Origin : Miami, FL
Wrapper : Nicaraguan Corojo
Binder : Nicaraguan
Filler : Nicaraguan
Source : purchased myself

I am going to review a cigar that has not been done for a couple years here on Stogie Review and that is the Don Pepin Garcia Series JJ belicoso size. Jerry did a previous review of this exact cigar I am smoking today for #JJ4JJ day.

The Series JJ comes in 4 sizes for the natural and 3 for the maduro. They do not have the salomon in the maduro.

Sizes are as follows, belicoso (5 3/4 x 52), sublime (6×54), selectos (5×50), and the salomon (7 1/4 x 57).

On a kind of weird not, the natural are made in Miami at the same factory as the Tatuaje, but the maduro are shown to be made in Nicaragua. If anyone has clarification on why this is, please let me a comment below.

Pre-Light

When taking a look at this DPG JJ, I notice a small crack at the foot but nothing else stands out to me.

Wrapper is very nice and silky looking and has an oily sheen to it.

I have had this cigar in my humidor for over a year now so with a fresh one, you might experience a few differences.

Upon cutting the head I get mostly a natural tobacco taste on the cold draw with a hint of pepper/spice.

Note: After cutting the head the wrapper started to unravel from the top so I put some fruit pectin on it to stop it. No harm, no foul.

First Third

Diving right into the first third of my DPG JJ natural belicoso and I was surprised I did not get a huge pepper blast up front like I normally did with these cigars. I think it is because it mellowed with over a year of humi time.

Dominant flavor was a woodsy taste with the pepper being noticeable but not overwhelming. I was also surprised at how flaky the ash was on this one.

Body was around a high mild to a low medium with it building to a medium at the very end of the first third.

Second Third

Starting out the second third of my Don Pepin Garcia Series JJ natural belicoso, I was getting a lot more of the pepper taste I was expecting in the beginning. I will note that it started decreasing in volume as I smoked the second third but never went away totally.

I am getting a nice woody taste along with the pepper and a sweetness that comes and goes every now and again. I really appreciate when that sweetness shows up as it breaks up the woody peppery combination very nicely.

Body is in the medium range but has not climbed much past that yet.

Final Third

Hitting the final third of my DPG Series JJ natural belicoso and the most noticeable thing to me was how quickly the body seemed to ramp up to the full range. One puff I was medium, next puff I was full.

I did not get any of the sweetness in this final third but a cauliflower taste came through to replace it, which was nice.

Pepper was there in the retrohale but not super strong with just a normal puff on the cigar.

Wrap-Up

I would say to snag a few of these to try.

I enjoy this cigar on occasion but I could not smoke it even every other day as my flavor profile is more towards a mild to medium stick.

This stick is always worth the smoke on July 22nd for #JJ4JJ day

Thoughts and prayers again to Jerry and his family

Here is the link to CigarPlace.Biz I promised in the video – hopefully the prices are still very low!

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