Padron Reserva Millennium - redux?

[MadMonk]

Saw a video on Youtube. Did a search on CP to see if anybody posted about these. I didn't find anything, but my search fu isn't great. Text below is from the 27 min long videos description.

"With the year 2000 on the horizon, Padrón did what they do best to celebrate the beginning of a new millennium: release a limited edition cigar, producing 100,000 cigars in a specially blended version of its well known 1964 Anniversary Series, which had debuted five years prior.

Heralded as being bolder in flavor and aged for five years before being rolled, the Padrón Millennium blend was released via 1,000 humidors, each containing 100 of the 6 x 52 cigars. The majority of them featured a maduro wrapper though some naturals were also released, and while no definitive number seems to exist, some have put it at a four-to-one ratio.

Almost 16 years since the release of the Padrón Millennium, the company has announced that it is releasing another batch which have been aging in the company’s humidors ever since; 4,000 cigars to be specific, divided into 1,000 packs of four cigars. Dubbed the Padrón Reserva Millennium, those cigars will soon be appearing on store shelves.

Money raised from the sales of the Reserva Millennium will go towards the construction and operation of the new Instituto José O. Padrón in Estelí, Nicaragua, which is being opened to teach English and computer skills to children in the area around the company’s factory."

 

[Napa_Smokes]

Guess they are taking a play from the Fuentes yearly TAA release. If it's a re-release of extra cigars rolled I'd still be interested in trying but would be skeptical on how well they have held up since most people's feelings on the millennium is that they are now flat and past their prime.

 

[MadMonk]

Josh, yes, as soon as that came to light, I wondered the same exact thing. I wish I knew more about the environment they've been in. I'm guessing that there could be fairly noticeable differences between cigars aged at 65, 69, 72, with good air circulation, etc.

I can think of better candidates for my "luxury" purchases.

 

[MichaelD]

I'm guessing that there could be fairly noticeable differences between cigars aged at 65, 69, 72, with good air circulation, etc.
.

What's your hypothesis on how each of these humidity levels would impact the aging process? Now you are getting curious of the science behind it all.

 

[oke&coke]

What's your hypothesis on how each of these humidity levels would impact the aging process? Now you are getting curious of the science behind it all.

If I remember correctly the higher humidity is better for long term aging due to preserving the oils in the tobacco. Someone else can confirm or deny and expand on that.

 

[BlindedByScience]

I'm guessing that there could be fairly noticeable differences between cigars aged at 65, 69, 72, with good air circulation, etc.

Not so sure here. I'd guess that there would be virtually no difference over that humidity range, but that's only a guess. I used to be super fussy about RH but after a decade or so of playing the game, you realize that as long as things don't get too dry, it doesn't matter nearly as much as one might think. My cabinet has a 65% set point and drifts up to the 68-ish range when the ambient RH goes up. The bottom of my tall cabinet runs a point or two higher than the upper part of the cabinet, so that's where sticks that are taking a nap go. My sticks smoke great.

Having said that, I'd be quite interested in the smokes depending on the price point. As of late, the prices for Padron have gone through the roof. Seen the prices for '26's lately? Just crazy.

 

[MadMonk]

Yea, as Oke&Coke said, it has to do with the oleoresins. There is a school of thought that they start to evaporate under 69%. Years ago, one of the Oliva brothers told me 72% was best for aging, and with plenty of breathing room. I've never had the nads to go that high.

I once tried an experiment with cigars stored at 65% and 70%. I forget how long I had them in there (well over a year) before I smoked them but the 70% tasted closer to the fresh profile.

The experiment was prompted when I noticed some of my original (pre Ashton) Pepin's had lost that spicy edge that I loved, after about a month.

 

[OpusXKC]

My god...

The Padron Millennium maduro is the best cigar I have ever had, but that was several years ago. I'm not sure if I'd want to possibly ruin the dream. Kind of like a past love, it's best to leave it be and move on.