Padron 1964 Exclusivo

Rated #5 Cigar of 2011 by Cigar Aficionado

The Padrón family continues to impress the cigar world with their complex, flavorful and eminently balanced cigars. Family patriarch José Orlando Padrón began making cigars under his name in 1964. His original efforts were made solely for his fellow Cubans living in Miami. His son Jorge began expanding the company’s sales to new markets, and the 1994 introduction of the Padrón 1964 Anniversary Series took the brand to new heights, making them a must-have in the humidors of top cigar shops.

The Exclusivo size is a bit thinner than the typical corona gorda, and longer than the typical robusto. The smokes are packed with Nicaraguan tobaccos from Jalapa, Condega and Estelí, all of it grown in the open sunlight. Then they are sharply pressed in a distinctive style.

In maduro wrapper, the cigar is dark, with that trademark rich Padrón cocoa flavor. The Padróns have never failed to have a cigar in Cigar Aficionado’s top five, and have won Cigar of the Year on several occasions.

#5 Cigar of 2011