There is no one cigar maker more popular than Don “Pepin” Jose Garcia… or busier! His tiny little shop in Little Havana has exploded into several factories in Nicaragua and more brand names and collaborations than you can shake a stick at. He has almost single-handedly changed what comes to mind when consumers think of Nicaraguan cigars. He has helped make the lancero and salamone popular and sought after sizes. And full-bodied cigars? The bar has been raised through the ceiling.
El Rey de los Habanos, Inc. is a newly created corporation founded in June 2002 in the United States and headed by José “Pepín” García, a master cigar maker who, with his family by his side, continues to follow in the tradition maintained in Cuba for many years.
Pepín comes from a family of tobacco makers and entered the business in December 1961, when he was only 11 years of age, working at a cigar factory belonging to one of his uncles in the town of Báez, Province of Villa Clara, Cuba. In March 1963, having gained a certain amount of experience, he began working at the Félix Rodríguez export cigar factory, also in the town of Báez. He worked there continuously until he was finally able to get out of Cuba in 2001, bound for Nicaragua. During his long career in Cuba, he received countless distinctions and awards for his work, including the “Productivity Prize” for rolling 320 Julietas (7 x 48) in four hours. His dexterity and agility were also repeatedly compared by the Cuban press with those of a magician.
Today, he owns his factory in Miami’s Little Havana. It is considered by many in the cigar industry as one of the few factories that consistently produce the highest rated cigars. The team of cigar rollers is comprised primarily of persons who received formal training from Pepín in Cuba, and who have become cigar-making experts through training in the most modern and creative cigar manufacturing methods.
Our company has put five of its own brands on the market. Our best blends are the ones that bear the name “Don Pepín García”. These are distinctly full-bodied and medium to full-bodied cigars with a long and heavy finish. In addition, each of our boxes has a stamp at the bottom with the packing date and another with the “Don Pepín” signature.
For José “Pepín” García, cigars have been both a career and a passion. Since fleeing Cuba, Pepín has made a life in nearly every aspect of the cigar business.
El Rey de los Habanos is the result of the dream of a boy who began to make his first cigars as an 11-year-old boy in Cuba, following a family tradition. Today, that boy is José “Pepín” García and his dream has become reality, because he is El Rey de los Habanos. [Source: El Rey de los Habanos website]
The Garcias have also recently started a new off shoot company for My Father lines called My Father Cigars, Inc.
Don Pepin Garcia – the Blue Label debuted first and the line quickly expanded in sizes and popularity.
- DPG Black Label – full bodied with a Nicaraguan Habano Rosado wrapper in 7 sizes.
- DPG Blue Label – available in 10 sizes with a Nicaraguan Corojo Oscuro wrapper.
- DPG Serie JJ – made in his Miami factory, available in 4 sizes with a Nicaraguan Corojo Oscuro wrapper.
- DPG Serie JJ Maduro – made in Nicaraguan in 2 sizes with a Nicaraguan Corojo Maduro wrapper.
El Rey de los Habanos – the rest of the DPG portfolio.
- El Centurion – a one time release of 50,000 cigars, this featured a Nicaraguan wrapper in 3 sizes.
- El Rey de los Habanos – available in 5 sizes with a Nicaraguan Corojo Rosado Claro wrapper.
- Jaime Garcia Reserva Especial – a new line, blended by Pepin’s son Jaime, featuring a jet-black Nicaraguan wrapper in 5 sizes.
- La Reloba Habano – features a Habano wrapper in 4 sizes.
- La Reloba Sumatra – features a Sumatran wrapper in 4 sizes.
- My Father – a cigar blended by Jaime Garcia in honor of his father, this features a Ecuadorian Habano and Criollo hybrid wrapper from the wrapper in 4 sizes.
- My Father Le Bijou 1922 – a new line for 2009 in 4 sizes with a Nicaraguan Oscuro wrapper.
- My Father Limited Edition – this will feature the infamous Pelo de Oro wrapper (the Golden Hair).
- Tabacos Baez – comes in two sizes with a Connecticut Shade wrapper.
- Tabacos Baez Serie H – a stronger blend in 3 sizes.
- Tabacos Baez SF – a short filler version of the original line in 3 sizes.
- Vegas Cubanas – medium-bodied in 6 sizes with a Nicaraguan Habano Rosado wrapper.
Collaborations – huge collaborations with the likes of Pete Johnson, Ashton, Espinosa y Ortega (EO Brands) and Ernesto Padilla have helped given Pepin national recognition. But certainly the most important collaboration has been that with “Tatoo” Pete Johnson. Tatuaje is easily the most talked about and sought after cigar in over a decade and deservedly so, these are great cigars.
Pete Johnson (Havana Cellars) – It seems without one, you wouldn’t have the other. Pete Johnson and DPG have made some of the best cigars on the market together. Please check the Tatuaje Manufacturer’s Spotlight for further details on Pete’s lines.
- Ambos Mundos
- Cabaiguan
- Cabaiguan Guapo
- Cabaiguan Maduro
- El Triunfador
- La Riqueza
- Tatuaje
- Tatuaje Black
- Tatuaje Havana VI
- Tatuaje Havana VI Verocu
- Tatuaje Limited Editions
- Tatuaje Monster Series
- Tatuaje P Series
- Tatuaje La Verite
Ashton – this collaboration is fairly new but has been immensely successful.
