Cigar Preview: Padron 80th Anniversary “Prototype”
By Gary Korb
I recently had the chance to preview the Padron 80th Anniversary "prototype" last weekend - under ideal conditions, too. The weather here was sunny and warm, and I got to smoke the cigar uninterrupted out on my deck.
I’ll start with the appearance of the cigar. Rolled to a 6¾" x 54 Double Perfecto, it was exquisite. I love the double perfecto shape (it’s my favorite), plus the length to width proportions were perfect. The Maduro wrapper had a perfectly even, dark ebony color and beautifully oily (as I would expect from Padron ;-)
I had the feeling the cigar was going to be very spicy and potent, much like the Padron 1926, but it wasn’t. The cigar drew perfectly, and the smoke was very smooth. I had a little burn problem in the first inch or two. That may have been because there was a breeze, but the cigar righted itself soon afterward and burned perfectly the rest of the way.
As it reached the “bulge” in the middle, I really got the full payload of flavor. It was spicy, but not in the “hot” peppery way, which does not appeal to me. Very woody and earthy with all those nice little Padron nuances. I smoked it down to the last inch and enjoyed every moment of it. That said, it did get into my system, and I must admit that I was pretty light-headed and had to lie down for a half hour before I could resume whatever it was I had to do that day. Woooeee! I mean that as a compliment.
Padron certainly has the makings of another winner here. Here's how I scored it:
Appearance: 10
Construction: 10
Burn: 9
Draw: 10
Aroma: 9
Flavor: 9
Final Score: 9.5
Props to Jorge Padron for handing me the opportunity.
I recently had the chance to preview the Padron 80th Anniversary "prototype" last weekend - under ideal conditions, too. The weather here was sunny and warm, and I got to smoke the cigar uninterrupted out on my deck.
I’ll start with the appearance of the cigar. Rolled to a 6¾" x 54 Double Perfecto, it was exquisite. I love the double perfecto shape (it’s my favorite), plus the length to width proportions were perfect. The Maduro wrapper had a perfectly even, dark ebony color and beautifully oily (as I would expect from Padron ;-)
I had the feeling the cigar was going to be very spicy and potent, much like the Padron 1926, but it wasn’t. The cigar drew perfectly, and the smoke was very smooth. I had a little burn problem in the first inch or two. That may have been because there was a breeze, but the cigar righted itself soon afterward and burned perfectly the rest of the way.
As it reached the “bulge” in the middle, I really got the full payload of flavor. It was spicy, but not in the “hot” peppery way, which does not appeal to me. Very woody and earthy with all those nice little Padron nuances. I smoked it down to the last inch and enjoyed every moment of it. That said, it did get into my system, and I must admit that I was pretty light-headed and had to lie down for a half hour before I could resume whatever it was I had to do that day. Woooeee! I mean that as a compliment.
Padron certainly has the makings of another winner here. Here's how I scored it:
Appearance: 10
Construction: 10
Burn: 9
Draw: 10
Aroma: 9
Flavor: 9
Final Score: 9.5
Props to Jorge Padron for handing me the opportunity.
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