The Particulars

The Review

This review for the My Father La Lealtad - Torpedo (Box Press) (6.13 x 52) is based on the journal entry dated 2026-06-07

Appearance & Construction (0-3):  Good (3)

Absolutely gorgeous presentation on this cigar. The deep red, Rosado Oscuro Cuban-seed Ecuadorian (Jesus, what a mouthful) wrapper shines with oil. It has thicker and more prominent veins, but tight seams with zero visible edge lift. The box press is a little softer, just squaring the roll off. The coloring of the wrapper is carried perfectly into the burgundy and deep red triple bands. If you had any confusion about where this cigar was produced, it says “Honduras” in three different locations on the bands. But honestly, it’s just a striking and highly attractive cigar.​

Draw (0-3) & Burn (0-4):  Good (3) / Average (2)

I went with the V-cut on the torpedo and the draw was perfect. The burn started well, but after the first third, it began to stall and burn unevenly. The ash was a light gray with medium-spaced cracks, but it lifted and feathered some in spots. By the time the burn was approaching the bottom of the second band, it had started to canoe a little bit and really lag on the left side of the cigar. But since the ash was still holding strong, I wanted to see how much further it would hold. I was quite pleased I was able to remove the second band without losing the ash, so I hoped the burn line would just self-correct. But two puffs later, before I could safely roll it into the ashtray, the ash collapsed straight to the floor. Time for a correction…

Flavor Profile (0-5):  Poor (1)

Very earthy. Very, very earthy to start. A lot of cedar, fresh-brewed coffee, some vegetal notes, and a light barnyard funk out of the gate. I start getting more baking spice, nutmeg, and cinnamon here, though there’s no real pepper yet. There’s also a salty minerality with light raisin and citrus zest that leads into a moderately creamy and smooth finish. It’s different, that’s for sure. This is very earth-heavy in the first inch. I sure hope you like a dash of earth with your earthiness.

Coffee starts to increase, and then I just got the briefest couple hints of sour milk. WTF? It’s not enough to ruin the experience, but just enough to make me really question what I’m actually tasting here. At the end of the first inch, black pepper starts to build, along with a roasted almond nuttiness and a dark roast coffee that’s reaching a medium intensity. The sweetness is turning into a raisin-forward mix of dried fruit, with a saltiness that lingers heavily on the tongue. I have to give it credit that this is nuanced and highly complex, but it’s a hot mess of flavors that don’t feel like they’re all working together. And I’m getting sour notes again. Sometimes it’s sour fruit, and other times it’s sour milk. WHAT THE EVER-LIVING FUCK?

As I’m getting to the midway point, I’m genuinely questioning how much enthusiasm I have to finish this cigar. It’s not terrible, but it’s really not landing. And I bought five of these; two to smoke for my initial review and three to smoke over time and revisit. I’m thinking one or two might be gifted away, but smoking that second one today is going to take some serious effort. Part of me is hoping that maybe this specific stick is a one-off with a funky flavor profile, but I’m not optimistic about it. So I will still smoke that second cigar today—for you, for science—but fuck my life… 😂

After the midway point correction and relight, the black pepper storms back, assaulting my lips, palate, nasal cavity, everywhere—drowning everything else out for a moment. It’s the cigar equivalent of being hit in the face and concussed; everything is muted except for that peppery ringing in your head. Then you have a moment to adjust, recover, question your life choices, and get back to it. There is still a lot of dry earth here. So much earth. It’s like being buried alive with a mouthful of pepper and cedar. And then they start pouring sour milk on your face.

I’m at the final third and it’s earth, cedar, black pepper, raisins, salt, and that sour flavor. This is turning into ass at the end. If I wasn’t reviewing this, I would have pitched it by now.

Overall Experience (0-5):  Poor (1)

Smoking La Lealtad is like watching one of those cooking challenges where a chef gets a bunch of disparate ingredients and has to make a cohesive dish out of them. No matter the skill level, certain things just don’t work together, and there’s simply no way to make it palatable. What I find even more confusing is how many other reviewers said this is a great cigar. Is it just my palate? Maybe? But fuck me, this is not working for me. If you’re feeling brave, grab one—and no more than one—to try. But I absolutely cannot recommend this one.

And it’s a shame, because in general, I really like a lot of what comes out of the My Father factories, both their own cigars and what they make for other brands. But this cigar is Amber Heard. It looks so good, until you know… she shits on your bed. Except this is a cigar, so it’s your mouth. 🤢💩 But hey, maybe some guys like that? 🤷🏻‍♂️

Postscript

So the second one was better, but just barely.  It started off better but still developed some of those same sour notes in the second half.  I’ll probably smoke one more in a couple months to revisit, but the last two might get tossed into a literal pile of dog turds.  That’s where they belong.  La Lealtad is a terrible name.  Loyalty is earned, not given, and this cigar has not earned my loyalty.

Overall Score and Individual Journal Entries

While the review is based off one instance of journaling this cigar; there’s a number of reasons you can have different experiences smoking the same cigar multiple times. A blend can evolve with age (for better or worse), palates evolves, preferences change, and sometimes you just get a bad example!  This section captures the ratings from each journal entry and the related journal photo.  Below you’ll find an aggregate score based on every time the cigar has been journaled. Unless it was a gift or on-off smoke, this section will be updated every time I journal this cigar!

The Flavor Wheel

With every cigar I journal, I capture simple ratings of the basic flavor categories that I experience.  These are more generalized than what you would see in a review, but a distinct profile can still be built out.  When multiple instances of the same cigar have been journaled, the scores are averaged out in an attempt to build a reliable flavor profile based on my palate.

The values entered for the strength of each flavor range from 0 to 3.

• 0:   No flavor detected
• 1:   Mild flavor
• 2:   Medium flavor
• 3:   Strong flavor

Note: desktop / large screens will see a flavor wheel while mobile / small screens will see a bar chart.

With every cigar I journal, I capture simple ratings of the basic flavor categories that I experience.  These are more generalized than what you would see in a review, but a distinct profile can still be built out.  When multiple instances of the same cigar have been journaled, the scores are averaged out in an attempt to build a reliable flavor profile based on my palate.

The values entered for the strength of each flavor range from 0 to 3.

• 0:   No flavor detected
• 1:   Mild flavor
• 2:   Medium flavor
• 3:   Strong flavor

Note: desktop / large screens will see a flavor wheel while mobile / small screens will see a bar chart.