One of the best surprises ever. A dessert after dessert! This cigar has wonderful overtones of chocolate and coffee. Draw was just a bit too tight. Other than that I would purchase a box. Reminds me a lot of a Rocky Patel Vintage 1992 Churchill—one of my favorites.
This was great, full-bodied, slow even burn, very thick ash and great taste. Alluring fragrance with some floral overtones. Reminds me of a Cohiba Esplendido (Cuban).
Finally had the time to light up the maduro tonight, and thats about the story. Perfect looking maduro- a little dusky and rustic, but still fine veins and nice oil and tooth. Cap as it seems to be expected was exellent. Much firmer than other pads in the sampling- really felt it all over for soft spots and it was up to standard.Cut well and lit well despite a tough draw. Worked on it for about twenty minutes but never produced much smoke. Ash was much whiter than other two sampled. Nice aroma. What little smoke i did get was kind of a coffee/coconut- very nice. Usually when i get a plugger i just give it up and cut it open to see what went wrong, but in this case i really wanted to smoke this, so i did a draw poker on it. Little difference other than getting me the coffee flavours. Then the last five minutes i spent with it i started cutting it shorter and shorter to get past the plug- but it never did. Obviously i wont rate a cigar i cant smoke fairly, but I am not down on the brand. I will try a few as i see them and see what happens. But before i smoked the maduro I was secretly wondering if they were trying to "lighten" the tabac load in order to achieve a price point, but now i wonder if it is just a bunching problem. The cigars look so good they will sell, and have nice flavours. But if these were bought with my own money- and there were issues with 3 out of 3 I might not be as willing to look further into the brand. Enjoyed the judging and wish that i would have been able to get a real firecracker, but still enjoyed the parade.
So the weather afforded me a chance after work to enjoy a nice cigar. I grabbed the Padilla Claro Robusto that was in the package, my ashtray, a Mirrror Pond Pale Ale, and my trusty Colibri Robusto torch and headed for the back deck.
This is my impression of the Padilla Claro Robusto.
Appearance: 9 Beautiful Wrapper, very silky and smooth. Nice color with hardly any veins. The bands kick ass. I'm a graphic designer, and I must say that there are quite a few cigars that I won't buy simply because the packaging is hideous (I know, a bit shallow).
Construction: 8 While admiring the appearance before I lit the cigar, I found a soft spot about half way down. Once lit, the draw was perfect and it burned very sharp............until it hit that soft spot.
Flavor: 7 This could be a little bias since there are only a handful of mild cigars that I enjoy, such as Ashton Classics and Maduros, Gispert, Savinelli ELR's, etc. This cigar was a bit too mild for me. The flavor was very typical, showing it's mildness with a strong papery taste and notes of vanilla. About halfway through some mild notes of spice showed up. The aroma was nice....
Value: 7 This cigar has some very tough competition in it's price range. Nuff said.
Overall: 7 This is simply because flavor plays such a big part in my enjoyment of a cigar. It might be more enjoyable with a nice cup of Kona coffee in the morning.
Hard to review accurately since this stick was plugged. There is nothing I hate worse than a plugged stick but I understand it happens sometimes. Too bad too, the two decent draws I got showed some real potential.
This was a good cigar. The flavor was more subdued than the robusto. The taste is unique but similar to the other sticks in his arsenal. I like the padilla flavor and there is a nice strength too. I just wish the finish was a little longer. This cigar teased me with great flavors but constantly left me wanting more.
I thought this was the best of the 3. Out of the 3 sticks I had this one had the most flavor and smoked the best. It was actually very pleasant. I didn't think it was a very mild cigar either. It was a solid medium cigar with rich cream, nuts, sweetness, and even some pepper. I would smoke this one again and probably even buy a box if they came in a smaller ring guage.
Overall, In the three sticks I had minor consistency issues. Unfortunately in that price range these cigars are competing against the likes of Ashton, hemminway, and padron who are tops in consistency.
______________________________________ Refugee: a person who flees to a foreign country or power to escape danger
Reject: one rejected as not wanted, unsatisfactory, or not fulfilling standard requirements
Padilla Robusto Claro Natural (msrp $5.50) I had the pleasure of reviewing this cigar courtesy of Toptencigars.com The rating scale is 1-10, 10 being the best.
