At the time of writing, Father’s Day is just around the corner.

As many giftgivers will opt to gift something to that is cigar-related to a special man in their life, it just so happens that one of the most popular and acclaimed brands of cigars available today is called My Father.

How convenient. 

Apart from having the perfect name for a perfect Father’s day gift, let’s take a deeper look into what My Father Cigars are all about.

The Art, Tradition and Style of Cuba

Having developed a reputation for making uncompromisingly bold cigars, Nicaraguan-made My Father Cigars are created by the Garcia family and are advertised as being made in the “Art, Tradition, and Style of Cuba”.

This proclaims that although the cigars (and much of the tobacco in which they are comprised of) are made in Nicaragua, the manner in which they are made, their appearance and packaging, and ultimately how they smoke and taste are firmly shaped by time-honored practices that originated in Cuba, where the Garcia family hails from.

With two #1 Cigar Aficionado Cigar of the Year awards (Flor de Las Antillas Toro, 2012 – 96 Points & Le Bijou 1922 Box-Pressed Torpedo, 2015 – 97 Points) and countless additional high ratings and accolades under its belt, the My Father brand recently celebrated its 20th anniversary.

The Flor de Las Antillas Toro cigar by My Father

The family’s storied history with tobacco however, begins long before that in Cuba, largely through the experiences of its patriarch, Jose “Pepin” Garcia, who is more commonly known to others as simply “Pepin” or “Don Pepin”.

Jose “Pepin” Garcia enjoying one of his daily cigars

Le Bijou (The Jewel) 1922 is is a full-bodied blend with an exquisite and exceptional aroma. Featuring a Habano Oscuro wrapper and a mix of Nicaraguan long-fillers grown on the Garcia family farms, Le Bijou 1922 exudes a robust array of flavors delivered in a remarkably smooth fashion. Complex, unique and satisfying.

Cuban Beginnings

Now a third-generation tobacco blender and a Cigar Aficionado Hall of Famer (Class of 2022), Pepin got his start rolling cigars as a Torcedor at the tender age of eleven in the Cuban town of Baez, which is situated within the Cuban province of Villa Clara. It was here that his uncle owned a humble cigar factory where Pepin established foundational skills in cigar rolling prior to eventually working in cigar factories that became nationalized after the Castro regime’s takeover.

Pepin is accredited for his work involved in blending for Cohiba, Partagas, and Montecristo.

The former Partagas Real Fabrica de Tobaccos factory in Havana

As a result of his unrivalled speed, dexterity and blending skills, Pepin garnered many accolades and eventually became recognized as one of Cuba’s utmost elite rollers, acheiving the higest possible level of Torcedor.

Little did Pepin know however, that his biggest accomplishments would occur beyond the confines of Cuba, and beyond the age of 50.

“The establishment of My Father Cigars S.A. in Estelí ushered in a period of great international acclaim for My Father Cigars and a dream come true for Pepin and the Garcia family, which has continued to grow and prosper to this very day.”

In the year 2003, Pepin lefta life in Cuba for Miami, USA and opened a small cigar factory called El Rey de los Habanos alongside his son, Jaime, and his daughter, Janny, who was the first Garcia to leave Cuba for the United States. In the USA, his early blends quickly received critical acclaim and rave reviews. Blends for newly launched Tatuaje, San Cristobal, and La Aroma de Cuba, as well as his own Don Pepin brand quickly got people talking about El Rey de los Habanos and the Garcia family.

Pepin with son-in-law Pete Johnson, owner of Tatuaje Cigars

As My Father Cigars have mastered making incredible medium-to-full bodied cigars, their Connecticut demonstrates that they can also create incredible blends within the mild-to-medium realm. This Nicaraguan puro cigar uses the finest Nicaraguan Habano and Criollo filler tobaccos bound with a flavorful Nicaraguan Corojo ’99 leaf, but the real story is in the wrapper. The silky, blonde Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper provides an amazing smoothness that is not not often paired with a My Father cigar.

Miami, Estelí and Beyond

To surprise his father for his birthday, in 2008 Jaime developed the first My Father blend. In 2009, the family relocated their thriving operation to a state-of-the-art factory and farm in , Nicaragua, that would take on the name of Jaime’s incredible new blend.

The establishment of a factory complex and multiple farms upon the fertile, volcanic soil of Nicaragua has ushered in a period of great international acclaim for My Father Cigars S.A., as well as a dream come true for Pepin and his Garcia family.

The My Father Cigar S.A. factory facade in Estelí, Nicaragua

Their releases are typically rated 90+ by Cigar Aficionado, Cigar Journal, and others industry-recognized reviewers.

Since 2018, Nicaragua has surpassed the Dominican Republic as the world’s biggest exporter of premium cigars. Having produced over 20 million cigars per year, the success of My Father Cigars has played a significant role in this accomplishment. To keep up with demand, My Father has significantly expanded the size of their factory area over the past few years.

As the brand continues to grow and prosper, it does so while maintaining a faithful adherence to the level of quality and Cuban-born traditions that it was founded upon.

House of Horvath are the proud distributor of My Father Cigars in Canada.