Padron Family Reserve 85th Maduro

I Hope everyone had a great Christmas! This week's review is of the new Padron 85th Maduro. The 85th is this year's release in the Family Reserve series. This doesn't match up with the numbering system for the rest of the Family Reserve's, instead of being 47 that would come next in the series, Padron changed this one to the 85th to celebrate Jose O. Padron's 85th Birthday. This cigar measures in at 5 1/4x50 and is severely box pressed. Like the rest of the family Reserve Padron's, this one is made up of tobacco that has been aged for 10 years. 

This is a tasty looking cigar, it looks like a bar of dark chocolate and is extremely square pressed. It is very firmly rolled with almost no give to it. The aroma at the foot is of cocoa and earth. Once cut, the draw is a little firm with flavors of well aged tobacco. Once lit, this starts out with more spice that I normally get from Padron's, with plenty of dark chocolate, earth and espresso flavors. This is also starting off much stronger than your typical Padron....I like it! This is starting out really nicely, Bold yet refined. After about 3/4 of an inch the spice has backed off a lot and more deep coffee flavors and some roasty notes are coming up front.

At just about the halfway point and I would say this is one of the stronger Padron's I have smoked. The burn has been perfect and the ash holds for about an inch. I am loving the huge dark chocolate flavors in this cigar. While the spice is mostly gone, it is still present through a retrohale, as well as some sweet cedar through the nose. I can't believe just how slow this cigar is smoking. Finishing up this 85th and the flavors have stayed very consistent and bold. This full bodied cigar is right in the full range of strength as well, much more powerful than the typical Padron Anniversary cigar, but it is still very well balanced. 

The Padron Family Reserve 85th Maduro was an impressive cigar. I don't smoke a lot of Padrons, and everytime I do I wonder why I don't smoke them more often! (Well I know why, they are pretty pricey) This one is actually a little more reasonable as far as the Family Reserve goes as far as price is concerned, coming in at around $20 a piece. I rarely spend that kind of money on a cigar, but then this isn't one of those cigars you are going to be smoking frequently (well not one I will be smoking that often at that price). That being said, I think this cigar is worth every penny. It delivers huge amounts of flavor and the construction is perfect. I love how consistent Padron cigars are, you know what you are going to get everytime you light one up. Padron never disappoints, so do yourself a favor and pick up one of these next time you visit your local shop. 

Comments

[Paul G]

I want to thank you for holding the cigar like a normal person when you take your pics. It drives me nuts when bloggers take a pick and their thumb is bent under the cigar. I wanna be like, "do you really hold the cigar like that when you smoke it? It looks stupid in your pic."