Cigar Stats
Brand Owner: Padron Cigars, Inc. – Miami, FL (website)
(distributor operates under the name Piloto Cigars, Inc.)
Factory: Tabacos Cubanica, S.A. – Esteli, Nicaragua
Factory: Tabacos Centroamericanos, S.A. – Danli, Honduras
Line: Padron Series (the original line)
Wrapper: Natural and Maduro – Nicaragua
Filler & Binder: Nicaragua
Body: Medium to Medium Plus
Strength: Medium to Full
Cigar Insider/Aficionado Ratings: Consistently high 80s to low 90s

Fifteen sizes available in the Padron Series along with the Chicos which was recently discontinued.

All sizes come in laquered cedar boxes of 26, packaged with cellophane sleeves on individual cigars. Many vendors list a box size of 25. Not entirely sure why that is. It may be that Padron changed the box count since the initial release (or it may be select vendors have lost a cog “up there” somewhere). The Corticos are the exception packaged in boxes of 30 or tins of 6.

The Padron Series

As the Padron’s describe it … founded in 1964 and evolving throughout company history, the Padron Series today consists of sixteen medium-to full-bodied, long-filler cigars ranging from cigarillo to the large “A” size. All tobacco in this line is sun-grown habano aged a minimum of two-and-one-half years. Each vitola is available in a natural or maduro wrapper. The Padron Series offers exceptional quality and value.

Padron Series cigars are handmade, in one of two factories, with Cuban seed tobaccos grown entirely in Nicaragua. A true classic and unique-tasting cigar whose outstanding quality absolutely defies its affordable price. These perfectly balanced puros brim with flavor. Their consistency is family tradition which they are committed to maintaining it even if it means limiting production numbers.

The blend in each cigar is the same. The difference is in the size and shape which interestingly yield some distinctly different flavors. Just a note of caution. The Natural and Maduro versions of this line are quite difficult to tell apart visually. Be sure and mark them or store them separately otherwise you may just have to smoke ’em to tell which is which.

The Keepers of the Flame Padron Roundup

In the interest of providing a good roadmap to this extensive line of cigars, we are gearing up for what promises to be a challenging project. We have enlisted some of the best reviewers available in the cigar community and, in the coming months, will post a comparison review of the natural and maduro wrapper editions of each vitola in the list above based on a concensus of opinion. When that is done, we will publish a vertical tasting for each wrapper giving cigar shoppers a valuable resource for cigar selection decisions.

Although cigar reviews are very much subjective and based on personal opinion and palates, what better way to level the playing field than to have multiple experts weigh in. We have assembled a cadre of guest reviewers, from the blogroll here on Keepers of the Flame, to assist us in this mammoth project. For each vitola listed above, cigarfan, lucky7 and select guests will sample the smoke and offer their observations. A consolidation of those views will be presented in a consensus review here on Keepers of the Flame. In addition, we will link each review to the vitola listing above for central access.

An impressive list of reviewing talent by anyone’s standard.

Ricky & Scott

Inspector

Alex, Jeff & Jessie

Lisa

McCharlie & TXMatt

Matt

Doc

Brian & Walt

Kevin

GeorgeE, JonN & PatrickA

Ironmeden & Elvis

We are still gathering and distributing the raw materials for the project but look for the comparison reviews to begin in a few weeks. Until then … Disfrute de los Padrons!

Update — 5 June 2008: The fun has begun! As each vitola review is posted it is linked to the corresponding Frontmark in the table toward the top of this post.

Update — 29 July 2008: The comparison reviews are now complete. Look for our vertical tasting reports in a few weeks.

… cigarfan & lucky7