Origin: Danli Honduras & Esteli, Nicaragua
Wrapper: Nicaragua
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Size Name: Principe
Length: 4.50
Ring Gauge: 46
Strength: Med - Full

A couple of weeks ago I posted a reply in a Make a Wish thread over at Club Stogie. My wish was to try a Padron 1964. To my surprise I received a reply asking for my address. The person who replied was Greg (NCRadioMan). He told me that he had a couple he could spare.

After giving him my address and thanking him for his very generous offer, I received a package a few days later. Included in the package was a Padron 1964 Natural and Maduro as well as a few other very nice cigars.

Thanks Greg, I really appreciate the cigars.

If you are not familiar with this cigar you should know it carries a hefty price tag and a lot of hype. This cigar was released in 1994 to celebrate the 30 year anniversary of the Padron line. This is a limited production run of all sizes and is made with 4 year aged tobaccos.

When I slipped off the cellophane sleeve the first thing that stands out is the sharp edges of the square press. This was a beautiful looking cigar with a light oily sheen on the wrapper and a classic simple looking Padron style band.

When cutting into this cigar I ran into some trouble. I cracked one of the sharp square pressed corners. I was upset about this but was determined to continue to move forward with the smoking process.

I checked the pre light draw and found it to be relatively tight. The first thing that crossed my mind was “oh no, I got a bad stick.” Again, I shook off the disappointment and continued on. I began toasting the foot then fired up the stick completely. The first flavors that I experienced were mild nutty tones paired with a mild body and a soft finish.

Initially I was not getting a whole lot of smoke, but what I was getting was very nice. The ash was a nice light shade of grey and produced a dark oily ring around the foot of the cigar.

After about six puffs or so the cigar just opened up. The draw went from tight to just right. I was now getting loads of smoke that just engulfed my mouth with each and every puff. The body increased to a mild to medium while the finish stayed soft and became creamy. The only problem I was having at this point was that I was getting air through the crack in the wrapper. Although this was annoying it did not stop me from enjoying the smoke.

As I got a little further into the cigar I got some peeling down at the foot. The peeled section of the wrapper did not cause any trouble and I smoked past it within a few short minutes. Even with experiencing two flaws in the cigar I was still enjoyed the cigar very much.

As I reached the two thirds point of this cigar, the body was still increasing in strength. By this point the body was planted firmly in the medium to full range. I also began to taste some spice way in the back of my throat and could feel it in my sinus. The finish was still soft and creamy, just as it was when I started.

The crack in the square press was still bothering me. To try and help the situation I slid the bands down and covered up the crack. At this point the air leak was no longer a problem and the sheer amount of smoke doubled.

As I finally reached the final third of the cigar, the body peaked in the full spectrum. The finish stayed soft and creamy as it did during the early stages of smoking and the flavors were fantastic. The light nutty flavor began to get a little stronger and complimented the light Nicaraguan spice very well.

After a little over an hour it was time to set this cigar down for good. Overall I think that I may have gotten a bad stick, but even so, it was the best bad stick I have ever had the pleasure of smoking. Even with the trouble I experienced, I still would not hesitate to smoke another one in the future because I can only think the next one would only get better.

Thanks again for the cigars Greg. I really appreciate the gesture and can’t wait to smoke the Maduro you sent.

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Filed under: Stogie Reviews