I’m a little late to the game with this cigar. Released in 2014, the Padron 50th Anniversary or “The Hammer” is a commemorative cigar celebrating the 50th anniversary of the company’s founding in 1964. The cigar was released in a natural and maduro wrapper in a stunningly beautiful humidor that retailed for $5,300.00. The cigars were mainly sold 3 different ways: sold together with the humidor, sold with the humidor price included in the cigar price ($105.00 a piece) or with the retailer deciding to keep the humidor and just price out the cigars, retailing from $40.00 to $75.00 a piece. When you got the humidor, the shop that bought it was able to order up to 3 refills, which they could get either the natural or maduro. The neat thing is that if the humidor was sold, the refills go with the humidor.
- Wrapper: Maduro (Mexican)
- Binder: Nicaragua
- Filler: Nicaragua
- MSRP: $40.00-$105.00 per cigar
- Size: 6.5 x 54
The label on the cigar has a serial number on the band like on the other Anniversary series that started years ago to battle the counterfeiting issue that was plague to the cigar community
Pre-light and Construction
For a cigar that retails for anywhere from $105.00 to $40.00, the cigar wouldn’t win any beauty contest. The wrapper looks like well used leather with a chocolate brown wrapper. After clipping the cap, the draw is really nice with the just right amount of resistance. I got notes of cedar and cocoa on the cold draw.
First Half
I got a ton of black pepper in the first inch of the cigar along with the cedar note. A rich, earthy note is also present with a nice dark chocolate note. The cigar is quite savory with the intermix with sweet notes and spicy notes. The chocolate note gets richer and richer as the cigar nears the midway point. There is a cedar note is the backbone throughout this cigar.
Second Half
The black pepper notes has really died down and the earth note has gotten richer. The chocolate notes has gotten deeper as well. I do get some black pepper on the retrohale, but I get even more of the chocolate note on the retrohale as well. The cedar note is still there as the backbone of the cigar but it’s more subtle now. The smoke volume off this cigar is insane which I actually really like. The burn is great with no relights, but the burn line is a little crooked which is common on box pressed cigars.
Overall Impressions
This cigar is stunningly good. I really can’t say how amazing this cigar is enough. The rich, savory notes of this cigar are very enjoyable. If this cigar was cheaper, I could easily smoke this every day…..multiple times a day. I know it’s pricy, but you really have to try this cigar, at least once, if you haven’t already. Hall of Fame worthy.
