John Werner

I am smoking my first #46 maduro and I am mightily impressed, as is pretty standard with Padron and for the sum of $26 (pre-tax) I would expect to be! Cost aside, I'm more engrossed with the taste of this stick than any I can remember. Recently I smoked the first Cuban Bolivar Special Edition and it was very tasty, but you could tell it was still somewhat young...Not with this stick! The #46 is the most refined strong cigar I've encountered. The mocha is deep and not bitter, the tobacco is a revelation in refinement with many components and none sticking out like a sore thumb, and the spice is the best balanced bit of just the "right sting" that makes the sum synergistic. I heard the Padron's smoked a ridiculous amount of different blends to come up with this one and, boy, did they ever knock it out of the park. Yes, it's expensive, but this is art with rare tobaccos. The burn gives great smoke and lasts almost two hours so the experience is closer to the price than you might imagine. The Padron family seems, IMHO, to be the royalty of the cigar business, they can go toe-to-toe with anything made anywhere and this cigar is all the proof I need. Highly recommended for the proper time and place where you can enjoy a stick of rare refinement.