The last release of the Le Bijou 1922 100 Años was in 2022 and it has been revived for a second time in 2024. Le Bijou 1922 was a cigar that was created to honor José García Alayón, the father of José “Pepín” García. The year 1922 is his birth year so it was fitting that 100 years after there was a limited edition release honoring him. When I think of My Father cigars, I always think they are going to be a bold spicy smoke. Most of the time that is what you get but just beneath all that spice are some really rich and complex flavors. I expected this cigar to follow the same general pattern but was honestly surprised at the result. This cigar comes in two sizes and they are both variations of a corona which I am a huge fan of.
OVERVIEW
VITOLA: Corona Extra
SIZE: 5-1/2″ x 48
ORIGIN: Nicaragua
FACTORY: My Father
WRAPPER: Habano, Nicaragua, Oscuro
BINDER: Nicaragua
FILLER: Nicaragua
STRENGTH: Medium-Full
SOURCE:
Manufacturer
ENVIRONMENT
WHERE:
Outside
WHEN:
November 1, 2024 @ 2PM
DRINKS:
Water
WEATHER:
Sunny and warm
HOW MANY CIGARS SMOKED:
3
PRODUCTION
RELEASE TYPE Limited Edition
ORIGINALLY RELEASE DATE October 2024
TOTAL PRODUCTION
Typical Box Size: Boxes of 22
Production Totals: 1,922 Boxes
VITOLA BREAKDOWN
o Corona Extra (5-1/2″ x 48)
o Corona Especial (6-1/2″ x 44)
BAND DESIGN
My Father makes some of the most interesting and intricate cigar bands. They often have a gold foil, lots of flowing cursive text, and a ton of embellishments throughout the cigar band. They will always have a sophisticated and timeless design. For this cigar, the only difference from it’s regular production counterpart is the presence of the bright orange foot band. It is rather plain but hard to miss when looking through a humidor with many of the My Father lines present.
PRE-LIGHT OBSERVATIONS
CONSTRUCTION
While there are some noticeable veins and small bumps on the body there is nothing that jumps out of place. The wrapper has a lot of mottling throughout with variations of a very deep dark brown to semi-lighter spaces. It is somewhat uniform in appearance but very rustic in its presentation at the same time. There is a soft box press with very gentle slopes at the edges and a pigtail at the head. When pressing on the body of the cigar there is a little give and it is consistent throughout the entire body. To top it off, there is a triple cap, not the neatest triple cap but it matches the rustic vibe.
AROMA
The aroma of the cigar is very pleasant. There are fruity notes of prune and cherry with just a little bit of cinnamon spice in the background coming off of the wrapper. The foot is a little more musty than the body of the cigar. You smell more of a oak and coffee note coming off of the foot, nothing about the aroma is offensive. It’s very approachable and does not sting the nostrils at any point.
COLD DRAW
As expected with a box-pressed stick, the draw is wide open. There are not a lot of notes coming out of the cold draw. I am getting a neutral warm cedar with earth. Not much to it, very straight forward.
SMOKING EXPERIENCE
LIGHT & DRAW
Cut: Straight
Fire: Torch
There is zero restriction in the draw right off of light up. There are a ton of chocolatey notes coming out. Being my father cigar, I expected a lot more spice but it is very tame even on the retro hale. On the retro, there is a light cocoa powder note and the faintest bit of black pepper. Overall, it leaves a chocolatey finish on the palate with the inclusion of a little oak. A surprisingly mild start to this stick.
SMOKE
There is tons of smoke and it lingers in the air for a bit. It is thick and very chewy. The room note offers a subtle leather, earth, and sugar aroma which is very welcoming.
