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.

This 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.