Padron 6000- Natural

Padron 6000- This cigar is the attractive torpedo from Padron's standard line of smokes. The cigar is available with a Natural or Maduro wrapper, but you wouldn't be able to pick which is which. The maduro is barely a shade darker than the natural and it shows a little more oil. Padron blends Nicaraguan tobacco for filler, and binds it and wraps it with the same. With the 1000 series of Padron's costing $4-$7, this stick offers smokers a peek at Padron's well-made product without shelling out $30 for an Anniversary Edition. If I was a rich man, I would smoke the Padron 1926 #2 everyday, but I'm not - so I reach for the 6000.

Prelight- The torpedo isn't flashy, the band isn't sexy; but its a Padron. The brand is known for quality construction and their cigars feel like they could withstand a couple of drops without any problems. I'm expecting quality out of 6000. The foot doesn't have much aroma and the cigar itself doesn't offer much either. The prelight draw is spicy. I get a peppery tingle towards the back of my tongue. I'm not a big fan of spicy cigars; I hope the smoke offers something else in the way of flavor. The construction is nice, but the wrapper isn't flawless. The natural wrapper has some color variation and a blemish or two. However the seams are damn near invisible. The draw is clean. Lets light it!

Sparking it- Wow, the first few puffs taste like I'm hitting a pepper bong. I don't like where this is going. The cigar has medium body and flavor. A few drags in, I'm getting nervous that this cigar isn't going to fit my preference. The torpedo end maes for a comfortable smoke. I like to bite the ends of my cigars and a quality made cap-end results in durability and unobstructed draw. Also, I bite my smokes so I can keep my hands free for other things- i.e.: beer, bourbon, shrimp fried rice, laptop, boobies. mmmm boobies.....back to the cigar- The draw is on point. Each drag produces an ideal amount of smoke and the exhales are full.

Smoking it- Thank god! The spiciness faded out and smoothness took over. I've never really experienced a smoke where such a strong flavor disappeared after a minute or two of smoking. Pepper still lingers on my tongue, but its subtle in the smoke now. Towards the end I get a little bit more spice, but it is in a desirable amount. The cigar tastes of medium tobacco with a little coffee in there- very smooth. Nothing amazing, but a good taste. The 6000 burns like a champ. Damn near perfect burn throughout. I didn't even have to think about reaching for the torch. This would be a good stick for tailgating or playing a game of pool, or billiards or darts or shuffleboard or cards....you get the idea. The flavor is far from complex but its good. I'd really like to age a box of these and see what happens. I picked this stick up from an establishment I don't normally frequent. They had a small humidor and are a popular spot, so I'm thinking that the cigars don't sit in the humidor very long. I'm a little spoiled as my normal spot, Cross Street Tobacco, keeps heavy stock in a large humidor. This allows the cigars to age and season in a well-maintained humidor before you purchase them. The ash is strong as hell and crumbles off with a firm roll against the ash tray. I gotta say, this has been an enjoyable smoke. The stellar construction and awesome burn will have me reaching for this stick in the future.

Overall- B