Originally Posted by colinb913 (Post 808159)

These caught my attention in a cigars intl magazine. Now I just need to get money to spend in ******.. XD.

Originally Posted by colinb913 (Post 808177)

Man, pnoon, you are all over me today. You are my hero! Haha

Originally Posted by kenstogie (Post 808762)

I bought them based on the blender not that they are supposedly like Padrons. I think that's just some BS marketing. Haven't had one yet as they need a weeks rest in the humi to stblize the RH. If I like them I'll smoke them if I don't I will let them rest. Not sure what the NST trade is as my B/B won't go there but if you can have a Fog set you up with some tried and true good stix it's a great idea.
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Originally Posted by Blueface (Post 808018)

Got my two sampler packs earlier this week and lit up the Exclusivo version with my dad last night.

I figured I would post here and save another thread.

Folks, I SWEAR I went into this with an open mind.
I SWEAR my dad did also.

I got two 5 five packs for $19.99 plus $5.00 shipping.
At $2 a cigar, was it a great deal? Heck yeah. No doubt about it.

Upon looking at the stick, it is very, very similar to a Padron Anniversary.
It has a dark, oily wrapper very similar to that of a Maduro Anniversary.
It has a band that is so, so similar to that of a Padron Anniversary.
It is box pressed just like a Padron Anniversary.

That my friends is where the similarities end. Before lighting this cigar, I inspected all five. Something I got from my dad. I took each cigar and felt for firmness/construction. Two of them have voids in the middle of the cigar that will clearly present burn issues. Shame that one of the is the large Diplomatico version. The five I gave my dad had no voids at all in the cigar. They were all fine.

Upon initial light, nothing like an Anniversary. It left a bitter after taste that both my dad and I picked up immediately.
After a few drags, the after taste was not only still evident but I could sense the taste by the smell of the tobacco also.
It was quite peppery, more so than a Padron Anniversary. The Padron starts out peppery but after a few drags, quickly tones down. This pup didn't.

Burn wise, this was a very good cigar. Burned quite similar to that of an Anniversary. It stayed lit the entire time.

While the flavors did evolve ever so slightly as I went along, it frankly wasn't very much. It pretty much gave me two thirds of the way in the very same I got from the start. About two thirds of the way through it, I developed an unusual throat itch and cough and put the cigar out.

Both dad and I agree that at $2 a stick, one can't help but shut up, light it up and smoke away. Not much you can get that is made in the manner that cigar is for that price. You can clearly see it is a quality cigar. HOWEVER, to say this is a good replacement for a Padron Anniversary is purely one's opinion that neither I nor my dad can agree with. This is not an Anniversary nor is it remotely close. While you do get a bit of resemblance from the cigar to an Anniversary, that resemblance is certainly far from the real thing and comes purely from the box press, the label and the shade of the wrapper. The flavor similarity, while I must confess there is a twang of resemblance, frankly, it is quite minimal.

Bottom line for me, while this cigar can save me a considerable amount of money as compared to a Padron Anniversary, so can a Toyota Yaris in lieu of my BMW convertible. I rather have the ultimate driving machine for those moments I consider special, which is every time I light a cigar, which is a moment I always try to smoke the one I would enjoy the most, then move down the line. Unfortunately for me, that means I can never, ever have a single Padron Anniversary in my humidor. At this moment, that holds true.

Do I regret buying them? I never regret trying any new cigar, specially at the price I got them.
Would I buy them again? Jury is still out. I will reserve that decision for after I have had a chance to smoke the remaining four, which I promise I will. Dad feels the same.

Respectfully submitted by a Padron Anni whore and his yet greater Padron Anni whore dad.:D

Originally Posted by kenstogie (Post 809847)

I have just decided. The Nica Libre will be tonights cigar, computer in hand at least a pencil anyway and will see if they suck or not. If they do I'll let em rest for 6 months and revisit.

Originally Posted by dannysguitar (Post 809886)

I smoked 1 yesterday in the afternoon with some bourbon and diet coke and I really liked it. I'm considering a box purchase :-)

Originally Posted by ripper (Post 809903)

Has an emphatic after-taste that may repel some, but this is a good budget smoke.

Originally Posted by Blueface (Post 809932)

Who cares what I like? Should only matter to me.

Originally Posted by 68TriShield (Post 810021)

I care what you like Carlos :)

Originally Posted by longknocker (Post 809880)

Give Us Your Review, Please, Ken! Thanks, Brother!:tu

Originally Posted by Blueface (Post 809936)

Just spoke to dad.
He smoked the Principe version and didn't find that bitter taste he picked up on the larger Exclusivo version.
Wasn't a Padron but did enjoy the smoke.

So...........for now, will write it off as maybe we got two bad sticks with the Exclusivo and the others may be better. Will give the Principe a shot tomorrow and see. If not to my liking, will go back to concept of sitting on them a while.

Originally Posted by kenstogie (Post 810220)

Well after putting the little one to bed wasn't sure I'd have the time but forged ahead and plucked the smallest one, a robusto size I guess. I didn't have high expectations based on other reviews here but I've heard that AJ Fernandez was the blender (Man O' War, Diesel etc) so you never know so the stick could be anything.

PRELIGHT- Smell was nothing spectacular and it was a little spongy but often when I get cigars from CI they seem a little wet so whatever. Look of the construction seemed good to very good with and very EZ draw.

LIGHT- Light had a hint of spice/nut and was intrigued on first taste as was pretty much the first 5 mins. Had a lot of very creamy smoke and realized there was some depth to this cigar.

THE REST- the rest of the cigar went from creamy richness choco/coffee/nut with just a hint of spice and rotated those flavors at random.

CONCLUSION - I thoroughly enjoyed and in fact LOVED this cigar and for me compared with many $8-10 cigars. It never got hot until the very end. The only down side was that I did notice the back of the throat thing but lasted for just a moment or two so not to big of a minus at all. For me it gets a solid A and when you factor in the $2 price tag maybe a little higher. If all the cigars in the pack are like this one it's a BIG win, highly recommend.

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