Padron 1964 Anniversary Series
- Wrapper: Nicaragua-Maduro
- Binder: Nicaragua
- Filler: Nicaragua
- Medium-Full Bodied
- MSRP: $11.50
Background: "Made in Nicaragua by a highly-respected cigar family with a fine Cuban heritage. The Padron 1964 Anniversary Maduro is one of the most exquisite tasting and all-around 'awesome' full-bodied cigars you'll ever smoke. Much richer and sweeter than the 1964 Natural, the Maduro presents a complex tapestry of flavors with traces of coffee bean, cocoa, and hazelnut. Handmade with 4-year-aged all-Nicaraguan tobaccos, these rare, box-pressed premiums are some of the world's most highly-rated and memorable cigars (Famous-Smoke.com)."
Pre-Smoke: Upon first glance this cigar has a beautiful look. The color is even throughout and maintains a deep rich color. As noted in the picture the veins are minimal and adds to the sleek visual appeal of the cigar. The cigar is box pressed and very well constructed. Solid feel in hand with no obvious soft spots on the cigars. The band and the individual number assigned to the cigar add an elegant and official disposition to the cigar. The slight oil sheen on the cigar complimented the gold band well. Upon acquiring the scent of the cigar I noticed hints of nuts and after cutting the cigar and taking a cold draw I noticed notes of coffee.
First Third: Initial thought when I first lit up was that the draw was very tight; I truly expected a smoother smoke on my inhale. As my smoke progressed the notes I acquired during the cold draw did not deceive; I immediately tasted the coffee and light nutty notes lingered in the background. However, I would have to say that solid earthy notes were the foundation of this third of the cigar; it anchored all the other notes including that of cocoa. When I placed my tongue to the roof of my mouth, slight pepper notes were realized. The cigar had burned even thus far and the ash was a very white color. The smoke itself billowed in a satisfactory fashion.
Second Third: Slightly more pepper and bite during this third of the cigar. The coffee notes are still present, however, less prevalent. Stronger notes of roasted nuts and earth begin to play on my pallet and a pleasant scent of a burning campfire radiates off the smoke billowing from the cigar. So far the cigar maintains a good steady burn, not burning to quickly allowing me to have a good smoke session. The ash maintain strong finally falling off after holding strong for a solid third of the cigar. Moreover, the cigar has maintained its overall structural integrity.
Final Third: A little more sting and bite on my tongue during this portion of the cigar. A more peppery taste is noted, moreover, the flavors linger in my mouth a bit linger now. Earthy and wood notes begin to become more prevalent accented by a less active coffee and nut flavors. During this portion the burn remained even however, the cigar has become slightly soft and burns hot on the fingertips. This has taken away from the experience of this portion of the smoke. Finally, the cigar has left a leathery taste on my lips now, although light.
Conclusion: Let e begin by saying this is not exactly my taste. I'm sure other prefer this cigar pallet more then myself. However, I can appreciate all flavors and for the most part this was a smooth smoke but not necessarily a creamy smoke. Moreover, for all the hype I have read on this cigar, I have had more complex cigars whose flavor pallet did not diminish as the smoke entered its final third. The smoke, however, billowed from this cigar with an excellent aroma increasing the overall ambiance of the smoke. During the smoke I found myself desiring a little more sweetness in the cigars flavor profile. However, again, this could be attributed to my personal preference and pallet. Overall I think it was a good cigar, however, at this price point I believe it should have been better. Plenty of cigars on the market are cheaper then this cigar and offer a much better flavor profile. In the end I rate this cigar a 6.5/10. It is an above average cigar, i think most reviews would attest to this and to some pallets it may be slightly more memorable. However, for myself, I would smoke it again but i wouldn't actively seek it out.
