My 5'er of Padron 1964 Anniversary Exclusivos arrived today, and I made a conscious decision to sit down, take some notes and write my first CS review. Here it is:
The first thing I noticed about the "64" was the stout construction. I thumped it against my index finger, and it reminded me of a Lincoln Log! I love the feel, and look of a good box press -- and this cigar has got to be one of the front-runners in that department.
I made a quick, clean cut with the Palio (whew!) and knew that I'd be happy with the draw of this cigar from my first pre-light puff. The tastes of coffee and earth were present before I even lit, and I knew that the cigar was going to be a burner and I'd have to watch my speed.
At first, the 64 was soooooo smooth -- almost like nothing was there. I was tempted to inhale by the 3rd puff, and as I drew some of the smoke up through my nose, I could begin to taste hints of coffee, or what I thought was a creamy, wood flavor. The burn was very even, and I knew I wasn't going to have to do any sort of re-lighting or fixing -- which is something I sometimes struggle with as a newbie.
After about 10 minutes, I felt I was having a Tony Soprano moment in the desert, as I said to myself, "I GET IT!!" For some odd reason, my mind began to wander, and I found myself thinking about the first time I ever smoked a premium cigar with my dad. This was a Montecristo #?? at the Luxor on the night of my first wedding. The cigar lasted about as long as the marriage. I digress.
The ash was very white, and it looked like one solid layer at the top of the 64. Again, creamy! After my first ash, I had to slow it down, I could feel the cigar getting hotter and hotter, and with that, the spiciness was increasing. The 64 is a smooth operator, for sure, and the added spice and flavoring on my lips made me realize just how good a Padron can be.
Just as I predicted, the 64 drew good smoke the entire time, and I appreciated the subtle build-up of strength while the cigar still managed to hold on to its complexity.
After my 3rd and final ash, the 64 lost some of its box-pressed attributes and resembled a more familiar Padron X000. It stayed spicy until the end, and left a great, sweet and spicy taste on my lips. I worked it down to the nub, as usual and then reitred it.
All in all, this was a great smoke -- one of the best I've ever had. I won't humor you with my ratings, as it's easy to see how a cigar like this could consistently rate around a 92.
The first thing I noticed about the "64" was the stout construction. I thumped it against my index finger, and it reminded me of a Lincoln Log! I love the feel, and look of a good box press -- and this cigar has got to be one of the front-runners in that department.
I made a quick, clean cut with the Palio (whew!) and knew that I'd be happy with the draw of this cigar from my first pre-light puff. The tastes of coffee and earth were present before I even lit, and I knew that the cigar was going to be a burner and I'd have to watch my speed.
At first, the 64 was soooooo smooth -- almost like nothing was there. I was tempted to inhale by the 3rd puff, and as I drew some of the smoke up through my nose, I could begin to taste hints of coffee, or what I thought was a creamy, wood flavor. The burn was very even, and I knew I wasn't going to have to do any sort of re-lighting or fixing -- which is something I sometimes struggle with as a newbie.
After about 10 minutes, I felt I was having a Tony Soprano moment in the desert, as I said to myself, "I GET IT!!" For some odd reason, my mind began to wander, and I found myself thinking about the first time I ever smoked a premium cigar with my dad. This was a Montecristo #?? at the Luxor on the night of my first wedding. The cigar lasted about as long as the marriage. I digress.
The ash was very white, and it looked like one solid layer at the top of the 64. Again, creamy! After my first ash, I had to slow it down, I could feel the cigar getting hotter and hotter, and with that, the spiciness was increasing. The 64 is a smooth operator, for sure, and the added spice and flavoring on my lips made me realize just how good a Padron can be.
Just as I predicted, the 64 drew good smoke the entire time, and I appreciated the subtle build-up of strength while the cigar still managed to hold on to its complexity.
After my 3rd and final ash, the 64 lost some of its box-pressed attributes and resembled a more familiar Padron X000. It stayed spicy until the end, and left a great, sweet and spicy taste on my lips. I worked it down to the nub, as usual and then reitred it.
All in all, this was a great smoke -- one of the best I've ever had. I won't humor you with my ratings, as it's easy to see how a cigar like this could consistently rate around a 92.