Appearance: earned an 8. Almost flawless, veins in the filler provided a few bumps in the wrapper. It had a beautiful well done cap. Construction: earned a 7. Noticed a few “soft spots” while feeling it up, although this did not seem to affect the burn or draw. Flavor: earned a 7. This cigar was very well balanced. It had a nice kick or black pepper taste to it, but was not overwhelming, mixed with a good tobacco taste. Value: earned an 8. Good cigar that should get better with some age. Overall this cigar was a pleasant surprise, it burnt well with little angle. Never became hot or harsh, and had a good aroma. The only disappointment came from a flaky ash.
7.5 out of 10
Padilla Maduro Churchill (msrp $6.50) I had the pleasure of reviewing this cigar courtesy of Toptencigars.com The rating scale is 1-10, 10 being the best.
Appearance: earned a 10. Beautiful dark oily wrapper, well done cap, and no visible flaws. Construction: earned an 8. Felt solid all the way. The only reason it’s not a 10 is because of the problems incurred while smoking. Flavor: earned a 7. This cigar had me torn. Moments of brilliance and moments of failure. Started of slow, but quickly developed into a smooth, mellow cigar. I couldn’t detect any distinct characteristics, but yet it was pleasing to be smoking it. Value: earned a 6. Back to the construction, this cigar started giving me fits with 3-4 inches left. It became hot and started to get harsh by 3 inches. I tried to slow down, but this made it worse, the damage was done. Gave up around 2.5 inches left and laid it down to sleep Overall this cigar had a very pleasing aroma, a nice firm draw, and held a beautiful white ash (atleast 1-2 inches). I was disappointed by the little amount of smoke it offered me and the fact that it quit before the halfway point. If this cigar was 6 inches or less originally it would have been the highest scorer of the bunch.
7 out of 10
Padilla Hybrid Churchill (msrp $6.50) I had the pleasure of reviewing this cigar courtesy of Toptencigars.com The rating scale is 1-10, 10 being the best.
Appearance: earned a 10. A awesome cap, reminiscent of cuban craftsmanship, and a flawless, oily dark brown wrapper. Construction: earned a 9. Would have been perfect, but the outer ash was flaky, could have been not enough time in the humidor. Flavor: earned a 7. A nice woodsy, roasted nut, tobacco flavor with a subtle coffee flavor that seemed to come and go. Value: earned a 8. All I can say is that this cigar was a true pleasure to smoke. The way every cigar should be. Overall the only detraction from a great score was the flaking ash, but that could have been a storage issue on my part, and it was to mild for my liking. Not enough oomph. It had a great draw and almost perfect burn. If you like medium bodied cigars this is a must!
8.5 out of 10
I would like to thank Billy for a chance to try some new cigars
ps. I would reccomend these cigars be tried by all, as I think I'm a tough judge. I'm not the best at picking out all the flavors you see written in CA, but I do know a good cigar when I smoke it.
""GO BUCKEYES!"
Posts: 601 | Location: My House | Registered: August 29, 2002
Third of Three reviews: Thanks again, Billy, for the smokes!
Churchill Maduro Appearance: 8 Kind of an average maduro appearance. Not really that oily, though Construction: 6 It's funny how cigars can vary, but this stick was just difficult. Had a very hard time staying lit, and delivered very little smoke. Was really disappointing. Flavor: 7.5 As I was fighting to keep this stick lit, the favor was a very unremarkable generic "maduro" flavor. The only notable difference was a doughy taste just before the halfway point. Otherwise, it was not special Value: 6 At $6.50, this is an average smoke for a good price Overall: 7 This was an average-tasting cigar with real performace problems.
Of the three, the Hybrid Churchill was by far the best, in every respect.
Posts: 112 | Location: Chicago, IL | Registered: October 09, 2003
Padilla Robusto Claro Natural (msrp $5.50) The rating scale is 1-10, 10 being the best.
