Padron 80th Anniversary Maduro

[Mercado Libre]

This is a beautiful, long, and dark perfecto with few blemishes and no
veins. The foot is very small - about the same area to light as a
Fuente Hemingway.

Lit easily and the burn spread relatively well for such a small
perfecto foot. Started out with that "signature Padron flavor," much
like the 1926 maduros that I've had, a dark cocoa/leather flavor that
tastes wonderful.

The flavor developed very nicely with that same Padron maduro cocoa
overtone as the main feature of the smoke. Also the leather, a bit of
wood, some licorice, and a taste that I can only compare to a Black
Cavendish pipe tobacco. Very enjoyable.

These flavors alternated for the length of the cigar. Around the 2/3
mark it started to sour a bit and had to purge a bit of ammonia out,
but not too much at all. After, it returned to the nice array of
flavors before described.

As I write, there is about 1" left on the stick, and it is a very dark
tobacco now, the rich cocoa and leather, with a sort of "chargrilled
salmon" flavor mixed in, that's the only way I can describe it.
Interesting to say the least.

I've read of these being "sneaky strong" and powerful to the end, but
I'm on virtually an empty stomach and just don't feel it. Maybe when I
stand up?

At $30 a stick, this is not a cheap cigar. Granted, it uses some of
the Padrons' best tobacco, and a beautiful maduro wrapper, so the
price may be warranted on that basis.

However, I cannot imagine myself buying it again unless I ran across a
box and felt crazy. Although my shop does not have a full Padron
account (yet), we do receive the 64 and 26 and I cannot imagine
preferring this for $30 retail over the wholesale price I pay for the
1926.

A very good cigar nonetheless that I suggest everyone try, before they
are sold out. The rating I will give it does not mind the price,
because I usually do not once I get above $10. If I'm going to pay
that much for the cigar, "value" goes out the window, and I just try
to enjoy the smoke.

This one I enjoyed quite a bit. I just won't shell out $30 again for
an experience only slightly better than the 1926.

4.5/5