Jamie Garcia Reserva Especial

In 10 Words or Less

Great promise. But for now buy some, store them, pray.

The Details

Jamie Garcia Reserva Especial.  I am so disappointed.

This cigar was part of a promotional give way at the December 2009 Pepin party at Manhattan’s Cigar Inn.  Essentially, if a box of Pepin cigars were purchased, you received a box of the JGRE, cello wrapped non-banded cigars.  It was said the cigars would be introduced in May/June 2010 without any changes.  I was able to get my hands on a couple of the freebees.  This was a beautifully made cigar: a deep dark Connecticut broadleaf wrapper, Ecuadorian binder and quality Nicaraguan filler, finished with a perfectly formed capped.  From the moment the cigar was lit, it produced deep, rich flavors with downy smoke; high praise from all who smoked one.  After kicking myself for not attending the Pepin event, I marked the calendar and counted the days until it would be introduced.

I immediately shot down to my local B&M when word the JGRE had arrived.  Now adorned with an impressive band and cello wrapped, impeccably made. I tore into it.  Finally nirvana.  Well not quite.  As I worked my way down the cigar, I began to wonder if my memory was beginning to fade.  This was to be the identical cigar that I smoked in December?  But it was not.  While it had hints of unique flavors, they were muffled, not weak but simply milder.  The ash, while clean was very weak, crumbling at approximately half inch intervals.  Finally, I noticed a very uneven burn rate.  Here the filler burned at a quicker rate than the binder and wrapper.  Interestingly enough, the cigar started to take shape after the halfway point of the session.

For comparison, I lit up another of the December cigars, and yes it was everything I remembered it to be.  Questioning some of my fellow smokers, we were all in agreement:  the current release could not compare with the December edition.  One of the more seasoned smokers of the group went so far as to discard the cigar only one quarter of the way through.

As for me, I refuse to give up hope on this one.  Perhaps the JGRE needs some time to settle; I’ll store mine for a few months.

Get it if:  You are a My Father fan, but prepare yourself. I think these cigars need time before they come into their own.

Let it on the shelf:  If you smoked the December version and were expecting the same greatness.  It simply is not there yet.

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