My Weekend Cigar Review: My Father Le Bijou 1922 100 Años

Le Bijou 1922 100 Años: Pepin’s Crown Jewel

My Father Le Bijou 1922 100 Años cigars first appeared in 2022. That year signaled what would have been the 100th birthday of José “Pepín” García’s late father, José García Alayón. This limited edition homage mirrors the original Le Bijou 1922 cigars blend, but with a unique tweak.

The star of this Le Bijou blend (le bijou is French for “the jewel”), is a proprietary Maduro wrapper the company calls "Habano My Father," technically known as "oscuro oscuro" for its deep brown color. All of the tobaccos for the My Father Le Bijou 1922 100 Años are grown on the Garcias’ San Rafael, Las Quebradas, and San José farms. After harvesting, the tobaccos undergo a special fermentation that allows the leaves to release more of their flavors and aromas.

This 2024 release includes a soft box pressed 5½x48 Corona Extra and a 6½x44 Corona Especial. Both sizes have tiny pigtail caps and are limited to 1,922 boxes of 22 cigars. The cigars also have an orange silk footband printed with “100 Años” to differentiate them from their older Le Bijou 1922 brothers.

Cigar Details:

Factory: My Father Cigars, S.A. – Estelí, Nicaragua
Size: 5½”x48 soft box press
Strength: Medium
Wrapper: Nicaraguan “Habano My Father” Oscuro Oscuro
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Flavor Profile: Medium bodied with notes of chocolate, oak, cream, nuts, and earth

Presented in boxes of 22

My Father Le Bijou 1922 100 Años Cigar Review

The presentation for this cigar was exquisitely done: the elegant pink, white, and gold Le Bijou neck bands, the wrapper’s Hershey Bar brown color, the seamless rolling, the slight box pressing, and the little Cuban pigtail cap at the head. When cut, the 100 Años issued a good draw with a sweet leathery flavor.

The cigar lit evenly and got off to an even burn. The first several puffs were very smooth, creamy, and punctuated by a cedary note. By the first inch the cigar settled into a medium-bodied smoke.

Moving along, I picked up a yogurt-like tartness that transitioned to dark chocolate, complemented by oak. Notes of sweet cream arrived and the dark chocolate emerged as a lead flavor.

Heading into the midsection, the most impressive thing about this cigar was its lush creaminess. The tobaccos had definitely been handled with special care. The dark chocolate was accompanied by sweet cream, oak, and a little earth. I kept tasting a nutty note, too, but for the most part, the smoke maintained an excellent balance with medium body and strength. Retrohales had a light peppery buzz.

By the last leg, the nutty flavor had increased along with the earthier notes. Fortunately, The dark chocolate and oak notes held fast with an occasional drive-by shot of vanilla. Even at its nub stage, the smoke was still amazingly creamy.

Was My Father Le Bijou 1922 100 Años Weekend Worthy?

When you light up a cigar like this, you expect it to be very good. I found it weekend worthy, especially for its smoothness and medium body. I also enjoyed the dark chocolate and oak layers which held up to the end.

I gotta give props to Don José Pepin Garcia and his My Father team for creating such a creamy cigar. For me it was beyond creamy; so much so, that at times it tended to mute the flavors. Speaking of which, if this review gave you the impression that the flavors were way out in front, they were more nuanced much of the time.

The biggest surprise was the price of this cigar. I was expecting a much more expensive cigar based on the tobaccos, the immaculate construction, etc. It ain’t cheap, but based on my experience, I feel that it’s worth it.

Finally, as good as it was with my coffee, I think that pairing it with a good bourbon or rum would do this My Father Le Bijou 1922 100 Años some excellent justice.

Please Note: Gary’s review was based on his experience and that your mileage may vary.