Appearance: 9 – Beautiful cigar! Smooth as silk and a nicely finished cap. Did notice a “green spot” on the wrapper the stopped it from getting a 10. Construction: 8 – a little soft and spongy. Slightly crooked burn, but I did not have to relight it or “touch it up”. Cap punched nicely with an easy draw. Had a fairly quick burn. Flavor: 7 – mild to medium smoke. Started off a little peppery so I got very excited, but it mellowed out quite a bit. Flavor was toasty and creamy w/ a slight woodiness to the finish. Value: 8 – a better value than a Macanudo! For a decent mild smoke, this is a good value, but I would most likely not buy one for the price, simply because I rarely smoke mild cigars. Overall: 8 – this is a quality product that had few flaws for me; personally I’m just not a fan of this kind of mild cigar. _______________________________________________________________________ Padilla Maduro Churchill (msrp $6.50) The rating scale is 1-10, 10 being the best.
Appearance: 9 – very toothy maduro wrapper, nice cap (I see a trend). Some larger veins observed, but nothing to get worried over. Construction: 6 – the draw was EXTREMELY firm (much firmer than a HDM for example). My jaw got sore just trying to pull on it. Seemed to be overfilled, but on the positive side it burned nice and slow. However, I had to “touch it up” almost regularly. Very uneven burn. However because of the firmness this cigar had an incredibly long ash. Flavor: 9.5 – medium to full smoke with excellent depth to the flavor! The cigar started out spicy but developed halfway through into rich flavors of mocha and coffee (strong coffee!). This really reminded me, in flavor, of a PAM 64 I had the other week. Value: 7.5 – I have a hard time giving this cigar a higher value rating primarily due to the construction issues and the competition (Padron for example). Overall: 8 – Amazing flavor, but an extremely firm draw makes this cigar one with a lot of promise, but it needs just a little more work on the quality control side to make this a contender, which I think it very well can be!
_________________________________________________________________________ Padilla Hybrid Churchill (msrp $6.50) The rating scale is 1-10, 10 being the best.
Appearance: 9 – great looking cigar, little veins and… an excellent cap (no surprise by now)! Cigar felt nice and firm to the touch, but not overfilled like the maduro. I got excited to smoke it by just looking at it. Construction: 9 – nice even draw, burned even (slightest angle to the burn) and nice long ash. Flavor: 9 – spicy smoke that showed richness from a line a lot older than Ernesto’s. The flavor was complex with cedar, cinnamon (?) and nuts. Very nice flavor. I usually smoke mostly maduros, but this was a real treat. Value: 9 – I feel this cigar can go head-to-head with the big boys. Reasonably priced cigar for the quality. Overall: 9 – best of the bunch! I like the flavor of the maduro a little better, but this was just an all-around better smoke. Most likely will find a permanent home in my humidor!
Lite this one up, noticed right away that it had a good burn. The draw was nice, its cap was very sturdy. The flavor, at first didnt appeal for some reason, then after a few puffs i found it to be very nice, but stick burned pretty even, tasted good, and was very good all around
Posts: 132 | Location: Windsor NY, U S A | Registered: August 08, 2004
For the maduro, did everyone else have a super tight draw? Mine was so bad I thought it was plugged almost, i hope it was just a fluke and not a construction flaw in the line of those.
*Im new and plan to smoke every brand I see*
Posts: 160 | Location: Rancho Cucamonga, CA | Registered: October 06, 2004
The cigar tunneled on me the whole way through. I had to relight the cigar several times. The wrapper had a couple of blemishes, nothing horrible, some veins. Now for the taste. It wasn't bad. It did seem to have a floral cedar taste. It was enjoyable except for the construction problems.
This was the best of the bunch. This cigar was beautiful. It had a great wrapper, construction and burn. I enjoyed the flavor of this one. It seemed mild to medium in strength. It had a floral flavor with a cedary finish. I think $5 for this cigar is a bit much.
I did not enjoy this cigar at all. It seemed to be infused with flavor. I don't know what it was but I through it out half way through. It seemed like I was smoking an old persons home with that medicine smell. The cigar it's self had a great construction and looked beautiful. But to me the taste was altered or something.
Piss on me once ...that's your fault...Piss on me twice that's my fault....
Posts: 249 | Location: Buffalo NY | Registered: July 09, 2004
Padilla Hybrid Churchill ($6.50) Appearance: 9 The wrapper was perfect looking with a nice silky feel. Nicely designed band.
