Jaime Garcia created the Le Bijou 1922 to honor his father, Jose Garcia (founder of My Father Cigars), who was born in 1922. I am a fan of every My Father cigar I have smoked! The Le Bijou boasts a dark, oily, oscuro wrapper, giving a firm yet yielding, dark, rich chocolate and strong, black coffee scents as I smell the unlit cigar. Let’s light up!
Upon lighting, an aroma of chocolate and herbiness comes off of the foot while being toasted. The Le Bijou is noticeably smooth and pleasant on the first draw in this one-and-a-half to two-hour smoke. I immediately taste the dark chocolate, coffee beans, and mild nutmeg notes. The retro-hale produces heavy, peppery spice combating the chocolate – not overwhelming, but very much worth mentioning.
While we smoke through the first third, the construction and overall appearance of the Le Bijou is eye-catching. The dark oscuro wrapper appeals to my eyes, leaving me to wonder how much better this cigar can get as I continue to enjoy this masterpiece. There are more visible veins on this particular cigar than I’ve seen on others, but it has a nice appearance. The veins exude confidence, so to speak that the Le Bijou knows it’s a ” Bad Mama Jama”! A full-bodied cigar, there’s a hefty, peppery spice on the front end, followed closely by the chocolate and nutmeg.
I’m picking up a heavily smoked black cherry note as we near the middle of the first third. It compliments the pepper, chocolate, and nutmeg well! So far, the Le Bijou is not too complex yet full of body and flavor. Very pleasing.
Entering the 2nd third, I notice a sweet bitterness, leaving my mind wondering if the coffee bean, chocolate, and smoked black cherries compete for the top spot in the taste profile. The heavy pepper is fading but still present. It’s taking a back seat to the chocolate, cherries and coffee. The burn at this point is even (as it has been throughout)—nice, clean ashes. No complaints!
Halfway through the 2nd third, the burn is getting slightly uneven (possibly due to the prominently exposed veins). Not enough to deter me from smoking another. I notice the sweetness of the chocolate is turning to a more bitter chocolate (cacao). The smoked black cherry is slowly fading, but the coffee bean is getting stronger. Like Turkish coffee, the coffee bean tastes more like a finely ground espresso brewed extremely thick. The pepper and coffee are taking over as I approach the end of the 2nd third.
As I chose not to have a beverage with the Le Bijou 1922, I believe this cigar will pair exceptionally well with a good smokey Scotch, such as any of The Macallan line. For bourbon enthusiasts, I’d say anything not too spicy (as the spicy, peppery notes may overpower the bourbon notes), like an authentic Rye. Something sweeter may offset the spicy notes that prevail unless a rye such as Angel’s Envy, Elijah Craig, or even High West Double Rye is enjoyed with the Le Bijou 1922. Otherwise, any sweeter bourbon or even a cup of black coffee (maybe with some sort of chocolate added?) will definitely enhance your smoking experience!
Entering the final third, the flavors mentioned earlier are still present and mellowing out! What a surprise to my palette! I’m used to flavors concentrating as I near the end. The burn is getting a little more uneven. There’s no need to relight as long as I rotate my cigar before the next draw. It seems to even out with a continuous rotation. I will advise you to keep the uneven burn from dissuading you from trying and enjoying this delicacy.
As I wrap this review up, I give two thumbs up to the Le Bijou 1922! My Father makes GREAT, reasonably priced, premium cigars! Please enjoy your smoking experience with the Le Bijou 1922! Let us at the Mason Cigar Manor know how your experience was smoking the Le Bijou 1922 cigar by My Father Cigars. We’d love to hear your thoughts!