- Benchmade by Ashton – these sandwich-style cigars are pretty tasty and reasonably priced. Available in 5 sizes with a Nicaraguan wrapper.
- Casa Royale – a Holt’s house blend, available in 5 sizes with a Nicaraguan wrapper that is supposedly the same as the Tatuaje Black.
- Fumadores – a fumas-style smoke it features a Nicaraguan wrapper in 3 sizes.
- Holt’s Connoisseur Selection – another house smoke for Holt’s in 5 sizes with a Nicaraguan wrapper.
- La Aroma de Cuba Edicion Especial – an extension of the La Aroma de Cuba line, this is available in 6 sizes with a Cuban-seed Ecuadorian wrapper.
- La Aroma de Cuba Mi Amor – a new blend with a Mexican wrapper.
- L.H.O Lights – a bundled cigar in 3 sizes with a Nicaraguan wrapper.
- Old Henry – another Holt’s house cigar in 10 sizes with a Nicaraguan wrapper.
- Old Henry Maduro – an extension of the Old Henry line in 3 sizes with a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper.
- San Cristobal – a new (but old) brand for Ashton, this puro features a Nicaraguan wrapper available in 8 sizes.
- San Cristobal Seleccion del Sol – a new blend in 3 sizes.
Miami Cigars – originally made for Miami Cigars by Tabacalera Tropical, this line has been taken over by DPG and sales have skyrocketed.
- Nestor Miranda 1989 – a new blend in 2 wrappers.
- Nestor Miranda Art Deco – an odd new blend with two binders.
- Nestor Miranda Dominicano – a new blend in 4 sizes and Natural and Oscuro wrappers.
- Nestor Miranda Special Selection – featuring a Nicaraguan Habano wrapper in 4 sizes.
- Nestor Miranda Special Selection Habano Oscuro – featuring an Oscuro Nicaraguan Habano wrapper in 3 sizes.
- Nestor Miranda Special Selection 20th Anniversary – to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Miami Cigars, this 2,000 box limited release features a chunky Toro in either Habano or the Habano Oscuro wrapper.
Troya – an old Cuban brand.
- Troya Clasico – available in 3 sizes with a Nicaraguan Corojo wrapper.
Espinosa y Ortega (EO Brands) – this has been a “quieter” collaboration, but together the folks at United Tobacco and Pepin have also created some great cigars. All EO brands are made in Pepin’s Nicaraguan factory.
- 601 Black – features an Ecuadorian grown wrapper in 5 sizes.
- 601 Blue – introduced in 2007, this box-pressed line features a Nicaraguan Maduro wrapper in 4 sizes.
- 601 Green – full-bodied with a Nicaraguan Oscuro wrapper in 5 sizes.
- 601 Red – comes in 7 sizes with a Nicaraguan wrapper.
- Cubao – features an Ecuadorian Sumatra-seed Oscuro wrapper in 6 sizes.
- EO No. 21 – this bundled cigar comes in 4 sizes with an Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper.
- Mi Barrio – a special limited release available in 4 sizes with a Nicaraguan Habano wrapper.
- Murcielago – a new blend with a Mexican wrapper.
Padilla – Ernesto Padilla and Garcia ended their collaborative relationship a while back, but their collaboration helped make Don Pepin a household name.
- Padilla 1948 – originally made by DPG.
- Padilla Miami 8 & 11 – originally made by DPG in his Miami factory.
- Padilla Signature 1932 – originally made by DPG in Miami.
Other Internet/House Brands
- 5 Vegas Miami – for Cigars International
- CI Legends Yellow Label – for Cigars International
- Cigar.com Corojo Label – for Cigar.com
- Cuban Diplomat – for Cigar King/Phatash
- Famous 70th Anniversary Pepin Garcia – for Famous Smoke Shop
- Habana Leon – for Cigar King/Phatash
- Havana Soul – for Cigar King/Phatash
- Hirsch y Garcia – for Cigar King/Phatash
- Los Imperialista – a brand made for some guy in Georgia
- Nacionales W – for Cigar King/Phatash
- Padilla Achilles 2006 – for Cigars International (original release only)
- Sancti Spiritus – for Cigar King/Phatash
Once again, a fantastic roundup. I had not heard of LHO Lights. Might have to check that one out.
There’s a teaser in the latest Holt’s catalog for “Little Havana Overruns.” The ad copy says these are made by “the #1 cigar maker in Miami! We all know who that is…” I’m not sure why they don’t use the P-word since clearly Don Pepin is the one they’re talking about. Maybe they’re rejects from Tabacalera Cubana? (I rather doubt they were made in Miami, and Holts isn’t claiming they were.)
Eh… I just checked the site and it looks they are claiming these were made in Miami. Hmm… curiouser and curiouser.
It seems odd doesn’t it? If all of the rollers there are Level 8s, then where would the seconds come from? And overruns? There are like 8-12 rollers there, do they actually have the ability to make overruns??
Yes,it’s terrific because really it’s from MIAMI only.
Can anyone have comparison with MIAMI cigars ?
mr Ortega visited our cigar event in NY a few months and promised he’d send me something from Fla. back to NY. – Do you know how I can contact him?
Bogi,
Here’s the link to their contact info from their website:
http://www.unitedtobaccoinc.com/contactus.html