Padron Anniversary 1964 - Monarca Maduro

Padron Anniversary 1964 - Monarca Maduro
Beer:  Stone Brewery 'Ruination IPA'
With a fresh paycheck cashed; I decided to roll top-shelf for an overdue cigar sit-down.  With top-shelf on my mind,  I grabbed a 24 oz. Stone Ruination IPA on my walk to the cigar shop.  At $5.99 for a 24oz, it isn't cheap, but it is good.  Stone has two other IPA selections, but the Ruination is a little higher in alcohol content and hop factor, at 7.7% and 100 + IBU.
Proudly rocking my Ruination IPA, I entered my shop and strolled to the Padron Anniversary box.  You can't go wrong with a Padron Anniv., so I reached for one with some length so I could really sit back and enjoy my beer and stogie.  With that in mind, I chose the 1964 Monarca Maduro.  At 6 1/2" with a 46 ring gauge, I knew I was in for a good hour and a half of full flavored quality.

Cigar:
The 1964 Monarca is a Nicaraguan Puro.  Padron ages all the tobacco for at least four years, resulting in some nicely fermented, sweet tobacco.  The filler bunch is hand-picked for quality; the binder leaf, a Nicaraguan Habano - just like the wrapper.  The wrapper leaf is gorgeous and smells of sweet tobacco and cocoa notes.
Beer:
The Ruination IPA is an extremely hoppy beer.  The beer is a golden-orangish amber with a short head on it.  The head leaves some lacing trails on the glass, even though its no wheat beer, the Ruination is slightly opaque.  The beer has a lot of floral and fruit notes without being flowery like a Hoegarden.

Rest of Review on Next Page

Padron 1964 Exclusivo - Natural Vs. Maduro

Padron 1964 - Exclusivo - Natural Vs. Maduro
I've reviewed the Principe, Natural and Maduro.  You can check those out Here (Natural) and Here (Maduro).  The Principe is a nice, slightly-box pressed, 4 1/2" x 42 ring gauged smoke; the Exclusivo is a bit larger - weighing in at 5" x 50 ring.  I won't go into too much individual detail on the cigar because I've covered that information before.  This review is to look at the 1964 series on a whole and offer some insight on the subtle differences between the Natty and Maduro wrapper leaf.

The Exclusivo is one of my favorite sizes in the 64' line.  I usually prefer a smaller ring gauge, but the Padron 64' series is made with such great tobacco, that getting more filler then wrapper leads to some significant flavor difference when compared to the smaller ring gauges.

Natural Vs. Maduro:

Plain and simple, I prefer the Maduro wrapped 64's.  They are sweeter, fuller and smoother then their Natural wrapped brethren.  I find the Maduros to have a bit more complexity to the flavor, and some clear evolution of flavor as the smoke progresses.

The Natural by itself is an outstanding cigar.  But when compared to the Maduro, I find it to be a little dry on the palette.  There are some fruity notes, but they don't run as deep or rich as they do in the Maduro counterparts. 

With that said, I want you guys to go out and have your own Natural Vs. Maduro battle and report back.

In my opinion, the Maduro wins without question.  But I'll let you decide.

Padron 1964 Anniversary - Principe Natural

Padron 1964 Principe -
Work has been hectic lately, and with a lot of work comes a paycheck that makes me happy.  With that said, I've been smoking top shelf stuff the past two weeks.  It truly is the best way I have to reward myself these days.
So, my recent smokes have been good ones.  I didn't go as far as dropping $30 on a Padron Family Reserve #44, but I've been enjoying myself.  Short on time the other day I reached for the Padron Principe.  I've smoked my share of Maduro wrapped 64's in a variety sizes, but not many naturals wrappers.  Knowing the wrapper leaf's flavor would come through on such a slim ring gauge, I felt this was a good stick to try a natty wrapper.
The Principe is the smallest of the 64 series, measuring about 4 1/2" with a 42 ring.  Like all the Anniversarys; the Principe is a box-pressed.

Smoking it
The cigar lit with ease and had an effortless draw.  Each puff produced plumes of creamy smoke.  The cigar is small, but really an enjoyable smoke through and through.  If you're in a hurry you can be done this thing in 25 min, but I sat back and relished in the moment.  I pushed the smoke back and forth in my mouth, analyzing the subtlties of the flavor. 
I just smoked a Padron 64 Exclusivo - with a Maduro wrapper the day before, so I was able to pinpoint some of the wrapper's influence on the cigar's flavor.  For the most part, the natural provided a creamier, medium body with an earthy flavor.  Where as the maduro had a rich, full body with chocolate and coffee flaors.
All in all a great smoke.  At 10$ it is a little steep for a smaller cigar.  But it is worth it when you feel like rewarding yourself but you're short on time.  The Natural Principe was complex and tasty.  The smoke was creamy and plentiful.  Only 4 1/2", the cigar had a lot going on and there was variation throughout.  I tasted dried fruit, cream and earthy flavors.
Smoke one!

HOT GIRL OF THE DAY

Padron - 1964 Series - Principe

Padron- 1964 Series - Principe Vitola - I don't think this brand or cigar needs much introduction.  The 64's were released in 1994 to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Padron brand.  The 1964's are without a doubt one of Padron's top of the line series.  Hand-crafted by only the elite rollers, these cigars are a picture of quality.

The Principle is a small smoke (I favor a good small smoke) weighing in at 4.5" with a 46 ring guage.  This is the perfect size for an hour sit down.  The 64' collection is offered in a natural or maduro wrapper.  I've picked up the maduro for this smoke.

Padron - 1964 Anniversary - Imperial Maduro

Padron 1964 – Imperial Maduro

Padron introduced the 1964 Anniversary Line back in 1994 to commemorate the company’s 30th year in business. These cigars have been in demand since their birth, and have become synonymous with the term quality in the cigar community. Be sure not to confuse the 64’ edition with the 1926’s or the Family Reserve cigars. All of these cigars are considered classics, but they are different blends. They are similar in appearance, and in their high cost; but I assure you that they are different blends. Each blend is worth a try….if you’re in that “I deserve a gift from myself” mood.

The 1964 Anniversary Series is a Nicaraguan Puro through and through. Each size is available in either a natural or maduro wrapper. There are also shit-ton of vitolas, so you’ll find your preferred size; as long as its box-pressed. Padron claims the tobacco in this line is aged for at least 4 years. So Padron these cigars have a lot of time and effort in them.

These cigars grace Cigar Aficionado’s Top 20 list all the time and usually have a special case all to their own at the cigar shop. Whether shop owners need to keep a close eye on them because of cost, or Padron has done an excellent job with merchandising……these cigars have a certain allure and dignity to them. I’ve smoked a smaller 1926 series before….but wanted to spring the money for a larger size. Today is the day.

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