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

The Light Up:
Here’s a product we’re all familiar with (or I’d hope you would be). My uncle surprised me with this beauty on New Years Eve and I was excited. Padrón has long been my go to cigar whether it be the 3000 maduro or any of the 1964, 1926 or pretty much any Padrón product. It’s been about a year since I enjoyed a Padrón. Call me crazy, but with all of the new boutique cigars on the uprise, I decided to try the newbies and see what the hype was all about. They were all good, but no Padrón! The cigar was gorgeous. A beautiful, shiny maduro which reminded me of fine Godiva chocolates. My first instinct was to look at the foot of the cigar for what I call the chocolate swirls (being the ligero in the blend). For the obvious reason these chocolate swirls made for a more flavorful cigar. I taught my uncle to search for them when I worked at the shop. I’m glad he listened, I taught him well!! The construction, appearance, smell and feel were all flawless, like the perfect diamond. I knew I was in for a treat. I made sure to break out my best equipment for the occasion (glad I brought them along). I carefully cut the head making sure not to cut off too much. You get nervous when you have such a beauty on your hands and want to make sure you do everything right. I lit the cigar with a cedar strip, just for some extra woodiness, not that it needed it! I began my journey into cigar heaven. At first puff my mouth was exploding with flavor. By the first quarter, I was looking forward to the rest.

The Mid-Stick:
Nearing the halfway point, the cigar was on a roll. A chocolate aroma was in the air, while cedar, cream and cocoa entertained my palate like a great show. The burn was perfect and the ash was an exceptional light grey. This cigar was everything a premium cigar should be and then some. Continuing on past the second half of the cigar was pure bliss. The only thing missing was some fine scotch, which oddly enough was no where to be found! No need, the cigar was keeping me busy and the holiday coquito ( a Puerto Rican Egg Nog which has coconut milk, cinnamon, vanilla extract, evaporated milk, condensed milk and Rum. I’ll post a recipe soon!) was good enough.

The Finish:
What’s left to say? The cigar was everything I had remembered and hoped for. I’m really anxious to go out and get a Family Reserve No.45 Maduro (review coming soon). I’ve heard that cigar is wonderful, but back to the Exclusivo. Heading towards the home stretch, this baby never lost any flavor, aroma or strength. It’s what you’ve come to expect from a super premium product. Nicaragua has long been my favorite countries of cigar production. Padrón is the staple of the country. Just the subtle mention of Padrón sends cigar smokers to the store or their humidors, myself included. Price, who cares! This is one of those cigars you smoke on special occasions. Verdict: if you haven’t smoked one, you’re missing out!! A well respected 93!

Happy Smoking!
Jorgie