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Old 12-06-2010, 08:23 PM   #1
bsslack
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Join Date: Jul 2003
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Padron Magnum Natural Review

I got to thinking about these after mentioning "odd sizes" in a review the other day. There's no time But the Present, to paraphrase.
This is gonna take awhile.





CIGAR: Padron Magnum Natural Wrapper, standard line, date coded 5/08.



SIZE: This is a Titan of Tobacco, a Leviathan of Leaf, a...You get the idea, it's Big, really BIG. It tips the scales at an impressive 9 x 50!



APPEARANCE: This puppy commands attention, the attractive Cocoa colored Wrapper and it's dimensions stand out. Upon closer inspection You notice the Semi Box Press and the toothy Wrapper. It's not what I would describe as a "Pretty" cigar, unless the word "Big" immediately followed.
There is a neat cap.


CONSTRUCTION: Well, where to start? At the top, then! The Head has a solid, but odd Cap. It's not a wrap around Cap per se, The leaf appears at it's limit and just Folded over, and a dime size piece caps off 75% of the top. Most unusual. The Looong body is firm and a bit rumpled, there's really no other word for it. This is a Big Ceegar and this here ain't no beauty pageant. Which is good because, whoa Nellie!



PAIRING: Just good old Pepsi Cola.



Pre-LIGHT Very light aroma off the wrapper. I clip the odd head arrangement and an rewarded with a easy draw and a chocolate taste on my lips. That's surprising, time will tell if that is a profile element or what. After charring the foot a nice rich tone greets my nose. I better get started if I want to finish tonight!




TORCH: Man, this is a big Honkin Stogie! It's 9 by fitty!
Alright I lit the Damn thing! First puffs are dry with a simple tobacco taste. That's a long way to draw. (Keep the peanut gallery comments to yersef, tank-U!) The finish is slowly building, but getting this up to temp may take a bit. Without the box Press this could be a George Burns kinda cigar. I did hear that He liked them Big and Blond, well this ones a Big Red Head. Jeeese, You could mount a Scope on this thing! The flavor is still pretty thin, the smoke smells like a....campfire?
The draw is fine, the burn is a touch wobbly, but that's no real surprise. The Ash is loose and powdery and drops right off if You do not tend it. At about one inch in, We seem to be improving on the Flavor mark. It is a bit richer and earthier, the finish is still quite abrupt. At this point I put 90+ proof RUM in the Pepsi, it's gonna be awhile. OK, Finally we are getting somewhere. There is a new pepper element and the traditional Padron barnyard aroma on the air. Between 8 and 7 inches, this became a regular Padron cigar. The finish is improving with each puff. The cigar is burning evenly and cooler now. I had the choice tonight of the Nat or the Maduro, normally I'll smoke all the Maduros before I even Look at the Nats in most cigars. The exception to this rule is the PANs, now I still prefer the PAMs, but the Padron Anniversary Naturals are exceptional cigars. I just wanted to try the Nat in this first. A Friend sent me a Padron Family Reserve 45 and It was Heavenly! Do Yourself a favor, if You have not had one yet Do So. Personal note: Yes, They are expensive, but go ahead and get more than one. They are sooo like Lays Potato Chips! Top 5 Cigar for me this year, easy.
Meanwhile back at the ranch. The Magnum is perking along very nicely. Why this size exists, I do not know. I have had the Habanos in similar sizes, The Monte "A" the Sancho Panza "Sancho" The Monte's were hit and miss, but the one Sancho I sampled was quite nice. I just wonder what the thinking is behind such a large cigar. I once bought a whole box of Casa Blanca - Jereboams those were probably the biggest cigars that I actually smoked, they are 10 x 66! They were really purchased for a photo op at a wedding. But they were not bad at all in the Maduro visage. Would I buy another box? Why? You getting Married?

At 6" it's now just a Toro, the flavor is nice, with the Nat's traditional spicy taste. One of the reservations with over sized cigars is that many smokers just don't have the 2+ hours that it takes to enjoy it. That's a big chunk of time. I smoke slowly anyway, at least at home I do. If I am at a Herf then smokes just seem to go faster. I started this at 6:30 it's now 8:17 and I have 5 inches left on it. So, I'm guessing total time will be 2.5 to 3 hours, that's a huge chunk of time. I'm doing laundry and cooking dinner, etc. It's never gone out. I'm actually wondering if by the time I get down to two inches or so if it will be over dried and get harsh. We'll see, but right now it is the best it has been, with nice spicy flavor with strong tobacco notes and just a touch of sweetness on the medium finish. Padron makes quality products there's no doubt about that.
Now down to 4" and going strong, the flavor has been pretty steady for the last couple of inches with minor changes here and there, but no major shifts recently. I trimmed the head between 6 and 7. I just clipped it again when I got a touch of oil. Draw has been near perfect the entire time, which is impressive on such a long cigar. Near the 3" mark and I again encounter oil, I purge and let it settle. Down to the last 2.25" and I'm alternating clipping and purging to eek out the last quality puffs. As I near the end it begins to feel like work
and that my friend is the exact moment to put it down. So, at 1.75 inches and nearly 3 hours, I retire the Magnum. All in all it was a good long smoke. I'm optimistic that the Maduro which has a couple of more years age on it will eclipse the Nat in the end. Still a quality product that I enjoyed til near the end.




PARTING THOUGHTS: I guess my take on this size is that it is just too long. Let's face it the 50 RG is not a big deal, that's pretty standard. The Ambassador in this line is a favorite and it is basically just a bit shorter. Standard Churchill length seems just about right. The Magnum is impressive to look at and it smoked well, given it's size. Obviously Padron used quality components and it takes skill to pull off that much distance from Head to Foot. If I retired it at just under 2 inches, where is the benefit to being 9 inches long? So, while a decent enough smoke, I cannot really recommend it for regular consumption. That said.....the Maduro still looks pretty just sitting there.










Cheers!




slack
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