I probably don’t have to say much about Padrón cigars, especially the 1926 and 1964 Anniversary Series, but I was gifted the Padrón 1964 Anniversary Maduro “A” the other week by my Stogie Press associate – Alton Otto. I decided to take his advice and to turn this one to ash. I was so intrigued by it, I just had to say something.
But Jimmie you put no rating on this – why?
Lets start slow. I like to smoke a few cigar samples before putting a rating on the cigar, especially if it is a truly fine cigar. In the case of the Padrón 1964 Anniversary Maduro “A”, this is the first one I ever had. I have had other vitolas but not the “A”. So after 2 plus hours of smoking this gem I was left to contemplate the rating. It is a $34.00 cigar and performed incredibly well, but it was only one. When I get a cigar this good, I really need to smoke a few more to ensure consistency. Heck, I smoked and shared a dozen or more PLM Series Cigars before I finally made it the 2018 Boutique Cigar of the Year. So I will post this review without a number rating and when I get more of them I will smoke them and put it under the microscope, update this article and finally put a rating on it.
If you have smoked the “A” vitola, I would love to hear your views of it. If you have pictures of how it performed, post them so we can compare. As of now though, I will say, this is one of the best cigars I have ever smoked. Now into the review.
The Padrón 1964 Anniversary Maduro “A” is one of like 14 different vitolas in the 1964 Anniversary Maduro Line. I won’t get into listing each one, since I am sure many of you have smoked one of them over the years. The cigar is 100% Nicaraguan leaf and each leaf used in this cigar has been aged 4 years, including the wrapper, binder, and filler. The “A” has an MSRP of $34.10.
Pricy? Yes, but in this case you get what you paid for. In fact the time spent smoking it, is like smoking two cigars. So the price makes sense.
Pre-Light Examination
The “A” clocks in at full 8 1/4 by 50 and is exquisitely box pressed as all Padrón 1964 Anniversary’s are. The wrapper on this is just as pristine as one would expect; dark brown and toothy with minimal veins, a nice oily sheen, and triple cap finish.
The pre-light aromas on this are just the beginning of a flavor and aroma filled journey. There is a sweet and spicy note along the barrel and the foot exudes sweet hay and rich cocoa components.
Once the cap is sliced, the cold draw was spot on with restriction and flavor. Hey, this is a long cigar and the draw was perfect as it awoken the palate with a natural tobacco sweetness and hint of raisin and chocolate. Even a slight touch of earth appears, albeit a bit muted.
This is one of those cigars you should take on a long date, don’t rush into igniting it up right away. Work it a little. Taste the flavors of the unlit leaf as you roll it about, sit back and relax, as the time will come when more flavor and aroma will be delivered.
When the time arrives, give the cigar the respect it deserves. Don’t go over torching it; if you use a torch. This is one I opted to use a cedar spill to get things going. A slow twirling motion above the soft flame and the foot warms to the point where a few puffs and the cigar is ignited perfectly. The draw is spectacular and there is an initial sweet floral note that begins the experience.
Follow along as I re-cap a pleasant 2 hour plus journey from foot to nub of the Padrón 1964 Anniversary Maduro “A”.
Cigar Review Notes
- Initial notes of sweet floral
- Light grey ash builds on a thin char line
- Cinnamon spice adds to profile
- Sweetness joins the mix with a mild pepper note in the background
- Oils build nicely above the burn line
- Earthiness blends with the pepper
- Outstanding ash and pristine burn early on
- Ash fell revealing a Stogie Press perfect burn cone
- Sweetness and spice build
- Coffee enters at the end of a long first third
- Barrel is getting a bit sticky from the oils it is producing
- Caramel notes enter moving through the second half
- Herbal spice spikes the palate midway
- Syrupy aroma is building just making this a delight to smoke
- Dark chocolate notes move in near the final third
- Chocolate maintains blending well with a peppery spice
- Strength moved up in the final third to full
- Spice increases down to the nub
- Medium to Full in Strength
- Total Smoking Time was 2 hours and 20 minutes
Overall, the Padrón 1964 Anniversary Maduro “A” was a spectacular cigar. There is not a single major issue with the burn, flavor, or aromas. It basically hit on all cylinders from the pre-light all the way to the nub. I will need to pick up a few more to really rate this cigar but I can assure you, it is way close to the top of my list as of now. This is a benchmark for any boutique brand to measure against.
