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Stogie Reviews: Padilla Series ’68 Robusto

7 Jun 2010

Aging cigars is no guarantee that you’ll improve them. While years, or even decades, in the humidor can create magnificent smokes, it can also result in virtually tasteless tobacco long past its prime.

Padilla Series ’68 RobustoThis particular Padilla Series ’68 Robusto had been in my humidor since fall 2007. I didn’t really know what to expect. I’d enjoyed a few of these more or less fresh and was hoping it would be at least as good. What I got was much better.

The prelight aroma was delicate with shades of tea and earth. From the start, the smoke was full and thick, the taste balanced, complex, and smooth.

I lit it outside on a beautiful spring afternoon, expecting to read and drink coffee while enjoying the cigar. Soon, though, I had abandoned my book and let the coffee go cold. I was lost in the pleasure of this rich cigar.

Of course, it’s often difficult to separate the cigar from the cigar experience. And the time and attention I devoted to smoking the five-inch Nicaraguan puro were amply repaid.

In this case, though, I couldn’t help but wonder whether what was clearly a good cigar—my colleague awarded it three and a half stogies when he reviewed it—became a great one because I was so attuned to it. With aged cigars, I believe there’s frequently a favorable mindset before the flame is struck.

These are the kind of questions I imagine Plato and Aristotle would have pondered if they had access to good cigars. I may be able to continue my philosophical explorations as well, since I think I have one or two of these left. I hope they are good as this one, which earns five out of five stogies.

[To read more StogieGuys.com cigar reviews, please click here. A list of other five stogie-rated cigars can be found here.]

George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys

7 Responses to “Stogie Reviews: Padilla Series ’68 Robusto”

  1. Dave in Ashburn Monday, June 7, 2010 at 2:45 am #

    I have a few boxes of keepers that I'm hoping to get 5-10 years on, but I have a suspicion that aged cigars are wasted on me. I can barely understand the cigars in my hand, so I'm not confident that I'll be able to identify the subtle changes that happen over the years.

    That being said, it is an enjoyable exercise in patience. I haven't been smoking cigars for all that long, so maybe in another 5 or 10 years I'll have gained the experience needed to appreciate the aging.

  2. Justyn Monday, June 7, 2010 at 5:15 am #

    If you like the robusto try the lancero. The taste in my opinion is head and shoulders above the robusto.

  3. Steve Thursday, June 10, 2010 at 12:17 pm #

    Wow, you definitely surprised me there, George. The '68 is the only cigar in the Padilla lineup that I used to render as unsmokable and had to give away the ones I got in a mega-sampler. I just tasted damp hay in the two I tried. With stellar 1932 and Dominus, Padilla is still one of my favorite cigar brands, but I had no idea the '68's could be improved THAT MUCH with aging. I still have a couple left from that mega-sampler from 2 yrs ago, will have to give them another try! Thanks!

  4. keith Monday, June 14, 2010 at 7:12 am #

    Really? Seriously?

  5. Thorpe47 Tuesday, September 25, 2012 at 4:49 pm #

    Try the Series 68 Golden Bear in 6×60. I really enjoy this stick.

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