The Light Up:
I attended the My Father event here in Orlando briefly and was able to snag a few of these beauty’s. I had the honor of seeing Ms. Janny Garcia and what a beauty she was! The cigars were beautiful as well. I purchased two of the No.1′s and a No.2 which qualified me to received a free Cuban Classic cigar by Don Pepin. I’ll smoke and review all of these soon. The My Father line was created by Jaime Garcia to honor his father José Pepin Garcia. He secretly worked on the line until someone in the factory leaked the little secret and Pepin found out and obviously approved! The Nicaraguan filler and binder were grown at the Garcia farms in Nicaragua, while the wrapper was acquired from Oliva. I lit the No.1 up which happened to be a robusto, and right away the cigar was slightly peppery. Although a little spice is a Pepin signature, it wasn’t overpowering. Instead I received an earthiness similar to sweet feed or hay. The cigar had lots of smoke and great body with hints of cocoa and coffee lingering around my palate. I’d lean more to the fuller side of the spectrum rather than medium bodied. With smoke in the air and a fully belly from Carlos’N Charlie’s, I proceeded.

The Mid-Stick:
Heading towards the middle of the cigar, it’s heartiness emerged. The spice had returned and the new taste of caramel touched my tongue and gave it a jolt of satisfaction. This was another addition to the Garcia family masterpieces. The cigar burned exceptionally well, despite the windy conditions. I never once had to relight or retouch the cigar, signifying a perfect construction, a characteristic of the Garcia’s quality and knowledge of cigar making. Heading towards the home stretch, I wondered what else this secret would unveil.

The Finish:
Nearing the band, I realized there were no more secrets. She has left it all on the table and the evidence was plentiful. Grey ash laid scattered in the ashtray. The end was near, could this be that there were no more surprises left? I didn’t care, I ventured on past the band and enjoyed every inch. I understand why Cigar Aficionado announced this as their No.3 cigar of the 2009. It lays out everything in front of you and all that’s left for you to do is sit back and enjoy, no need for secrets! Would I smoke it again? Definitely! Verdict: Find one and enjoy! Decently priced at $10.00 and 5.2″ x 52. A strong 92!

Happy Smoking!
Jorgie

The Light Up:
Recently named the best cigar of 2009 by Cigar Aficionado, this aged Nicaraguan puro commemorates the 45th Anniversary of Padrón Cigars. Nicknamed “The Hammer”, the Padrón Family Reserve comes in both a natural and maduro wrapper and are in boxes of 10 cigars. Apparently they are very hard to find, but fortunately my local tobacconist carried them and I was able to land one! At first sight, this box-pressed beauty made my eyes and mouth water! The rich maduro wrapper, although slightly veiny, was smooth and seamless, a toothy complexion was also evident. I was going to bare the cold weather to smoke this one! At first puff this cigar came out strong! A peppery, slight bite on the tongue at first which is not the norm for the brand, transitioned into a smooth roasted nutty taste after about a quarter into the smoke. I must admit this was stronger than your normal Padrón, but what do you expect from such an aged and powerful blend. The aroma was fantastic and body was a mouthful.

The Mid-Stick:
Reaching this point in the experience was pure delight, a Padrón smokers wet dream. The cigar had developed into something extraordinary, a characteristic of a well thought out blend. Padrón is known for this with all of their products. Nutty, smooth, creamy, I could go on forever with descriptive words but there’s just not enough words in the english dictionary to describe the cigar, so I’ll leave this one…fantastic. I see now why this cigar was given the industry’s most prestigious award. Who could argue, not me that’s for sure. The burn began a little uneven, but straightened out without any assistance. Coffee undertones began to emerge and a thick white ash was lingering at the end of my progress thick enough to fall off and remain in my ashtray intact, another trait of good tobacco.

The Finish:
I removed the third band with the 45 inscription on it and began working my way to the secondary and primary bands removing them as I continued smoking. Lesser cigars may become bitter beyond the band and so it’s time wasted to venture past this point. I began searching for some way to extend the experience as I could already feel my fingertips getting warm, signaling I was nearing the end of the stick. I braved on. The strong coffee and cocoa flavors intensified at the last quarter forcing me to keep on puffing. There was barely anything left by the time I realized it, and at this point I was pinching my fingers together to savor every last bit. What remained was something that could barely even be called a nub. I had smoked this baby down to the first seam of the head! My fingers may have been screaming in agony, but my palate was screaming with enjoyment! Although at the higher end of pricing, $30 to be exact, which is what I paid, this cigar is one of those treats a cigar smoker seeks. Definitely not a smoke for a newbie, but rather for a seasoned smoker. Would I spend the money again? Most definitely! I think I’ll grab a few more to add to the collection. Rating this cigar a strong 94 simply would not do it justice. The Padrón Family Reserve No. 45 Maduro is off my charts!

Happy Smoking!
Jorgie