Padron

1926 Series 80th Anniversary Maduro

Perfect draw. Unbelievable flavor. One of my favorites!!

Paired with a Japanese whiskey (Hibiki 21yr) as it is a very pretty whiskey that would not compete with the complexity of the Padron 80. Cold Draw: immediate sweetness, coffee bean and concentrated peppers. First light : Immediately apparent this is at the higher end of the spectrum of what defines a full bodied. Tingling of the lips and a burst of concentrated dense flavors with a very heavy spice profile with accompanying dark pepper. First Third: Toasted Cocoa comes to the front of the profile with an equally apparent dark pepper with a muted but present sweetness very much like the sweetness of a confection. Coffee bean somewhat Subdued in the background but by no means muted is welcomed addition to this already impressive profile. 2nd third: The dominate dark pepper mellows a bit allowing the cocoa to come thru to the forefront and opens up the palate to a richer coffee bean taste. The confectionary sweetness evolves into a cinnamon-y like sweetness. Spices are present but move to the background. Final Third: Peppers are still present and balanced along with toasted cocoa and coffee bean with a marked contrast in noticing that the ever present spiciness is reminiscent of a chili pepper. Conclusion: This is very much the epitome of what new world cigar making has become. One would be hard pressed to find a new world stick to compete with this level of excellence. The only points lost were the draw was slightly tight outside of what’s expected from this vitola. This is a must buy with the only variable on how many sticks your budget allows at an average price of 32$ per stick.