7:17pm
Thanks to the guys at Cigars City, of whom I am loosely one, for this fine offering.
I actually had not planned on smoking tonight, but then I heard "Hey!" Then I heard "Hey, Kap!" Then I heard it again and again, and went looking for the source.
It was not in the kitchen.
It was not in the bathroom.
It was not under the stairs.
"Kap!" I kept hearing, and looking...then lo' and behold,
I realized it was, in fact,
The Cigar:
Padron 1964 Anniversary Maduro
Nicaraguan Wrapper
Nicaraguan binder/filler (puro)
6 x 54 Imperial box-pressed
Courtesy Cigars City
Light of weight in the hand with no shortage of sheen and oily specks on a richly complected chocolate coffee bean hue. The box-press sits a bit wide in the hand but feels quite nice insofar as being smoothly textured. Slight veins, invisible seams. A peek at the foot shows a looser than medium packing. Speaking of packing, it is on the soft-side throughout, but perfectly even.
To the nose: on the shaft I get a subdued but mature tobacco with far away notes of chocolate and hazelnut. A bit of a sweet spice, perhaps. At the foot, there is too a sweet influence that is of spice, but not spicy per se. More chocolate and more hazelnut. Very distinct hazelnut notes.
I carefully nibble the cap and notice first that the draw is very loose. Lots of flavors here on the cold draw the aforementioned varieties and now also of a coffee bean that borders on bitter but stays nice. Very loose draw, again, maybe this won't be the long affair of many Padrons.
I make mention of carefully dealing with the cap as it is unraveling a tad so I shall, against my own rules of etiquette, leave the band on as I smoke. Look at me: RULE BREAKER. Breaking the law. A bad boy. Trouble. A real no-goodnik.
Light:
Roasted red pepper comes off the toasting foot. Along with a maturely deep tobacco. During the light, I notice the stick feels better in my smoke-hole than in my hand. First hot draw is very very mellow. Deep tobacco, very rich. Chewy. A very loose draw bears repeating. Mainly chocolate and coffee notes. A hint of red pepper. Finish is of hazelnut and it does last long and it does grow and there is now coffee there, too. Second hot one is retro-haled and is a red pepper shot. It warms my chest like booze, good booze. Third hot pull is same as first.
Medium profiled thus far, but I'd say + as far as body as the desert-like flavors of chocolate and hazelnut coffee are strong, but do not abrade. Chewy, as I said before. Thick mouth-feel, weighty but not an albatross.
Foot-smoke and room-note are lavish, really. Rich deep mature tobaccos with dark and equally rich chocolates and coffee. Lots of smoke, but it quickly dies to a patient smolder between pulls. It will wait there for you; as I walked off a couple/few minutes and returned to it still lit. Burn is even, burn-line near razor-thin. Ash is white to pale grey and stacks on in ladder rungs of a near oily variety. A hint of near charcoal in small traces.
I feel wealthy, gentlepersons. English muffin pizzas are on me! No really, I have their sauce on my slacks. I pull out my schmatta and lay it across my lap, not expecting to need it, but I am nothing if not a rigorous practitioner of schtick.
The red pepper is roasted and mainly kind and stays on the very back of my tongue. Desert is being served on my palate and in the air all around me. Do me a favor and pull meaningfully gentlemanly from the Padron offering -- as it's draw is quite loose and I can see a fella over-smoking fairly easily. I shall try to not linger on this, as I've mentioned it more than a good bit, already.
Burn is even but not perfectly so. Far, far from an issue. The burn-line is razor on one half, thin/medium, the other. Construction has softened a bit. It is smoking quite quickly. Still, it settles rapidly between draws. Flavors are unchanged as of yet, I am getting a small hint of a reddish fruit, but it is fleeting at best and ever off in the horizon.
A very decadent and ripe affair. I feel as though I am watching an older older couple gently fornicate. They are well preserved and seeing their bare bodies does not make me want to iron my clothing and all the other fabrics in my house. A sweetness enters softly and is like dolloping steamed milk atop an espresso. Sweet by comparison and not overly so. Hazelnut is mainly on the retro-hale now and therein the red pepper subdues. Very chocolate draw with almost as much coffee, but not in a ham-fisted manner. Mouth-feel is heavy but nice. Finish is a flip-flop of the draw where coffee stars and chocolate supports. L o n g finish.
