My Father La Lealtad Staff Review
My Father La Lealtad is the second blend produced at the company’s new Honduran factory, with tobaccos grown on the Garcia family’s newest farm, Finca La Opulencia, in Honduras’ Talanga region. I’m smoking a 5-by-54 Robusto for today’s review. The Garcias’ first Honduran cigar, My Father Blue, quickly became one of the brand’s fastest-selling blends, sparking buzz around this year’s La Lealtad release.
Award-winning cigarmakers Pepin and Jaime Garcia have built My Father Cigars into a global powerhouse over the past two decades, with dozens of top-rated cigars and three former ‘Cigar of the Year’ titleholders in their portfolio, including the 96-rated Flor de las Antillas, 97-rated Le Bijou 1922, and 98-rated The Judge. Beyond their thriving farms and factory in Nicaragua, the Garcias’ burgeoning footprint in Honduras spans nearly 1,000 acres, giving them virtually unlimited capacity to continue growing.
My Father La Lealtad is blended with long-filler tobaccos harvested on the Garcias’ Nicaraguan and Honduran farms. An oily, reddish-brown Rosado Oscuro wrapper, cultivated in Ecuador, surrounds the interior tobaccos in four popular formats. La Lealtad means “loyalty” in Spanish, reflecting the Garcia family’s legacy of loyalty and tradition. The cigars come in elegant boxes of 20, with a classic gold-and-pink My Father band at the top, a dark-red secondary band reading “La Lealtad,” and a matching burgundy ribbon on the foot. When I slide a fresh Robusto from the box, its smooth, milk-chocolate-brown wrapper exhibits hints of mahogany with a perfectly flush cap. A quick pinch test shows the cigar is firm from head to foot.
Raw aromas of cedar, barnyard, semi-sweet chocolate chip, honey, and red pepper flake pair well with a cold draw featuring notes of coffee bean, dried fruit, and leather. My Father La Lealtad delivers a complex, Cubanesque taste on my first impression. Before lighting the cigar, a balance of sweet and spicy flavors evokes hickory barbecue sauce and grilled meat.
After I snip the cap off with my double-guillotine cutter and slowly toast the foot with my torch for a minute and a half, La Lealtad opens up with a light, peppery flavor supported by a noticeable foundation of cedar and leather. Within five to seven minutes, tasting notes of earth and leather kick into high gear as the spice fades, and the retrohale resonates in my nasal cavity with a touch of bell pepper and cashew. As La Lealtad progresses, the spice fades even further.
After twenty-five minutes, the first half delivers superb combustion and a stable white-and-gray ash, while a lingering, smooth taste settles on my palate. The second half evolves with a delicious sweetness. Subtle hints of bell pepper return alongside notes of cashew, cocoa, and leather.
As I wind down to the final inch, My Father La Lealtad closes with a warm finale of cocoa and leather, delivering a cool, easy burn, even as I devour the nub. Over fifty-five minutes, the Robusto performed perfectly from start to finish. With three different countries in the blend, La Lealtad proves the Garcia family can masterfully blend tobaccos from many regions, and the My Father brand shows no signs of slowing down. Add it to your humidor without delay.
