Padrón 1964 Anniversary Exclusivo Natural review

[moki]

I've had these Padrón 1964 Anniversary Exclusivo Naturals for some time, and the Padrón 1926/1964 are currently my favorite cigars of all time. I stumbled on them quite accidentally while in Puerto Rico, and was blown away with the taste from the first puff. At that point, I didn't know the difference between Maduro and Natural, I just knew what I liked.

Yet I still haven't done any formal reviews of the Padróns. It's not for lack of smoking them, it's just sometimes hard to put into words what you love most.

When you see reviews of cigars, you often see people using foo-foo terms like "cherry", "nutty", "carmely", etc. when describing cigars, and it does sound a bit over the top. But I think it is useful to use these terms. You're not saying it literally tastes like cherries, but rather that it reminds you of the experience of eating a cherry. It's just like poetry: you don't take the words literally, but rather use them to hint at what is otherwise indescribable.

With that in mind, let me just say that I don't know who rolls these Padrón 1964 cigars, but they deserve a medal. The things are consistently harder than a gray-hair that ate an entire pack of Viagra: you could literally hammer nails with the cigars. The box press look is also quite nifty, and adds to the feeling that you're holding a 2 by 4 in your hands.

Yet despite this tightness, I've never had a Padrón 1964 that didn't draw incredibly well, and burn evenly. This Padrón Exclusivo Natural was no exception. I smoked it on the way to Starbucks to pick up some coffee for myself and my friends, and was struck by the flavors. I've never had a cigar that had the signature flavor of these Padróns. The most unique thing you notice is the roasted/smoked flavor to these cigars.

I don't mean smoked as in "sucking on an ashtray" smoked, but smoked as in a good smoked BBQ chicken, or a good beer that has the grains smoked before brewing. It's a very distinctive and wonderful taste shared by all of the Padrón 1964's and 1926's. With this Natural, the draw starts off a little hot and spicy, then rolls into that wonderful smokey flavor, and then the taste rolls around your mouth like a wave, moving smoothly from earthy/nutty flavors to carmel-ish coffee. Wonderful!

I smoked the remainder of the cigar sitting outside, by myself, enjoying the crisp Northern Californian weather, the Padrón, the Carmel Macchiato, and a few moments of peace and solitude. Sure, maybe Tibetian monks can do this without a cigar, but for me, smoking a good cigar is often the only way I sit down to make time to relax, unwind, and do nothing but enjoy the good things in life. And this Padrón 1964 Exclusivo Natural is definitely one of those things.

Compared to the seemingly more popular Maduro variety of this smoke, I'd say that the Natural is very similar in taste, but slightly less smooth/sweet, and with lighter flavor hints compared to the rather heavy Maduro. If all you've had is a Padrón 1964 Maduro, well, you owe it to yourself to grab a Natural and take it for a nice walk.

[Da Klugs]

Decided to shake things up and smoke one of these today for lunch. Found a couple of 4 year old ones in the old cab for Sam and I to consume on the drive to and from.

Have not smoked a NC cigar in a while. These used to be in my top 2-3 cigars. Smoked many boxes of them over the years. My cigar memory is of just a wonderful, mellow, smooth, flavorful cigar. One of those "special cigars" that you smoke once in a while.

Burn was excellent. Draw was excellent. Smoke volume was perfect. Construction was perfect. Cigar probably is even better than I remember the fresher ones... but it does not match up with my "smoking memory" of them or stand up well to the cigars I smoke today. Interesting that times change.

Nice cigar. Had that smooth elegant slightly tart flavor profile that I remembered.

Smoked about 1/2 of it on the way to lunch. 4 Black Angus sliders and home cut fries. We were the only 2 men in the restaurant. Table 2 down had 3 "should have been supermodels". Pretty nice. Talked about the cigars over lunch. Boring was Sam's comment.

Relit for the drive back to the office. Did a little extra wandering to try and get in more of the cigar. It was pleasant, just soooo boring. Flavors stayed much the same throughout the smoke. No building of intensity, no nuances that I describe as the 3d flavor experience, just consistently nice flavorful smoke. Kind of like driving a Toyota Camry. Engineering excellence without much passion or driver involvement.

Not sure what to make of it. Going to smoke a couple of Fuentes in the coming weeks and see how they stand up to my "smoking memory" and current tastes.

Good cigar for the golf course now. Need to be doing something else to distract between puffs so that the flavor monotony is less apparent.

[SmokeyJoe]

Thanks for the reviews/heads up on these. You shall certainly have a bearing on my purchasing habits.

[Da Klugs]

Originally Posted by SmokeyJoe

Thanks for the reviews/heads up on these. You shall certainly have a bearing on my purchasing habits.

Your own preferences and tastes should dictate that.

[rumballs]

Originally Posted by Da Klugs

Your own preferences and tastes should dictate that.

Like Dave said, he used to love it.
If you are going to follow his opinions, you should stick to only reading his first 1000 or so posts - your wallet will be happier.

