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BoM Jan '11
It's another beautiful day here in Southern Ontario. Unfortunately I dont have a lot of time between now and work later, so I'm settling on a smaller smoke today, a Padron 1926 no. 6 Maduro.
At only 4.75x50, this Nicaraguan puro is slightly smaller than your general run of the mill robusto; nevertheless, it impreses with an elegant appearence. The wrapper displays a nice oil sheen that is obvious in the sun's reflection; there are some veins, but most are minimal; and the wrapper's seams are visible but smooth to the touch. The cigar is also very firm and has no give to it, but this is to be expected as it is boxed pressed.
Pre-Light Draw: The pre-light isn't overly complex, mild coffee flavors with hints of spice that settle on the back of the throat when drawn deep. The aroma is surprisingly mild, lacking the barnyard and coffee nuances I had expected, leaving me flatly with the smell of mild tobacco.
Light: Upon lighting, I took in notes of sweet tobacco and some cocoa which were followed immediately by a heavy spice, although the trademark coffee flavor that accompanies most Pardons was absent. The cigar gave off a surprisingly generous amount of smoke during the light.
First Third: The spice has died down as it usually does following the light, but still remains as a primary flavor. The sweet tobacco nuances have intensified quite a bit, leaving plesant amounts of cocoa on the pallet, though mainly after the draw. The retro-hale is composed mostly of sweet tobacco and spice, while the aroma of the ambient burn remains generally sweet. The burn in the first third is very even, typical of a box pressed cigar, and the ash holds for about a third to half an inch before dropping, while the cigar continues to give off a heavy amount of smoke.
Second third: Entering the second third, the flavors have remained relatively the same as they were in the first, with the exception of the spice which has now died down to a faint hint, only detectable on the pallet after exhaling. As I continue to smoke through the second third, the cocoa has intensified leaving a heavy presence. As well, notes of toasted almond have become present, sitting quite heavily on the pallet, settling long after the draw. The retro-hale has opened up widely to include cocoa notes, in addition to the sweet tobacco aromas that were previously only detectable on the draw. The burn continues to remain exceptionally even, while the ash seems to be holding on slightly longer from a half to three quarters of an inch, continuing to give off quite a bit of smoke with each draw.
Final Third: The final third hit me with quite a flavor change; the cocoa and sweet tobacco strongly present throughout have suddenly died, becoming almost completely absent, while the spice has returned for the finish as I had expected. The toasted almond flavor that appeared towards the end of the second third has come forward as the dominant flavor, giving the impression that I'm drinking a stiff black coffee, as opposed to smoking a cigar (although a distinct coffee flavor isn't actually present). The retro-hale also changed considerably, containing aromas of sweet almond which disipate to toasted nuances laced with spice. The ash seems to hold only a third to half an inch once again before falling, while the burn continues to remain razor sharp.
Overall I found this cigar to be a rather enjoyable smoke that hit me with some sharp turns in the area of flavor. For the most part it fit the Padron flavor profile to a T, but I was very surprised with the onset of almond and toasted nuts on the finish. I would recommend this smoke to anyone who enjoys the Padron flavor profile/Nicaraguan puros.
Cheers,
Shawn
At only 4.75x50, this Nicaraguan puro is slightly smaller than your general run of the mill robusto; nevertheless, it impreses with an elegant appearence. The wrapper displays a nice oil sheen that is obvious in the sun's reflection; there are some veins, but most are minimal; and the wrapper's seams are visible but smooth to the touch. The cigar is also very firm and has no give to it, but this is to be expected as it is boxed pressed.
Pre-Light Draw: The pre-light isn't overly complex, mild coffee flavors with hints of spice that settle on the back of the throat when drawn deep. The aroma is surprisingly mild, lacking the barnyard and coffee nuances I had expected, leaving me flatly with the smell of mild tobacco.
Light: Upon lighting, I took in notes of sweet tobacco and some cocoa which were followed immediately by a heavy spice, although the trademark coffee flavor that accompanies most Pardons was absent. The cigar gave off a surprisingly generous amount of smoke during the light.
First Third: The spice has died down as it usually does following the light, but still remains as a primary flavor. The sweet tobacco nuances have intensified quite a bit, leaving plesant amounts of cocoa on the pallet, though mainly after the draw. The retro-hale is composed mostly of sweet tobacco and spice, while the aroma of the ambient burn remains generally sweet. The burn in the first third is very even, typical of a box pressed cigar, and the ash holds for about a third to half an inch before dropping, while the cigar continues to give off a heavy amount of smoke.
Second third: Entering the second third, the flavors have remained relatively the same as they were in the first, with the exception of the spice which has now died down to a faint hint, only detectable on the pallet after exhaling. As I continue to smoke through the second third, the cocoa has intensified leaving a heavy presence. As well, notes of toasted almond have become present, sitting quite heavily on the pallet, settling long after the draw. The retro-hale has opened up widely to include cocoa notes, in addition to the sweet tobacco aromas that were previously only detectable on the draw. The burn continues to remain exceptionally even, while the ash seems to be holding on slightly longer from a half to three quarters of an inch, continuing to give off quite a bit of smoke with each draw.
Final Third: The final third hit me with quite a flavor change; the cocoa and sweet tobacco strongly present throughout have suddenly died, becoming almost completely absent, while the spice has returned for the finish as I had expected. The toasted almond flavor that appeared towards the end of the second third has come forward as the dominant flavor, giving the impression that I'm drinking a stiff black coffee, as opposed to smoking a cigar (although a distinct coffee flavor isn't actually present). The retro-hale also changed considerably, containing aromas of sweet almond which disipate to toasted nuances laced with spice. The ash seems to hold only a third to half an inch once again before falling, while the burn continues to remain razor sharp.
Overall I found this cigar to be a rather enjoyable smoke that hit me with some sharp turns in the area of flavor. For the most part it fit the Padron flavor profile to a T, but I was very surprised with the onset of almond and toasted nuts on the finish. I would recommend this smoke to anyone who enjoys the Padron flavor profile/Nicaraguan puros.
Cheers,
Shawn
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