Smoked: Padron Black no. 52

To celebrate the first Saturday of Big Ten College Football last week, I decided to pull a stick out of my long-term humidor. I’d never smoked a Padron, so I was eager to try the Padron Black no. 52 that was included in the CRA 2023 sampler that has been resting for one year. Talk about one AMAZING cigar!

Padron calls it a “Robusto Extra” at 5.5 x 50 (or could be a 52??), with the wrapper, binder, and filler being undisclosed. The cold draw was pure chocolate. However, upon spark-up, no chocolate was detected. Instead, delicious, full notes of earth, pepper, spices, bread/toast, sweet tobacco, and a wee bit of vegetal (cucumber) greeted my usually semi-comatose palate.

The second third introduced savory notes of wood (walnut, for any of you that have worked with walnut and are familiar with its heady aroma), and dark fruit. The bread/toast flavor disappeared, along with the vegetal notes and pepper. The other notes remained, but in the background.

In the final third, the chocolate from the cold draw finally showed up, with the earthiness and spice returning to the mix. Coffee and mushrooms were then added to the intriguing flavor profile. The pepper returned also, but pretty much subsided at the nub stage.

In a word, OUTSTANDING. Draw was perfect, and the burn was decent. Complexity and flavor transitions were delightful. Strength was medium-full. I do believe I am going to someday investigate what else Padron has to offer. That is, when I have humidor space to accommodate more stogies, and when my cigar budget will allow. It’s depleted at the moment. 🤣

I’m not quite sure what today’s football cigar will be, but it’s going to be another special one. I hope you all have a great weekend! Cheers!🥂