[jjirons69]

Originally Posted by Da Klugs

Good cigar for the golf course now.

My Lord, I think I've heard it all!! Golf course?? Maybe Pebble Beach!! Most of us work kill for these things!

[Da Klugs]

Originally Posted by jjirons69

My Lord, I think I've heard it all!! Golf course?? Maybe Pebble Beach!! Most of us work kill for these things!

It's all a matter of perspective I guess. A similar sized Cuban cigar.. say a Punch Punch or a HU Mag 46 with 4 years on it is much less money and much more enjoyable to my pallet today. Maybe I'm just cheap.

[Sean9689]

Originally Posted by Da Klugs

Maybe I'm just cheap.

Yeah, that's probably it.

[jjirons69]

I agree Klugs! Never question wisdom...so why do I?

We'll say thrifty, not cheap!

[shilala]

I love em.
The 64's are reasonably priced, but those 26's are sick expensive.
Next time I go to a B&M I'll be having another 26.

[moki]

Originally Posted by Da Klugs

Not sure what to make of it. Going to smoke a couple of Fuentes in the coming weeks and see how they stand up to my "smoking memory" and current tastes.

Good cigar for the golf course now. Need to be doing something else to distract between puffs so that the flavor monotony is less apparent.

Gotta do it blind, sir! Especially someone like you with much invested in the Habanos thang... you can't really get a fair review of any cigars without eliminating your preconceptions regarding where the cigar is from.

There's a common theme that you "start out" smoking "NC" cigars, and then when you become an "aficionado" you naturally move towards the "best in the world", Cuban cigars.

I think this is a faulty assumption, followed blindly by too many. A good way you can challenge yourself is to participate in a blind taste testing.

[Da Klugs]

Originally Posted by moki

Gotta do it blind, sir! Especially someone like you with much invested in the Habanos thang... you can't really get a fair review of any cigars without eliminating your preconceptions regarding where the cigar is from.

There's a common theme that you "start out" smoking "NC" cigars, and then when you become an "aficionado" you naturally move towards the "best in the world", Cuban cigars.

I think this is a faulty assumption, followed blindly by too many. A good way you can challenge yourself is to participate in a blind taste testing.

I made no assumptions just know what I like. Have done many blind taste tests. Hard to do with this particular cigar given it's shape though. I don't consider myself an aficionado just choose to smoke what pleases me in a given circumstance which seemingly is almost any circumstance. . Get fooled all the time regarding the age of cigars. Darn Sancho Panzas always taste older than they are to me. I look at these particular cigars now, similar to your assertion of a "common theme" in that folks gravitate to them as being one of the better NC cigars. Probably was true though Pepin is turning many assumptions regarding "the best" NC's on their ear. It's not the band it's the flavor or lack of nuance thereof in comparison to what I have come to enjoy that I commented on here.

I believe every review of a cigar is fair. They are opinions of the person smoking them at the time so no opportunity for them to be otherwise. Commenting on one countries cigar being better than another is a different story. If you are speaking to that you have a valid point. Personal preference is a subjective thing. Our personal perceptions and misconceptions are the warm blankets we wear to gain comfort through the cold night of choice.

You really need to smoke the 1492.

[longknocker]

Da Klugs:

"Variety is the Spice of Life", Right? I've never smoked a "Good Cuban", so I don't know how to compare them to NCs. I hope to try some on my Cruise next week! I have enjoyed every Padron I've smoked, however. That is what makes each of us unique. We all like different smokes and each one of us has our favorites! Have a great one!

[moki]

Originally Posted by Da Klugs

I made no assumptions just know what I like. Have done many blind taste tests. Hard to do with this particular cigar given it's shape though. I don't consider myself an aficionado just choose to smoke what pleases me in a given circumstance which seemingly is almost any circumstance. . Get fooled all the time regarding the age of cigars. Darn Sancho Panzas always taste older than they are to me. I look at these particular cigars now, similar to your assertion of a "common theme" in that folks gravitate to them as being one of the better NC cigars. Probably was true though Pepin is turning many assumptions regarding "the best" NC's on their ear. It's not the band it's the flavor or lack of nuance thereof in comparison to what I have come to enjoy that I commented on here.

Maybe! But I need to get you to try one of my blind taste test some day... just for kicks and giggles.

I can add you to this one, if you're interested! Just say the word, and it is done!

I believe every review of a cigar is fair. They are opinions of the person smoking them at the time so no opportunity for them to be otherwise. Commenting on one countries cigar being better than another is a different story. If you are speaking to that you have a valid point. Personal preference is a subjective thing. Our personal perceptions and misconceptions are the warm blankets we wear to gain comfort through the cold night of choice.

You really need to smoke the 1492.

I absolutely agree with you -- taste is the most subjective sense we have... and the rest are already quite subjective!

[longknocker]

Nice Review, Moki! I'm flying to Puerto Rico Saturday and I'll have to try both the Padron Natural & Maduro while there! Sounds delicious! Thanks again for the review!