Origin: Danli Honduras & Esteli, Nicaragua
Wrapper: Nicaragua
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Size Name: Principe
Length: 4.50
Ring Gauge: 46
Strength: Med – Full
A couple of weeks ago I posted a reply in a Make a Wish thread over at Club Stogie. My wish was to try a Padron 1964. To my surprise I received a reply asking for my address. The person who replied was Greg (NCRadioMan). He told me that he had a couple he could spare. For a few years, I have been buying the Pax 3 Vapes at 180Smoke.ca and using them as they are simply perfect for me but now that I have the opportunity to get my hands on such a cigar, I think I can halt on vaping for a while.
After giving him my address and thanking him for his very generous offer, I received a package a few days later. Included in the package was a Padron 1964 Natural and Maduro as well as a few other very nice cigars.
Thanks Greg, I really appreciate the cigars.
If you are not familiar with this cigar you should know it carries a hefty price tag and a lot of hype. This cigar was released in 1994 to celebrate the 30 year anniversary of the Padron line. This is a limited production run of all sizes and is made with 4 year aged tobaccos.
When I slipped off the cellophane sleeve the first thing that stands out is the sharp edges of the square press. This was a beautiful looking cigar with a light oily sheen on the wrapper and a classic simple looking Padron style band.
When cutting into this cigar I ran into some trouble. I cracked one of the sharp square pressed corners. I was upset about this but was determined to continue to move forward with the smoking process.
I checked the pre light draw and found it to be relatively tight. The first thing that crossed my mind was “oh no, I got a bad stick.” Again, I shook off the disappointment and continued on. I began toasting the foot then fired up the stick completely. The first flavors that I experienced were mild nutty tones paired with a mild body and a soft finish.
Initially I was not getting a whole lot of smoke, but what I was getting was very nice. The ash was a nice light shade of grey and produced a dark oily ring around the foot of the cigar.
After about six puffs or so the cigar just opened up. The draw went from tight to just right. I was now getting loads of smoke that just engulfed my mouth with each and every puff. The body increased to a mild to medium while the finish stayed soft and became creamy. The only problem I was having at this point was that I was getting air through the crack in the wrapper. Although this was annoying it did not stop me from enjoying the smoke.
As I got a little further into the cigar I got some peeling down at the foot. The peeled section of the wrapper did not cause any trouble and I smoked past it within a few short minutes. Even with experiencing two flaws in the cigar I was still enjoyed the cigar very much.
As I reached the two thirds point of this cigar, the body was still increasing in strength. By this point the body was planted firmly in the medium to full range. I also began to taste some spice way in the back of my throat and could feel it in my sinus. The finish was still soft and creamy, just as it was when I started.
The crack in the square press was still bothering me. To try and help the situation I slid the bands down and covered up the crack. At this point the air leak was no longer a problem and the sheer amount of smoke doubled.
As I finally reached the final third of the cigar, the body peaked in the full spectrum. The finish stayed soft and creamy as it did during the early stages of smoking and the flavors were fantastic. The light nutty flavor began to get a little stronger and complimented the light Nicaraguan spice very well.
After a little over an hour it was time to set this cigar down for good. Overall I think that I may have gotten a bad stick, but even so, it was the best bad stick I have ever had the pleasure of smoking. Even with the trouble I experienced, I still would not hesitate to smoke another one in the future because I can only think the next one would only get better.
Thanks again for the cigars Greg. I really appreciate the gesture and can’t wait to smoke the Maduro you sent.
The wrapper cracking might be from too much travel, but it sounds like you didn’t allow this to hamper your enjoyment. Good Man! I haven’t tried the Principe, but the larger sizes I’ve smoked are the Bee’s Knees. I’m looking forward to reviewing an Imperial later this month. I’m preparing to swoon…
What a tale. Liked it so much, I took the unusual step of reviewing your review.
Looking forward to the next…
So I had one of these myself tonight and I have to say is WOW!
I would also highly recommend the maduro versions of these puppies…they have a little more cocoa on the palate and are amazing every time. I can’t tell you how many nights I’ve smoked these back to back with some great Cubans and these are every bit as good.
AWESOME !
Been smoking Principe Maduro – Padron 1964 Anniversarios for a long time . I used to smoke a cigar similar in size from CEO until he sold out . Take the time and try a maduro . Great smoke .
Splitting a cigar is easy with a dull cutter?
Even the best cutters dull after awhile.
Then you are screwed.
Padron anniversary in cellophane?hmmmm
But go all the way and smoke the big one – the Diplomatico maduro or natural the’re the best this year.
Mikey,
I got this as a gift, it was most likely put in cellophane to protect it during transport (I also package naked cigars in spare cello when shipping to reduce the chance of damage).
