It was the year 1932, the 200th anniversary of George Washington’s birth, Charles Lindbergh, Jr. was kidnapped, comedian Jack Benny’s radio show airs for the first time, Amelia Earhart flies from the United States to Northern Ireland, the first gas tax in the United States is created, Babe Ruth makes his famous called shot in the fifth inning of game 3 of the 1932 World Series and Ernesto Padilla’s father, Herberto Padilla is born.
In the year 2006, Ernesto Padilla of Padilla Cigars introduced the Padilla 1932, honoring his father and the cigar met with rave reviews. Sadly, it was discontinued in 2012 when the company revamped its cigar portfolio, but just two short years later it was reintroduced in 2014.
The latest incarnation of the Padilla 1932 is a blend described as:
- Wrapper – Ecuadoran Habano
- Binder – Nicaraguan
- Filler – Nicaraguan
Available in 5 vitolas the Padilla 1932 is packaged in 10-count boxes and range in price from $6.30 to $8.50 MSRP.
- Churchill (7 x 50)
- Robusto (5 x 50)
- Toro (6 x 50)
- Toro Gordo (6 x 60)
- Torpedo (6.1 x 52)
Now I don’t recall smoking the original Padilla 1932 but for this review I sampled the new Padilla 1932 Robusto.
Cigar Review Notes
- “Milk chocolate-brown” silky wrapper
- Light on the veins
- The foot fills the nasals with nutmeg and coffee
- Not much aroma to the barrel
- Cold draw was nicely restricted and offered notes of earth and a sprinkle of pepper
- Initial puffs – spicy pepper on the nose with a butter cream start
- Pepper tones down quickly and a sweet and salty butter note remains
- Smoke is smooth with just a gentle burn on the nose
- Excellent burn and cone with a medium grey well-formed ash
- Coffee enters second third
- Vanilla adds to the coffee pleasing the palate
- Cocoa mixes in
- The sweetness has a long finish
- Pepper picks up in the final third
- Medium plus in strength
- Total smoking time was just around an hour
Overall, the Padilla 1932 was an outstanding cigar with impressive flavor transitions, burn, and construction right down to the nub. I especially enjoyed the notes of vanilla and cocoa mixed with coffee in the second third. It is a “no brainer” to pair this with a sweet cup of cafe cubano in the mid-afternoon. I will have to search out for the churchill or toro for sure.
