r3db4r0n
BoM Jan '11
I tried my hand at my first review a few days ago with a good ol' John Alden. Things seem to have gone well and now I'm itching to do another.
It's the first decent day of warm weather here in about a week and it looks as though I'll have some time to enjoy myself out in the sun, so I figured, why not go with a larger cigar? As soon as I looked into my humidor, I was immediately drawn to the cigar with the largest ring gauge I have, a Padron 7000 Maduro.
To start with, the Padron 7000 is a BIG cigar, a hefty toro measuring 6.25X60, a vitola that impresses at first glance more with its sheer bulk than with elegance.
Regardless of its size, I am more struck by the construction of this Nicaraguan puro. The wrapper shows minimal veins, visible, but tightly joined seams, and an oil sheen that became apparent in the sun's reflection.
Pre-light draw: As is to be expected from the Padron line, this cigar gives off a nice meld of notes consisting of coffee, cocoa, and a hint of spice that settles nicely on the back of the tongue. The pre-light aroma also consists of coffee, spice and that characteristic barnyard nuance that often accompanies good tobacco.
Lighting: Upon lighting, I was immediately hit with a myriad of strong flavors, most notably espresso, great hints of cocoa, and a pleasing spice that settled firmly onto the pallet and continued to intensify within the first several draws - all carried on generous plumes of smoke.
First Third: This cigar continues to maintain the espresso and cocoa flavors present during lighting with the addition of gentle sweet tobacco flavors. The spice, as expected, has mellowed out somewhat and is settling lightly on the tongue after the draw. The retro-hale here is composed mainly of cocoa, spice and some sweet notes, but does not present the coffee nuances I had expected, while the ambient burn gives off a sweet and pleasing aroma. Additionally, the burn is very even for such a large cigar and the ash seems to hold for about an inch before dropping.
Second Third: Entering and smoking through the second third, this cigar seems to have mellowed out considerably. The espresso flavors and spice present in the first third have died to a hint, now only present as background nuances. The cocoa and sweet tobacco notes have picked up quite a bit, to prevail as both very pleasing and dominant flavors present throughout the draw and on the pallet thereafter. The retro-hale now also presents heavy cocoa flavor with sweet notes and trace hints of spice, settling coolly on the back of the throat. The ash continues to hold to about an inch before dropping off, with the burn remaining quite even.
Entering the Final Third: The cigar has remained very cool up until this point and is only now beginning to come through with a slight presence of heat in the final two inches. The cocoa flavors still dominate throughout here in the finish, with the spice picking up slightly, while the "trademark" padron coffee flavor has seemingly subsided. The retro-hale has also picked up with more spice but continues to maintain the strong cocoa nuances and sweet notes that have been present throughout the majority of the smoke. The ash also seems to be holding on slightly longer at this point, bordering on an inch and a half to two inches with an excellent burn, still giving off generous amounts of smoke.
Finish: At the nub, the previously dominant cocoa flavor has died down somewhat, while the spice has returned as expected, now dominant on the pallet. The heat has intensified slightly but remains relatively cool over the last inch. The retro-hale still lends itself quite heavily to a presence of cocoa, still offering sweet notes and surprisingly little spice.
Overall, I was quite impressed with this "budget smoke" from the Padron line. While the flavors and changes this cigar presented weren't overly complex, it still offered quite a bit more than I had expected from a cigar of this size. Additionally, with such excellent construction and such an extraordinary burn from a vitolia of this class, I would say this is a definite must try for anybody who enjoys the flavor set presented in Padron's/Nicaraguan puros, even if one tends to shy away from cigars with a larger ring gauge.
Total smoking time was about an hour and 40 minutes
Cheers,
Shawn
It's the first decent day of warm weather here in about a week and it looks as though I'll have some time to enjoy myself out in the sun, so I figured, why not go with a larger cigar? As soon as I looked into my humidor, I was immediately drawn to the cigar with the largest ring gauge I have, a Padron 7000 Maduro.
To start with, the Padron 7000 is a BIG cigar, a hefty toro measuring 6.25X60, a vitola that impresses at first glance more with its sheer bulk than with elegance.
Regardless of its size, I am more struck by the construction of this Nicaraguan puro. The wrapper shows minimal veins, visible, but tightly joined seams, and an oil sheen that became apparent in the sun's reflection.
Pre-light draw: As is to be expected from the Padron line, this cigar gives off a nice meld of notes consisting of coffee, cocoa, and a hint of spice that settles nicely on the back of the tongue. The pre-light aroma also consists of coffee, spice and that characteristic barnyard nuance that often accompanies good tobacco.
Lighting: Upon lighting, I was immediately hit with a myriad of strong flavors, most notably espresso, great hints of cocoa, and a pleasing spice that settled firmly onto the pallet and continued to intensify within the first several draws - all carried on generous plumes of smoke.
First Third: This cigar continues to maintain the espresso and cocoa flavors present during lighting with the addition of gentle sweet tobacco flavors. The spice, as expected, has mellowed out somewhat and is settling lightly on the tongue after the draw. The retro-hale here is composed mainly of cocoa, spice and some sweet notes, but does not present the coffee nuances I had expected, while the ambient burn gives off a sweet and pleasing aroma. Additionally, the burn is very even for such a large cigar and the ash seems to hold for about an inch before dropping.
Second Third: Entering and smoking through the second third, this cigar seems to have mellowed out considerably. The espresso flavors and spice present in the first third have died to a hint, now only present as background nuances. The cocoa and sweet tobacco notes have picked up quite a bit, to prevail as both very pleasing and dominant flavors present throughout the draw and on the pallet thereafter. The retro-hale now also presents heavy cocoa flavor with sweet notes and trace hints of spice, settling coolly on the back of the throat. The ash continues to hold to about an inch before dropping off, with the burn remaining quite even.
Entering the Final Third: The cigar has remained very cool up until this point and is only now beginning to come through with a slight presence of heat in the final two inches. The cocoa flavors still dominate throughout here in the finish, with the spice picking up slightly, while the "trademark" padron coffee flavor has seemingly subsided. The retro-hale has also picked up with more spice but continues to maintain the strong cocoa nuances and sweet notes that have been present throughout the majority of the smoke. The ash also seems to be holding on slightly longer at this point, bordering on an inch and a half to two inches with an excellent burn, still giving off generous amounts of smoke.
Finish: At the nub, the previously dominant cocoa flavor has died down somewhat, while the spice has returned as expected, now dominant on the pallet. The heat has intensified slightly but remains relatively cool over the last inch. The retro-hale still lends itself quite heavily to a presence of cocoa, still offering sweet notes and surprisingly little spice.
Overall, I was quite impressed with this "budget smoke" from the Padron line. While the flavors and changes this cigar presented weren't overly complex, it still offered quite a bit more than I had expected from a cigar of this size. Additionally, with such excellent construction and such an extraordinary burn from a vitolia of this class, I would say this is a definite must try for anybody who enjoys the flavor set presented in Padron's/Nicaraguan puros, even if one tends to shy away from cigars with a larger ring gauge.
Total smoking time was about an hour and 40 minutes
Cheers,
Shawn
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