Well I smoked a prototype Padron 40th Anniversary Torpedo yesterday afternoon and this is another remarkable Padron. I understand from other posts on this site, that the blend of this baby is the same as the other 1926s. I'm sure this is true, but my experience is more proof that size really matters. Those who have read my posts regarding the 26 and 64 lines know that I love Padrons. I've smoked quite a few of all sizes of the 26 line, and this baby is a little different.
The thing that struck first was the appearance and feel of this beauty. Maduro like all other 26s, the Torpedo has a smoother, slightly creamier looking wrapper that doesn't have that fine grit sandpaper feel of other Padrons. I'm not savvy enough to comment on why this is, but I can tell you it is a welcome difference (not to say I don’t like the traditional Padron feel).
This is a 6" x 54 torpedo, so the ring gauge falls between the #2 bellicosa and the #9, while the length falls between the #1 Churchill and the #2. It is a beautiful size that gave my 90+ minutes of quality enjoyment (smoked down to the finger-burning nub). As this was a prototype, it came without a band.
I double guillotined the torpedo tip, warmed the foot and it sparked right up. The first few minutes were pure Padron 26 pepper, a taste that is fuller and more robust, but IMHO less sweet than the 64 line. After a few moments the pepper mellowed a bit as most Padrons do. The taste was replaced by a back-of-the-throat bit that lasted the entire cigar and was incredibly enjoyable. This was a key difference in my mind to the other 26s, and is a taste I have not had with others in this line. The smoke was full-bodied and delicious the whole way through. It never gave up its taste or robustness. This baby packs a wallop; I smoked the whole thing while sitting with a few glasses of nice red wine. When I stood up in the middle of the smoke I was treated to a nice head rush.
Overall, I believe this has a younger feel than other 26s. This is true for both appearance (as mentioned above) and taste. This is a complex with a fatty, maybe vanilla taste in the background. This may very well be a new #1 as far as the 26 line is concerned; if not that it is certainly as good as the #2 and #1 (the best of the line so far). It is a different smoke despite the same blend and is extraordinarily enjoyable.
The thing that struck first was the appearance and feel of this beauty. Maduro like all other 26s, the Torpedo has a smoother, slightly creamier looking wrapper that doesn't have that fine grit sandpaper feel of other Padrons. I'm not savvy enough to comment on why this is, but I can tell you it is a welcome difference (not to say I don’t like the traditional Padron feel).
This is a 6" x 54 torpedo, so the ring gauge falls between the #2 bellicosa and the #9, while the length falls between the #1 Churchill and the #2. It is a beautiful size that gave my 90+ minutes of quality enjoyment (smoked down to the finger-burning nub). As this was a prototype, it came without a band.
I double guillotined the torpedo tip, warmed the foot and it sparked right up. The first few minutes were pure Padron 26 pepper, a taste that is fuller and more robust, but IMHO less sweet than the 64 line. After a few moments the pepper mellowed a bit as most Padrons do. The taste was replaced by a back-of-the-throat bit that lasted the entire cigar and was incredibly enjoyable. This was a key difference in my mind to the other 26s, and is a taste I have not had with others in this line. The smoke was full-bodied and delicious the whole way through. It never gave up its taste or robustness. This baby packs a wallop; I smoked the whole thing while sitting with a few glasses of nice red wine. When I stood up in the middle of the smoke I was treated to a nice head rush.
Overall, I believe this has a younger feel than other 26s. This is true for both appearance (as mentioned above) and taste. This is a complex with a fatty, maybe vanilla taste in the background. This may very well be a new #1 as far as the 26 line is concerned; if not that it is certainly as good as the #2 and #1 (the best of the line so far). It is a different smoke despite the same blend and is extraordinarily enjoyable.
Thanks for the review! Where'd you get the prototype?
