PLEASE NOTE: This blogger and blog has moved to his new home: http://covetry.netWrapper: Nicaraguan
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Cigar Stars Rating: 9.2
If there is such a thing as 'hype' in the cigar world, this was the cigar that may have started it. I have had the unique privilege and pleasure to have already smoked four of these bad boys. Every single time the cigar's construction was perfect, the draw was literally perfect, the burn was perfect. And at over $30 a piece, they damn well better be. This is far and away the strongest cigar I will probably ever review on here. Pre-light draw is heavy on the tobacco and licorice. Once lit, this cigar exudes a sharp and potent, almost unmistakable, Padron smell. It can literally sting the nostrils. Not that its a bad smell at all, just potent.
The tastes are strong and a tad spicy right out of the gate. An older aficionado with an acute sense of taste could, I believe, pull many different flavors out of this cigar. It's that complex. I am not blessed with such a sense of taste, so I will just stick to what I could put my finger on. Leather and nuts, and lots of both, danced around on a stage of spicy nutmeg the entire smoke. I could have sworn I tasted berries for a bit as well. For most of the cigar the strong leather notes fight with the nutty notes, almost as if they are pushing each other back and forth for my attention. This is no short smoke, took me over an hour, and if you try to rush it down I can guarantee you will walk away reeling from cigar buzz. Overall, this smoke is superb. Simply one of the best around.
However, I fear the Padron's reach may have exceeded their grasp when you consider the price. At $32 MSRP, this is one of the most expensive smokes on the market, and with such limited quantities made this stick is now almost impossible to find anywhere close to the original price. A quick search on the Internet today revealed a online retailer charging over $40 a stick. I don't even want to think of what they are charging at tourist stops in Vegas or Key West. The fact of the matter is, the price of this cigar is beyond unreasonable. Look at my last review, a five dollar cigar that gives me just as much pleasure as this one. Sure this cigar is far more complex and has that certain "snob" appeal, but I can smoke six Hoyo Epicure's for the price of one 80th Anniversario. The math speaks for itself.