I smoked one of these last week and got a nasty surprise, tar started seeping out of the head about an inch into the smoke. A little disappointed, I e-mailed padron cigars and to my surprise got a phone call the next day from Jorge Padron himself. Now they are are sending me several cigars to replace the bad one, talk about customer service. The Padron’s make a great smoke and stand behind it.
that was pretty cool of Jorge Padron to do that…….
Great review and I just wanted to say that after having the pleasure of smoking one of these about 2 weeks ago your review was spot on!
I was with a very generous friend cooking out with both of our wives and once the evening wound down we decided it was time to retire to the deck for a smoke and a bourbon. I had brought with me a Casa Magna Colorado but my buddy told me to look around his humidor to see if there was anything else I might want instead. (Though the Casa Magna is fantastic) To my surprise he had 3 of the Padron 1964 Anniversary’s. Gifts from his father in law and he offered me one of them. I actually declined a few times because I knew of the price tag and rarity of the stick. But he didnt really have to pull my arm to much more and I finally lit one up.
For anyone who hasnt had the pleasure I would suggest you jump at any opportunity! It was one of the best 3 cigars I have ever smoked. Just an overall quality blend and construction. Definetly worthy of the Padron name and then some. The oily wrapper, perfect draw (it does produce a lot of smoke like you said) and smooth yet full flavors made it a smoke I will not easily forget.
I will say that in his father in laws humidor sits the last of a box of Padron 1926 80th Anniversaries that he won at a Padron event here in Charlotte, NC. I still pray I can get my hands on one of those but I am not sure he will part easily with one…
Keep up the good work.
The Padron Anniversarios are by far my favorite cigar. No matter where I go, I always ask if they carry Padron. If the cigar store does not carry them, then I will no longer give them my business. My preference is maduro over the natural but they are both fine cigars. I prefer the No. 2 Torpedo of all of them and always buy a box for my wife’s Uncle for his birthday because he was the one who introduced me to the Padron line of cigars. I only ever cut into the torpedo and prefer to use a punch on the others.
Yes, I agree. I don’t think there is a better cigar even at thrice the price.
I just smoked the maduro version and it’s another cigar recommended from the cigar store that totally sucked; with a very tight draw and a taste just like most other cigars (the only thing it had going for it is that it burned evenly). Contrary to what most people say (cigar store salesmen, Cigar Aficionado Magazine, even most cigar smokers) ninety nine out of every hundred cigars taste exactly the same – dry, harsh, earthy, crap. The only cigar I have ever found that tastes differnt is the La Gloria Cubana series R (full rich flavor without being harsh and a nice peppery finish with a smooth even draw; albeit it burns a little unevenly). The Drew Estate dirt, and acid are also excellent for a satisfying smooth, flavorful smoke (but most cigar snobs don’t consider them worthy because they’re infused). I made it clear to the salesman that I smoke La Gloria’s or Drew infused cigars because I like flavor. His reply was that the Padron 1964 tastes like smoking a chocolate bar – BULL. In my opinion a cigar has to be flavorful and not harsh; what’s the sense of smoking a cigar just for the sake of sucking smoke and smelling bad? As such, if you’re going to smoke a Padron Anniversary 1964 you may as well just smoke a cigarette – they taste exactly the same.
The Padron 1964 is one of the finest smoothest and consistent cigars available. Year after year, same great taste. The Drew Estate Acids have a nice taste on the wrapper and I like them occasionally, but the taste the smoke leaves on your palette is in no way compareable to a Padron. Everyones taste in cigars varies I suppose, but your dislike of the Padron 1964 is still baffling if not a little suspicious.
MikeA – You must have hit a bad batch or, more likely, purchased from a cigar store that doesn’t take care of its humidor. If you look above, you are the only negative comment on here. In fact, you probably could look at several cigar review websites/magazines and find the same positive reviews. I’m sorry you had such a bad experience with it. The only other possible excuse is that you are a sales rep for one of the cigars you mentioned and feel the need to attack Padron. Anyway, these are only speculations on my part. Whatever the reason, you should find a store that you are sure takes care of its humidor and check the temp and humidity before purchasing from them. Make sure it is consistent and then once you are sure you have a great cigar store that knows how to care for their stock, then purchase from them. Padrons have a wonderful draw, every time I have smoked one. I prefer the punch on their square shape. Maybe you need to give the natural a try instead of the maduro. If you still dislike it, give the Arturo Fuente Anejo a try. It’s cheaper than the Padrons but quite good and more mild even though they have a maduro look to them.
I had a Padron 1964 today with a friend and all I can say is WOW! I didn’t get any of the malfunctions you did but it might be that you didn’t lay it down to rest in a humidor for a few weeks to re-humidify. Wrapper cracking can be caused from bad vegetable adhesive coverage or just dried out. Smoothest cigar I have ever had and it was tasty.