Don "Pepin" Garcia Question
 

Just out of idle curiosity, does anyone know the story behind DPG leaving Cuba? I'm guessing that the Cuban officials were none too pleased to lose one of their leading cigar makers and blenders. I checked Wikipedia, but it only said that he emigrated to Nicaragua, and later to Miami. Doesn't say anything about the circumstances or how he left.

Thanks!

Re: Don "Pepin" Garcia Question
 

he probley thought getting away from cuba was the best way to make money in cuba it dont matter what your job is everybody gets the same pay and its not alot

Re: Don "Pepin" Garcia Question
 

yeah I'm guessing it would have been on a dark plane in the middle of the night but I too would be interested in hearing the real story.

Re: Don "Pepin" Garcia Question
 

Would be interesting to find out. By "emigrated" I'm pretty sure they mean "escaped." Nobody "emigrates" from that island.

Re: Don "Pepin" Garcia Question
 

heres food for thought, leave cube temporarly where he's already established. anounce to the world this gentelman of cuba comes equipt with a post harvest masters degree from the university of havanna. then sit back and get what cuba hasen't seen for years$$$$$$

Re: Don "Pepin" Garcia Question
 

I've read a bit of the story, but I can't for the life of me remember where. I know that he left a long time ago and his family was the main consideration. As with others who left (Torano, etc), starting over from scratch is a really difficult thing. And in their case, they had to start over growing tobacco in different countries with different conditions.

Tobacco is a lot like grapes, as most of us know, so getting a grape / leaf from one place to taste like one from another is VERY hard. In my opinion, Nicaragua is now like the Napa Valley of the cigar world -- it started out trying to be like Cuba, but is now it's own (some feel even better) animal altogether.

Now I've only smoked a few isoms, but none of them were as good as some of the Pepin-blended sticks I smoke from Tatuaje and the like.

Re: Don "Pepin" Garcia Question
 

Not that long ago. Pepin's first employer after he left Cuba in 2001 was Eduardo Fernandez’ Aganorsa in Esteli, Nicaragua. The first cigar he blended was the JFR from Tabacalera Tropical.

I've never heard how he got out but I can only imagine it was to better his families lives.

Re: Don "Pepin" Garcia Question
 

Well, I"m only 31 so 2001 is a long time ago to me, lol! But yea, you're probably right.

I think it's very impressive that he was successful enough to start buying his own farms so soon after leaving. I'd love to hear him discuss the differences between his job in Cuba vs being free to run things himself.

Re: Don "Pepin" Garcia Question
 

He only started his own farm early this year. Before that, he bought all his tobacco from Fernandez.

Re: Don "Pepin" Garcia Question
 

Only 7 years! That's a true testament to freedom.

Re: Don "Pepin" Garcia Question
 

I'm told he packed his bags preflight, zero hour nine AM. He was gonna be high as a kite by then.

Cuba ain't the kind of place to raise your kids
In fact it's cold as hell!!!!:2

Re: Don "Pepin" Garcia Question
 

He actually left to pick up one of the BOTL's here and go to MonteCarlo to play craps and drink Champagne, you can read about it here.

http://www.cigarasylum.com/vb/showthread.php?t=21157

Re: Don "Pepin" Garcia Question
 

:r