Padron 1964 Anniversary Maduro

Exclusivo

Ah, the Padron 1964 Maduro! I’ve had a few of these before, back when it was actually CotM, but I didn’t get around to reviewing it. In my recollection, this is a superbly constructed stick with a unique blend of bold flavors. The Exclusivo is the robusto vitola in the line.

Statistics

CotM: March 2013







Chosen by: MMolter

MMolter





Shape: Box-Press Parejo







Size: 5″1/2 x 50







Country of Origin: Nicaragua







Wrapper: Nicaraguan Maduro







Binder: Nicaraguan







Filler: Nicaraguan







Color: Maduro







Strength: Full







Price Paid: $8.28







Smoke Date: 5/06/2013







Age: 1 month

Accessories Used

Cuban Crafters Perfect Cutter (Silver & Carbon Fiber), Bugatti B-2002 lighter with “pyramid” double-flame torch, Handmade English walnut ashtray made by wedgewoodrings.

Pairing

Singampatti Oothu Estate Indian loose leaf black tea in a small porcelain teapot (Adagio PersonaliTEA) and matching Asian style (no handle) teacup. For a black tea, it is very floral. The sweet, light floweriness and light malt offered a beautiful contrast to the dark earthiness of the stick. It made me feel like I was relaxing on an island somewhere enjoying the sweetness of life.

Appearance/Nose

The Padron 1964 Maduro was dark and oily, with a little tooth. The box press made it rectangular (rather than a square press). The band was a double band, with the large top one being gold and burgundy, and the bottom one having a sort of paisley-esque print in green and beige. A serial number was printed on the lower band. It read “No. 238338.” It’s a very classy looking band, and the serial number is a very nice touch. The nose was coffee and black pepper.

Construction

The construction was solid, with no soft or hard spots. The cap was very small. Cutting it took off a touch of the wrapper and revealed the binder. This did not cause any problems during smoking and the cigar never attempted to unravel.

(Side note: I have a few of these, and on all of them, the bands are so loose that they slide up and down with ease. I think it might have to do with the box press. In any case, forgive me if the band placement changes a bit throughout this review.)

There was one imperfection in the wrapper near the foot where a bit of extra leaf got bunched up. The ash was light gray end held on for about an inch at a time.

Cold Draw

Perfect draw with little resistance. Tasted of coffee, cocoa, and black pepper.

Smoking

First third

Immediately, pepper and coffee blasted me in the face. The retrohale tasted of chocolate and red pepper. Quite tasty. I retrohaled every other puff to savor it, despite the stinging protest of my nasal mucosa. It lit a bit unevenly, and I attempted to even it out by rotating the cigar (the rectangular box-press made this a bit more awkward than usual.) From that point on, the burn was perfect and even for the rest of the stick.

The flavor was intense, but very smooth. The coffee, cocoa, pepper, and earth were all blended together in a very balanced mix. It was quite distinctive and delicious. The burn evened out quite nicely after about a centimeter. About an inch in, a woody flavor came out, reminiscent of pine smoke, accompanied by a smooth, caramel-like quality. It was all tied together by a unique “Padron” flavor that I don’t know how to describe–aged pure tobacco taste.

That little imperfection on the wrapper smoked away with zero fanfare, but he remained sticking out of the ash like a little salute.–goodbye little buddy!

Second third

The predominant flavors here were smooth aged tobacco and a smoky, woody flavor, like a campfire, with some pumpkin pie spice on the finish and retrohale.

Towards the end of the middle third, the campfire died down a bit, and the aged tobacco really came into its own. The smoke was thick and somewhat creamy at this point.

Final third

The flavor was mostly coffee, wood, and creamy-smooth aged tobacco. The pepper was only noticeable on the retrohale. The campfire taste was there in the background still, and coffee and cocoa took over one last time at the end.

Notes

Draw: Perfect







Body: Full



Full





Primary Flavors: C ocoa, black pepper, campfire, aged tobacco

C





Smoke Output: Very full

Very full





Smoke Time: 1 hour, 45 minutes

Overall

What a journey! I don’t remember this stick transforming so drastically in the past. There were so many flavors that are so intense that it’s difficult to get a solid feel for this cigar. The unifying factor is the smoothness, as everything blends together in a very even way, which is quite a feat. The burn was razor sharp after it first evened out, despite smoking outside, with a breeze, and the misting system at full blast.

My only minor complaints are that the band slid up and down way too easily, and that the box press is more rectangle than square, making it a bit awkward to rotate. There is very little sweetness, but there are so many other flavors going on that I hardly missed it. This is a connoisseur’s stick, and one that definitely merits revisiting. If you haven’t had one, go get one! They are a bit steep, but it is truly a journey that every cigar smoker should experience.

Rating