Padilla Reserva Maduro Toro – Cigar Review

Size: 5.75 x 50

Blend: Wrapper: San Andres Maduro, Binder: Nicaraguan, Filler: Nicaraguan

Construction: The dark chocolate brown wrapper on this cigar is gently mottled with minimal veins, exhibiting a slight oily texture even though it looks dry and brittle. The wrapper leaf appears to be quite thick which made the seams fairly visible even though they were tight. The pack was consistently tight along its length. Due to the dry appearance of the wrapper emphasizing the cigars minor lumps and bumps, the overall appearance presented as slightly rugged.

Smell: Smell on the wrapper is quite faint, with notes of milk chocolate, manure and hay. The foot had very mellow aged tobacco smell with very faint hints of coffee beans.

Cold Draw: After a small cut through the thick, rock solid cap, I was offered a textbook draw and an extremely dominant aged tobacco flavor. Hiding behind the tobacco were subtle notes of hay and coffee.

First Light: flavours on the first light consisted of cacao laden dark cooking chocolate, bitter expresso and leather. Body was sitting at medium to full.

Aroma: The aroma off this cigar was classic of a stronger cigar, having notes of leather and espresso and a very strong tobacco smell. To me a delicious aroma that would be sure to pique my interest if I were to smell it somewhere.

First 3rd – 5min

The cigar moved into the first third hastily, almost as hastily as the flavours changed from the first light. Once the cigar warmed up the flavours changed significantly. The cigar was producing thick dense clouds of white smoke brimming with flavor; espresso which had lost most of its bitterness, Leather, wood with timid hints of dark cooking chocolate and hiding in the distant background. There was also a tart strawberry taste which presented itself for only a few seconds when expelling the smoke which I found interesting and attempted to investigate further.
The body of the cigar appeared to even out at a notch shy of full while offering a good tingle of nicotine about the mouth.
I could not help but to keep noticing this strawberry flavor which was flashing across my tongue when expelling the smoke. It added a very interesting layer to this cigar which I was not expecting at all.
At 15 minutes in the ash was holding well at 30mm with no sign of letting go; even as I sat in the wind. It was tempting to ash it but the burn had formed a near perfect straight line… it looked too good to ruin.

Second 3rd – 30 min

Flavours in the second third did not vary much from those experienced in the first, they did however manage to smooth out slightly and come together to show less segregation. The coffee and chocolate became a little mellower; shedding some of the bitterness and developing an ever so slight sweetness.
As the second third progressed yet another addition to the flavor profile came on quite fiercely; an oily meaty taste. The smoke itself was not oily but the meat and oil was rapidly becoming evident, primarily in the finish. This meat seemed to form a synergy with the nicotine tingle which I found quite pleasant.
One thing that is standing out with this cigar is that it’s a nicotine bomb. I’ve managed to get a head spin from this stick as if I was smoking a cigarette.
Late in the second third the cigar started to develop some toasty notes to add to the existing flavor profile of the cigar.

Final 3rd – 50 min

Moving into the final third the cigar started to gain in strength and nicotine significantly. The flavours were still present and unchanged with the exception of toast which had increased.
The delicate strawberry remained only in the initial segment of the final third which was replaced with nicotine.
Nearing the end of the cigar the strength in flavour started to be overthrown by heat and nicotine.
I elected to retire the cigar at 1 hour 2 minutes due to the increase in heat.

Summing up:In summation, this cigar was excellent. It was well made, drew perfectly, and exhibited brilliant smoke production with flavor to boot! There was nothing with this cigar the left me feeling let down or that it was lacking in. The stick sported near perfect burn from head to foot; definitely no complaints here!.  I would happily buy a box of these to fire up when I have an hour to spare.  If you like stronger maduro’s and don’t have an issue with your head spinning off your shoulders from nicotine, score a box!

Suggested Pairings: Pairing for this cigar would be a big flavourful whisky that can’t be overthrown by a strong stick. Glenfarclas 21-25 or one of my classic go to drops being Arberlour A’Bundah.

Thanks for reading!

The Herf Spot