. This is the flavor I keep tasting towards the end, but the flavors pick up and get a bit spicier towards the end.

The draw is fine and the cigar has light colored firm ash. I did get a bit of a crooked burn and lots of nice smoke. This cigar is full flavored and medium to full bodied.



Would I buy this cigar again? Yes, I liked it a lot, but I must admit, the robusto will stay my favorite of the Don Pepin Garcia black blend, but if I want the same flavor palate with just a bit less peppery power, this is the stick.

Appearance: 7 / 10
Construction: 7 / 10
Draw: 8 / 10
Burn: 7 / 10
Smoke & ash: 7 / 10
Aroma first part: 8 / 10
Aroma second part: 7 / 10
Aroma third part: 7 / 10

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The 2000 is a 5 x 50 robusto and the most popular Padron of the x000 series. The cigar is a Nicaraguan puro with Cuban seed tobacco. I got this cigar from Mark aka Conch Republican.



The wrapper isn’t very pretty, it is stained and the cigar feels a bit under filled. The predraw proves my suspicion as it is a bit loose. I get a full raisin flavor. The cigar is so ugly that I wouldn’t buy it when I saw it at a B&M.



The aroma of the cigar is a barnyard smell with a mild pepper. Somehow the wrapper tears when I cut it, but my bottle of pectin saves the day.



I get a bean flavor and after an inch also some earthy tones with a sharp spicy on the tongue. These flavors aren’t my cup of tea, but if you like these flavors you have a good cigar on your hands. Halfway I get a hint of chocolate and soon the flavors get more balanced and much nicer. The chocolate gets a bit stronger. At the end I only taste some spice.



I get plenty of reasonable thick smoke. The ash is light gray and quite firm. The flavors are full and the power of the cigar is medium to full. The draw is on the loose side but the burn is fantastic.



Would I buy this cigar again? No, I guess this is a good cigar, but it doesn’t fit my palate.

Appearance: 6 / 10
Construction: 7 / 10
Draw: 6 / 10
Burn: 8 / 10
Smoke & ash: 7 / 10
Aroma first part: 6 / 10
Aroma second part: 6 / 10
Aroma third part: 7 / 10

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Don Pepin Garcia Blue toro
Goviada robusto
Illusione MJ12

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