My Father Cigars – The Story of Don Pepin Garcia

“I was born and raised in a cigar factory” – Pepin Garcia

Don Jose Pepin is the CEO of El Rey de los Habanos, Inc., better known as My Father Cigars, founded in Miami, Florida. Pepin Garcia is one of the most skilled cigar makers in the industry and has been part of the creation of some of the most popular cigar brands in the world.

Born into a family of tobacconists and cigar makers in Baez, a small town in the province of Villa Clara in Cuba. He entered the cigar industry at an early age, starting work at the age of 11 in his uncle’s family cigar factory. Pepin García spent 30 years in Cuba, honing his skills as a torsador and establishing his name in cigar making. Won numerous awards for his tobacco blending skills, known for his fast work pace and attention to detail.He reached the highest possible level as a torsedor, grade 8. Among the awards he won was the productivity award: he rolled 320 Julietas cigars (7×48 vitolas) in just four hours. The Cuban press often compared the speed and dexterity of shrinking to that of a magician.

He is a Tabaquero Maestro (Master Blender) and also a “teacher of teachers’ ‘ in the art of blending and rolling cigars. While living in Cuba, he worked and helped blend tobacco for Cohiba, Montecristo and Partagas cigars. In the 1990s, he was responsible for quality assurance for the Cohiba brand and was a consultant to several Cuban cigar manufacturers. It was also then that he was declared the most productive master – Torcedor of Cuba.

In 2001, Pepin Garcia left Cuba and went to Miami, Florida. In 2002, he opened his own factory – El Rey de los Habanos. Pepin strives to create cigars that are in the Cuban style, but using the highest quality tobacco from Nicaragua. The result is a unique blend in medium to strong cigars. Don Pepin cigars are produced in a traditional Cuban style and finished with a triple wrap cap. Not only does he make his own brands of cigars, but he also creates brands for major clients, including Tatuaje, and boutique brands for several cigar stores. Due to the growing demand for cigars, in 2006 he opened the Tabacalera Cubana factory in Esteli, Nicaragua, rebranding the company to My Father Cigars. The name comes from a blend that his son Jaime Garcia makes especially for him.

My Father’s cigars reached the top of Cigar Aficionado’s charts when in 2012 the Flor de Las Antillas was named “Cigar of the Year” with 96 points. Their success was repeated in 2015 when Pepin decided to honor his own father with the brand “My Father Le Bijou 1922”, which received 97 points and became “Cigar of the Year” and Cigar Aficionado’s #1 Cigar of 2015. The My Father Cigars brand debuted in 2008 and has continued to grow and expand ever since. Don Pepin Garcia, his son Jaime and his daughter Gianni Garcia lead My Father Cigars from strength to strength, and their Esteli factory produces millions of cigars a year.