- Joined
- Jan 31, 2005
- Messages
- 9,932
After a fine ribeye steak dinner, my interest turned to a really great smoke. A quick dig through the cabinet turned up a PAN Exclusivo with a humi date of '06. It occurred to me that this should be an absolutely perfect smoke for a post dinner celebration. A glass of Trentadue Petite Sirah Port was the accompaniment.
Padron 64's are really beautiful smokes. Nicely box pressed, not "dripping" with oil but luscious in appearance, they are some of the best. The wrapper of this beauty had some small veins apparant, but was very "interesting" in that it clearly had some texture and detail to it. It was not "silky smooth" as some smokes are, but rather appeared to be made from a real leaf of tobacco. Not a slam against other smokes, to be sure, but the fact is that this beauty had some texture to it. The nicely aged wrapper wasn't giving up any really distinct or noticeable flavors other than well aged, well chosen, well fermented tobacco. This, in a nutshell, is what I love about these smokes. Not so much about pepper or nuts or berries or chocolate (despite what the print catalogs would have you belive) or coffee or whatever. Nope, these wonderful smokes taste like they are made from really good, really well chosen tobacco. Just sublime in their simplicity, just exceptional in the taste.
A snip with the Xikar yielded a clean cut that produced and absolutely perfect draw. Perhaps a bit more open than some like but flawless in my mind. The pre-light draw tastes were beautiful, amplifying the tastes I outlined above. Torch time...!!
A wonderful paring:
A '64 is a beautiful smoke, to be sure:
And, we're off and running:
The thing that never fails to impress me with these smokes is the simple taste profile that is so darn satisfying. Throughout the smoke, it was very uniform; maybe some leather, maybe some good tea, but more than anything, a straight forward tobacco taste that is absolutely lucious. No spice, flowers, etc....just well cultured, well cured, meticulously blended tobacco. The construction is flawless, and the burn textbook perfect. Absolutely wonderful.... :love: The Trentadue port made an absolutely fantastic paring, offering some sweetness and a non-overwhelming accompaniment that was just fantastic.
As we press on:
It doesn't get much better:
Onward, with no letup in the taste:
The conclusion approaches:
I suppose all good thing must come to an end:
My smoking buddy, our oldest Chihuahua, Rosie:
The view of the lower deck; a perfect afternoon to enjoy a flawless smoke:
Long and short of it is that the Padron Maduro's seem to garner the bulk of most folks attention. That's too bad in that the natural wrapper smokes are fantastic in their own right. Not a "zippy" or "splashy" smoke, but when it comes to a flavor profile that satisfies and offerers up a basic, clean, and wonderful palate....I think they are hard to beat..!!... :love:
Have a great weekend, gents - B.B.S.
Padron 64's are really beautiful smokes. Nicely box pressed, not "dripping" with oil but luscious in appearance, they are some of the best. The wrapper of this beauty had some small veins apparant, but was very "interesting" in that it clearly had some texture and detail to it. It was not "silky smooth" as some smokes are, but rather appeared to be made from a real leaf of tobacco. Not a slam against other smokes, to be sure, but the fact is that this beauty had some texture to it. The nicely aged wrapper wasn't giving up any really distinct or noticeable flavors other than well aged, well chosen, well fermented tobacco. This, in a nutshell, is what I love about these smokes. Not so much about pepper or nuts or berries or chocolate (despite what the print catalogs would have you belive) or coffee or whatever. Nope, these wonderful smokes taste like they are made from really good, really well chosen tobacco. Just sublime in their simplicity, just exceptional in the taste.
A snip with the Xikar yielded a clean cut that produced and absolutely perfect draw. Perhaps a bit more open than some like but flawless in my mind. The pre-light draw tastes were beautiful, amplifying the tastes I outlined above. Torch time...!!
A wonderful paring:
A '64 is a beautiful smoke, to be sure:
And, we're off and running:
The thing that never fails to impress me with these smokes is the simple taste profile that is so darn satisfying. Throughout the smoke, it was very uniform; maybe some leather, maybe some good tea, but more than anything, a straight forward tobacco taste that is absolutely lucious. No spice, flowers, etc....just well cultured, well cured, meticulously blended tobacco. The construction is flawless, and the burn textbook perfect. Absolutely wonderful.... :love: The Trentadue port made an absolutely fantastic paring, offering some sweetness and a non-overwhelming accompaniment that was just fantastic.
As we press on:
It doesn't get much better:
Onward, with no letup in the taste:
The conclusion approaches:
I suppose all good thing must come to an end:
My smoking buddy, our oldest Chihuahua, Rosie:
The view of the lower deck; a perfect afternoon to enjoy a flawless smoke:
Long and short of it is that the Padron Maduro's seem to garner the bulk of most folks attention. That's too bad in that the natural wrapper smokes are fantastic in their own right. Not a "zippy" or "splashy" smoke, but when it comes to a flavor profile that satisfies and offerers up a basic, clean, and wonderful palate....I think they are hard to beat..!!... :love:
Have a great weekend, gents - B.B.S.
Anyway, great review sir. Made me want one badly. Maybe It is time to spring for another... Also, beautiful view!