Profile is full body (notes as mentioned), -full flavors, and -medium strength. Look ma, no buzz! I roll the ash off at an inch plus and it is loosely dense and oily. Cosmetically, unchanged from prior description. I wish to play poker. No. Baccarat.
An earthiness emerges as the curtain falls on the first act.
Act II:
I lost all the money I did not have at the Baccarat table. Apparently this is a more contemplative cigar than I thought, and I simply was not paying attention to the cards. Very solitary smoke. What if Bigfoot is an alien, I ask myself and gaze at the coffee ring on my desk/folding table. Where do the Reptilian overlords fit in and why is there no duck in Duck Sauce?
Cedar fully replaces the peppers which left awhile back. It's a nice cedar that fits well with the ripened tobacco. Mature, not sharp. The ash is a bit of schlock and aesthetically, I feel this blend deserves better. Tastes are all on par, but un-mottled. Very Maduro, natch. Heavy, and ripe, but not as lusty nor as busty as I'd hoped. Chocolate, coffee, cedar, hazelnut -- all at once. Creamy mouth-feel. Long finish of frothed milk and mocha. The earthiness is toasting more and adding a nice shot of complexity and a bit of that toasting hits on the cedar at the draw. Very smooth, this Padron. Very Padron-esque, this padron.
The burn gets a little squirelly and a bit of the wrapper comes undone. Burn-line widens to medium in most spots. Ash turns flakier and just this side of fercockt and construction suffers as it softens again. A little char sneaks into the flavor.
Strength is -medium. Body and flavors now medium+. I suppose the deepening earthiness was something, but a proper transition, it was not. I am aware that Padrons are somewhat famous for their transitions, but their transitions always strike me more as a shuffling of the deck, not of any new playing cards. Not a one-note offering, but not very interesting all told, and as of yet. The aesthetics (ash) and a cap which is less than it should be, bother me -- in the context of an ultra-premium affair.
It is very smooth, though. This cannot be over-stated. And very much enjoyable. The burn evens, but the char grows and bites at my throat some. The chocolate is less richly sweet, the coffee remains very nice. The smoke cloud lessens in density and grows in volume. It stays the same as far as room-note. Quite pleasant.The cigar succeeds where it tries, but perhaps should try in more areas. All told, however, it is impressive in its decadence, if not in its complexity.
Act III:
Very cedar now, as much as if not more than, chocolate. Some of the decadence fades. As we hit the clubhouse turn, Coffee notes are a close second to both and then neck-&-neck -- and Bubblegum is sticking to the rail! But forget about Potato, he's getting mashed! Kidding. The burn slows and rights itself. I removed the band a minute ago to no occurrence. Burn-line thins.
Tobacco, ripe and mature takes hold and I do believe it will pull away from the pack and lead by a full length down the stretch. I tear up my losing ticket, but admire the horse's gtreat form.
Not boring, but relaxing. If I didn't fully enjoy the affair, perhaps it's for the same reason I get fidgety in a bubble bath instead of luxuriating. Fans of Maduro will love this, as will fans who want fuller tastes and body with lighter strength.
A very pleasing cigar, but struck me as a politician unwilling to alienate any part of their voting public. Even the separate elements of its flavor profile seemed unwilling to risk offending, as none completely emerged from the others.
Pairings:
Technically, or more apt mechanically, as the moisture level is perfect, it doesn't need a drink accompaniment. However, to aid the flavors here and there, a Merlot would be nice. I'd go for Mogen David, as Manischewitz would be to clingy. An espresso or Cuban Coffee would be good. A thick fancy root beer, interesting.
Final Grade: B+
(More intricacies and better construction = A)
(+ is on the back of simply an excellent tobacco.)
Epilogue:
8:40ishpm
I'm doing some wonderful things with the greys and browns of my wardrobe.
I just felt you should all be aware.
Thanks for reading, gentlepersons.