Rating: Padron 1964 Anni Diplomatico

[Dr. Stogie Fresh]

STORAGE CONDITIONS: The 1964 anniversary series tobaccos have been aged for 4 years prior to distribution. This insures sufficient time for the rich tobaccos used to marry and mellow a bit. I bought these sticks from my local tobacconist and only purchased five. Four to rate, and one to enjoy at my leisure. They have been kept in my cabinet humidor in a drawer at 71% humidity.

TASTING NOTES: Besides the rather lengthy factory aging of the tobaccos, the wrapper leaf is simply beautiful to behold. Perfectly boxed pressed, these sticks carry a “capa” that is smooth, oily and with almost non-existent veins. I kept looking at this wonderful smoke with intentions of finding a defect either in the wrapper or in the feel, but none existed. I nosed the wrapper but there was only a feint, albeit friendly, aroma. That’s typical with most Padróns I’ve smoked. Time to trim and light.

A good box pressed cigar is sometimes tricky to trim. The flat top can spell disaster if you are not careful. I carefully place my guillotine at the place where I want the cut, and then press my hands together so the blade doesn’t slip. Perfect. Now the light: with a cigar that has a relatively small foot, I need a surgical instrument, so I opt for my S.T. Dupont, which throws a long sharp flame. I carefully toast the foot of this beauty and. . . Hubba Hubba!

The flame that lurches from the cigar is rich and luxurious. Many cigar makers put a blend of tobacco at the foot that makes the flavors launch off quick. Trying to give you a good first impression. Padrón doesn’t need to do that with this smoke. The flavor is subdued but complex at the beginning, while the body is already approaching medium-full. The potential lurking just beneath the surface reminds me of my high school years and a 426 hemi, slowly revving it’s engine, and you know that, at any time you stomp that pedal you will get plastered into your seat. But, I digress...

At the 1 inch mark, the ash is still holding firm and the flavors are not overpowering but are definitely complex. I’m getting hints of coffee and hot chocolate. The maduro wrapper lends to the slight sweetness that is evident.

I am not one who typically tries to hold the ash on the cigar until the nub. I’ve got better things to do than worrying about not making any quick moves and holding the cigar away from me just in case... Just an inch or two to make sure the cigar was constructed well toward the foot and to see and feel the consistency of the ash. I gently drop this ash at about 1 inch and it falls off fairly flush with the foot and is firm and consistent.

Most of the time I have water at hand while smoking a stogie, but this one begs for something else, and I know exactly what to swill. A Blanton’s Single Barrel Kentucky Bourbon. The vanilla and nutty flavors of this bourbon are a perfect match and a homerun ball paired with this smoke.

Meanwhile, this 7 inch maduro beauty is working its way steadily and inexorably toward greatness. I appreciate the subtlety of this smoke; the flavors and body sneak up on you. Instead of being bludgeoned with strength and flavor, you are surgically sliced and diced with finesse and complexity and, in the end, you don’t even realized you’ve been cut to the core. So, I pour Blanton’s on the “wounds” and press on. By midway through the smoke the flavors are concentrating and becoming more intense, but still the body and flavor does not get a stranglehold on my throat. This cigar is more sophisticated than that.

It finished with power and flavor, but was never knee-buckling. Overall a great smoke and a pleasant experience.

I gave it a 91.7 on the Stogie Fresh Rating Scale. More reviews at Stogie Fresh (see below).

The Doc

[floydp]

A most interesting read Doc, me being a Padron hoe found it to be quite informative. I tend to drink coffee with the Anni's but Blanton's is a bourbon I've wanted to try. For some reason I missed whether it was a maduro or natural wrapper. I've only smoked a hand full of each, but to this point I prefer the maduro, seems more flavorful to the wife and I..

BTW kewl site..

[DrStrangelove]

Good review. Sounds like you had a great smoking expierience.

i wonder if things would have been at all different if you had kept it at 65%rh instead of 71%. That seems to be the concensus around here of the better rh to keep stogies at(unless you're aging them for the long long haul).

Wnjoyed the read, keep it up!

[Dr. Stogie Fresh]

Yo floydp,

The anni was indeed a maduro. When you can get your hands on them the 1964 maduros are best, in my book. The Diplomatico is a great size, but I also like the torps.

The Doc

[Dr. Stogie Fresh]

Originally Posted by DrStrangelove

i wonder if things would have been at all different if you had kept it at 65%rh instead of 71%. That seems to be the concensus around here of the better rh to keep stogies at(unless you're aging them for the long long haul).

The rating I posted was the most recent rating at my new site: Stogie Fresh. At Stogie Fresh, we rate cigars over time. This was the first in a batch of annis that I recently received and I will review again every 3 months. That way, I should get some good information about the effects of aging. That is also why I record the storage conditions.

Best,

The Doc

[jgros001]

Excellent review, thanks for sharing.

[Spagg]

Great review. Love those Padrons!!