Okay, I’m no stranger to the flavor profile of the Padron 1964 Anniversary. Both the natural and maduro are cigars that I’ve described as “relatively too expensive” “not worth the money” “overrated” and “not too much better than the regular lineup” after going back to resmoke the 1694 Principe (petit corona) I found myself eating (or rather burning) my words. The complexity of the cigar was unvelied and the words of fanboys resounded in my mind, as toasty, nutty, leatheriness washed over my palate, leaving me to wonder whether my palate was not yet developed, or my mind wasn’t opened, or the crop of past smoked 64′s wasn’t good, or whether the sticks hadn’t yet matured. Now though, I was dumbfounded as I evaluated the subtle hints of black pepper, dark chocolate, and raspberry. Right now, I’m puffing a Padron 2000 (an excellent value for around five or six bucks by the way) and though its an effortless smoke, it doesn’t possess the subtleties of the Anniversario line. When I first smoked the 64, it shot to the top of my list as my “end of the world cigar” then fell as I had less than impressive examples over the past few years, and now, much like the My Father line, I have come to appreciate the complexity, power, and balance of this renowned cigar. Well done Padron, well done.
