#nowsmoking: My Father La Promesa Petite

#nowsmoking: My Father La Promesa Petite (4 1/2″ x 50)

My Father La Promesa Petite Cigar Review

Factory: My Father Cigars Factory, in Estelí, Nicaragua
Strength: Medium-Full
Size: 4½” x 50 Rothschild
Wrapper: Ecuador Habano Rosado Oscuro
Binder & Filler: Garcia Estate farm-grown Nicaraguan

Where It’s At

First, give me the back story. . .

Translated to “the promise,” the name for My Father La Promesa cigars comes from a promise Don José “Pepin” Garcia made to his family when he left Cuba alone in 2001. That promise was that he would honor his family and its tobacco heritage by being successful in the cigar industry outside of Cuba. Today, with the My Father Cigar Company having estate farms in Nicaragua, two cigar factories – one in Nicaragua, the other in Miami – and having received innumerable high rating scores for his cigars over the years, it’s safe to say that the promise has been aptly fulfilled.

The My Father La Promesa selection debuted in 2016, but were made in very limited quantity. It wasn’t until 2018 that this selection became a regular production cigar. The highlight of the line is the stunning Ecuador Habano Rosado Oscuro wrapper. Most “Oscuros” tend to be very dark, almost black; yet, La Promesa’s wrapper – bordering on maduro – boasts an attractive reddish patina. The core blend is a diverse mix of binder and fillers grown on the Garcia family’s estate farms in Nicaragua. In addition to the My Father La Promesa Petite cigar reviewed here, they are also offered in four other sizes:

• Lancero (7½” x 38)
• Robusto Grande (5½” x 54)
• Toro (6″ x 52)
• Corona Gorda (5½” x 48)

Let’s talk construction. How well is it made?

Perfectly. The Habano Rosado Oscuro wrapper has an attractive color, more of which is revealed when the two long bands and the pink silk foot band are removed. The skin is thick, smooth and beams with a rich rosy hue. Once clipped, the draw had just the right amount of pull, offering a wheaty, toasty and leathery flavor.

So, how does it smoke?

Beautifully. Once lit, the cigar offered plenty of dense, creamy smoke, and was impressively mellow in body and strength. A quick shot of pepper entered the mix, and almost as quickly rounded out to an earthier flavor with some leather, semi-sweetness, and a note of cedar. Even in the early part of the cigar, Humberto said it was “loaded with rich tobacco flavor.”

At the midsection, the cigar moved to a more medium-full strength, offered a high volume of dense smoke, and retained its earthy base note, while sweet spice entered the fray finishing with a slight hint of pepper on the palate.

The retrohale had a woody-spicy component which both of us liked. The cigar also maintained excellent balance throughout, and by the last act, the mix shook-out as earthy, leathery, cedary, and bittersweet on the order of dark chocolate made with a very high cacao content.

What are the primary flavor notes?

Earth, leather, light pepper, cedar, sweet spices (nutmeg & cinnamon), sweet cream, bittersweet chocolate.

So, is it complex?

To tell the truth, I was enjoying this cigar so much I wasn’t paying much attention. But Humberto felt thought it was “very complex,” offering a number of sweet and sour-ish change-ups along the way.

My observation, which could make the case for complexity, was how the cigar started out with earthiness, light pepper, and semi-sweet spiciness, then increased to a more sugary sweetness – like sweet cream – and finally, returned to earthy and bittersweet notes in the end.  

What drinks can I pair with it?

We agreed this cigar would be best enjoyed in the evening after dinner. Humberto thought a good single malt like the Macallan would do the trick, and I seconded that, too. However, since the La Promesa Petite had such a rich Nicaraguan character to it, I would go with a great Nicaraguan rum like Flor de Caña 12 year. Humberto disagreed on rum, but if you check the flavor properties of the Flor de Caña, you may agree with me.

(For more cigar pairing ideas, see our cigar pairing guide.)

Tell me who this cigar is for. 

I don’t think the My Father La Promesa Petit would be wasted on a new cigar smoker, especially someone who wants to sample one of the better My Father cigars. Plus, it’s far from overpowering in strength. In the hands of a more experienced cigar smoker, the deep, dark flavor of the Petit will certainly offer much more in terms of this cigar’s overall refinement.  

Bottom line: Is it humidor worthy? 

For sure. At under $8 a cigar (at press time), this cigar pays off in spades. It also lasts for close to an hour if not smoked too hurriedly. Moreover, the consistency and balance of flavors made every puff a treat for Humberto and me. I would say, at least start with a 5-pack.

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