FIRST THIRD
>> Chocolate, Pepper, Oak
Despite an uneven light the burn on the cigar straightened out with no issues. The ash is kind of loose but not flaking. It has a mixture of gray, black, and a little white. It’s not bright white like some cigars. The draw remains wide open. The dark chocolate flavor continues into the first third. It reminds me of a dark chocolate powder mixed with cream. There is little to no spice on the palate but it does come out in the retro hale. There are peaks and valleys of black pepper and chocolate that shift in and out between each puff. On the finish, more chocolate, warm cedar, earth, and leather come out. It’s very smooth and the flavor stays with you for around 15 seconds. It is unbelievably smooth and does not have the characteristic spiciness of Nicaraguan tobacco coming from My Father cigars. Overall, this is a smooth smoking stick with a medium body. It does not have an incredible amount of depth at this point but it is a very pleasant smoke so far.
SECOND THIRD
>> Dark Chocolate, Cayenne, Meat
In the second third, the effortless draw continues. I experienced a small issue with the burn where it was getting uneven on one side but it seems to have self corrected. I found this to be common with box pressed cigars. The ash held on for about an inch before falling off. There is a foundation of chocolate in this stick and on top of that you get strong notes of oak and leather. The spicy Nicaraguan character only comes out in the retro. It starts as a tame black pepper, slowly peaks to cayenne, and then trails off very quickly. The spice is accompanied by a luxurious smooth dark chocolate. The finish is a little bit different in the second third, you get a expansion of the leather and earth on the palate. While the chocolate notes are present there is actually very little sweetness to the cigar. There is a meatiness that you’ll notice on the finish that takes this cigar to a savory level. It’s like a chili that isn’t crazy spicy, but has a added depth with the inclusion of chocolate. At the end of the second third, this cigar is still as smooth as ever.
FINAL THIRD
>> Sweet Cream, Vanilla, Dark Chocolate
The draw is perfect with tons of smoke. The ash, while wavy at times, self corrects. In the last third, you will notice a lot more of the characteristic Nicaraguan spiciness come to the forefront on the palate but still fairly tame in my mind. The foundational flavor of the cigar shifts from just chocolate to a chocolate and cream. There is a touch of sweetness that pops in every now and then with some hints of cayenne and baking spice. The transition from black pepper to cayenne on the retro happens much quicker and sticks with you for a few seconds. The finish in the last third is the perfect ending to this cigar because of the sweetness that comes in to play. You get a sweet cream and vanilla combination with the dark chocolate, leather, and oak. Surprisingly enough, even with the inclusion of the spice, the cigar remains a very smooth. This is a stick that is approachable for a novice and aficionado alike.
RATING & FINAL THOUGHTS
FLAVOR PROGRESSION
The flavor progression in the cigar is logical. It starts off with a very mild easy-going chocolate foundation that is smooth and enjoyable then it builds into a more complex mix of flavors in the second third that are a little bit heftier with the inclusion of cream and meatiness. At the end, you get a dessert like sweet chocolate and vanilla. The cigar was unbelievably smooth. The transitions in flavors were sophisticated and seemed intentional. This stick is like a three course meal with the common ingredient of chocolate in each dish.
BURN EXPERIENCE
For all the samples that I smoked, I had no issues with the construction. Even if there was a small crack somewhere in the wrapper, the cigar was able to self correct and the draw was always stellar. One could argue that the ash wasn’t as tight as some other cigars, but I wouldn’t focus so much on that. I would focus on the effortless and pleasurable smoking experience that the cigar offers.
RATING BREAKDOWN
0.75 / 0.80 … Craft & Aesthetic
0.45 / 0.50 … Pre-Light Characteristics
0.50 / 0.50 … Lighting Process
7.12 / 7.70 … Smoking Experience
0.46 / 0.50 … Personal Enjoyment
COMPLIMENTS & CRITIQUES
- Smooth smoking experience
- Great flavors
- Wavy burn at times
- Plain design execution
SOPHISTICATED & SMOOTH.
The Le Bijou 1922 100 Años is a perfect fall weather stick. It gives you warm notes of chocolate and baking spice that are bold and very smooth. I wish all cigars were as effortless as this was to smoke. While there wasn’t wild transitions and extravagant flavors, what the cigar did provide was a very calculated smoking experience where each third built on the flavors of the last. There was a smoothness that you get with well aged cigars and just enough spice to keep things interesting.
