Padron is one of the most highly awarded cigar brands in the industry, and happens to be my all time favorite. The consistency of flavor, quality of aged tobacco, and beautiful construction make for a pleasant smoking experience every single time I light up.
A few of my nicer Padrons..., that is $135 worth of cigars, yikes! need more, upvotes please ;-P
Padron has an incredibly unique flavor profile which is so full bodied it will appeal to a well seasoned smoker, but they are also so smooth and creamy that even smokers who prefer mild sticks will still go crazy for them. Not many (likely none) other cigars can make that claim.
All Padron cigars are Nicaraguan puros, meaning 100% of the tobacco to produce each cigar is grown at private farms in northern Nicaragua, including many that Padron owns.
-photo source unknown
The Padron super premium portfolio consists of 5 cigar lines.
The Padrón Series
The Padron Series is their baseline cigar and most affordable. They are medium to full-bodied in taste, the tobacco is sun-grown Habano aged for at least 3 years, and offers every size a smoker could imagine. My all time favorite is the Churchill (7x46). Each Padron Series cigar in the line is available in natural and a maduro wrapper. At times it is hard to distinguish between the two, the natural has a darker shade than usual, and the maduro on the lighter end, but side by side you will see the difference. Prices, depending on size, average around $7.
Padrón 1926 Cigars
Handmade with at least 5 year aged Cuban-seed tobacco, the 1926 Serie premiered in 2003 to commemorate the 75th birthday of Jose Orlando Padron. Each Padrón 1926 cigar has a band embossed with a serial number to prevent counterfeiting, as do all of the higher end sticks. When smoking one of these box-pressed lovelies, you can expect ultra-smooth notes of cocoa, coffee, caramel, and spice. Prices for 1926's, depending on size, average around $15.
Padrón 1964 Cigars
The 1964 line was introduced in 1994 to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the company. The tobacco is aged for at least 4 years, creating a complex yet smooth flavor profile with notes of coffee, chocolate and sweet spice. Prices average around $14
My review of the 1964 Pyramid
Padrón Family Reserve Cigars
Touted as one of the best ever made, Family Reserve released in 2009, quickly became popular by winning the prestigious Cigar Aficionado Magazine's Cigar of the Year award. Family Reserve is available in 4 sizes, with each size representing a different year from significant moments in the Padrón families cigar journey. Tobaccos in the Family Reserve have been aged around 10 years. I however prefer the 1926, and 1964, especially considering price. Prices depending on size average around $24
Here is my review of the Family Reserve 5oth
Padrón Special Releases Cigars
These limited release cigars are made up of the finest tobacco in the Padron inventory. These are largely made up of the same blends as the "regular" 1926 and 1964 Padron cigars, but the tobacco has not only more age, but is also hand selected from Padron's inventory as being the cream of the crop tobacco. The finest fermented tobacco leaf make up cigars in this line such as the 80 Years Figurado, priced around $33, and my all time favorite cigar, the Padron Anniversary 40 year, which will set you back $26.
The New Damaso
A lighter shade of Padron, the Damaso is a departure from the company known for their full flavors and powerhouse Nicaraguan cigars. It sports a silky smooth Connecticut seed wrapper, and delivers the same richness, character, and depth of flavor Padron is famous for, except with a milder body. $12-$14.
You can see my past review on the Damaso here
A Brief History:
-photo source NY Times
The legendary José Orlando Padrón, who recently celebrated his 90th birthday, founded Padron Cigars in 1964. Jose was born in Cuba in 1926 and comes from a family of tobacco workers. He was forced to move from his homeland in 1961 at the age of 35 after the Revolution in which Fidel Castro nationalized his families tobacco farms.
Settling 90 miles away in Miami, José found himself virtually broke, but not long after arriving he received a gift from a friend that changed his life, a hammer. This hammer allowed José to start a career as a carpenter and save $600 to open a cigar factory and make cigars like the ones he used to smoke in Cuba. Three years later, José's dream came true. For several years, Padrón sold his cigars to the locals, and from the time he opened his doors, he spent much of the time trying to refine the whole process, from seed to cigar. The hammer is proudly displayed to this day in José's office.
Over the last few decades, with the help of his family and skilled artisans, Padrón has refined a system for producing quality cigars using tobacco grown at private farms in northern Nicaragua, including a few that Padron owns. These days, they are in charge of every step of the cultivation process. This includes all things from the selection and planting of tobacco seeds, to the blend formula and quality control.
Year after year, Padron is at the top of the list of ratings. They have received countless top 25 honors and many industry accolades. Padron boats the most extensive 90+ rated portfolio on the market, and lays claim to an insane collection of upper echelon ratings, the highest being an impressive ‘97’ rating for the Padron 1926 Series.
I love these things, Padron always satisfies my cigar craving. If you are a newer cigar smoker, or prefer mild sticks, do not be intimidated by the descriptions in print and online describing every Padron cigar, except for the Damaso, as full in flavor and strength. I think you will find them enjoyable regardless of your preferences.
I appreciate your views, upvotes, follows, and resteems.
Feel free to comment.., I enjoy interacting with fellow cigar smokers, or any who find interest in it.
-Greg
A few Padron's in Vegas last summer.
Do cigars age well like wine or is it best to smoke them within a certain time period after they are made?
Hello @robissimio, yes cigars age very well when kept in the proper conditions (65-70% humidity). Some age better than others, milder cigars have the "risk" of losing some of their flavor as flavors can mellow over time, but this would probably take 5-10 years, and it's all personal preference.
Cigars will get more smooth as they age, and any edge on flavors will fade away. Even 6-12 months make a difference. Medium to full strength sticks can age well for decades.
Aged cigars, like wine, usually carry a premium on the secondary market. Some of the most sought after are many decades old. I have even seen cigars rolled in the 1890's for sale.
These two are my oldest, they were never anything fancy, the "coupons" cigar is 1930's era, and Hunter 1960's-1970's.
