Meet the Padron Cigar of the Year Sampler - a box of 4 champion cigars that've all bagged Cigar Aficionado's top honors. Think of it as the Oscars red carpet rolled up in cedar, featuring heavy hitters like the 1964 Anniversary Series and 1926 Serie blends. At $108.55 per sampler, you're basically getting a crash course in Nicaraguan cigar perfection, with sizes ranging from Robusto to Torpedo formats. These dark horses come dressed in oily Maduro wrappers that feel like aged leather gloves.
The initial puff delivers a velvety assault of dark chocolate and espresso beans, with cinnamon stick sweetness poking through. Smoke production stays moderate - no cumulus clouds here, just steady plumes that cling to your palate like Nicaraguan humidity.
Earth tones emerge around the inch mark, mixing cocoa powder with black pepper that tingles the sinuses. The 1926 blend throws charcoal-grilled steak vibes, while the 1964 keeps it civil with almond butter smoothness. Burn line stays razor-straight if you nurse it slowly.
Last third goes full Maduro mode - think charred oak barrels and molasses. Retrohales get spicy enough to clear your nasal passages. Strength builds noticeably in larger ring gauges, with the No.9 variant packing enough nicotine to make newbies rethink life choices.
These stogies are Nicaraguan to the core - Estelí valley soil, Cuban-seed tobaccos aged 5-10 years. The volcanic mineral content comes through in that signature peppery twang. Padron's rollers in Estelí factories still use the "entubado" bunching method that creates that signature open draw, making each cigar a literal roll of the dice with 4 winning numbers.