Construction: 8 No soft spots, burned well after getting past the only negative, a split foot. I only took one point off for the split since it probably happened during shipping, but who knows. The cap was perfect and it clipped well with my gullitione (sp?).
Flavor: 8 Very flavorful for the first 3/4, but the flavors started to ebb and the smoke became slightly acrid. Good tobacco flavor with cedar, walnut, and slightly spicey sweet undertone.
Value: 8 I would pay the $6.50 for a churchill of this caliber, no problem.
Overall: 8 Great Cigar
Total: 41
I've only had the claro, and now the Hybrid, which I am a fan. These would get better with a year or two of hibernation. I'm looking forward to the maduro next.
The Maduro Will blow you the F#ck away! Ive only had the Maduro out of the three sent and It was the bomb! You'll like it Idesign
Appearance-8.5 Nice cap, minimal viens and a somewhat streaky wrapper. The band was as always, one of a kind Padilla and upon Finger F#cking the cigar I noticed no soft spots or hard spots. I appears this is going to be a good quality smoke.
Construction-10 I dont know what happened to eveyone elses Maduros but mine was fabulous baby! Perfect burn, draw and etc all the way down. Plenty of smoke tooooo! Nice salt and pepper ash, hung on till I nocked it off.
Flavor-9.5
I'm gonna try to cut this short. A deep spicy core of wood followed up by Bittersweet chocolate and earthy undertones with black pepper. Nice rich, complex flavors with good rushes of spice and pepper. The core of flavors didnt change but the flavors in themselves changed into different tones and intensities. The only reason this cigar didnt get a 10 was because the last 1 inch got kinda acrid and charry. I think this could be fixed with some humi time. The second half kept the same core of flavors with the added addition of Peanuts and roasted almonds along with some floral vanilla undertones.
value-9 I have no problem forking out 6.50 for this full bodied flavor bomb.
Overall-9.5 Definitely a cigar for the seasoned mature smoker. I dont think a novice or begginer could truly detect or enjoy all the flavors and complexity this cigar has to offer(I'm not saying they cant smoke it). If you like bold cigars with a extreme richness and good complexity, I think this is a must try for you. If you like full-bodied cigars such as the Torano Exodus Series(silver and Gold), JDN Antanos, Oliva MB's, Padron's, Pam's and VSG's. I'm sure you would enjoy this one also.
Additional comments- I was very impressed by this cigar. Hats off to the Ernesto, the Padilla family, and all its blenders, roller, etc. I am definitley gonna buy a box of these in the future.
I have the other two left and will review them when I have the time to give them my full attention.
Overall score-(9.3)
B.A.S.E #0000 <(o)> C.L.A.S.P. #0000
Posts: 4793 | Location: Texas | Registered: June 15, 2003
Appearance: 7 Looked rough with 2 very large veins
Construction: 6 This cigar produced very little smoke. After more than half way down, it finally began to show some life. It had a good draw and dead even burn. The ash was a little flakey.
Flavor: 6 Started out a little sweet and a little spicey. Bitter chocolate at forefront. Almost reminded me of a Backwood. It continued like that for half way through. After the halfway mark, it got a lot better (I suspect it was due to the smoke amount increasing). 3/4 down, dark coffee and then maple syrup came in.
Value: 6 I hope this cigar was just a bad one, because if they are all like this, I don't think I will be purchasing any more.
Overall: 5 I could have enjoyed my time better with a different cigar.
Churchill Hybrid:
Appearance: 8 Like the Churchill Maduro, this one looked pretty rough also with a large visivle vein running along it.
Construction: 7 Nice, easy draw with a good burn. The ash was extremely flakey though. I was with a friend while smoking this guy and when I would laugh, ash would go everywhere. I didn't want to keep it in my mouth because my breathing was enough to unsettle it. Very annoying.
Flavor: 8.5 to 9 (couldn't decide) Started nice and nutty, with a little bit of spice. Slight metallic taste, but didn't detract from the taste. 1/4 down, the metallic taste gets replaced with leather. Further on down, I was able to detect a hint of black cherry which became very prominent 3/4 of the way down. Also, I could have sworn that a few of the puffs tasted like a good anejo tequilla.
Value: 8 At 6.50, I would happily buy this cigar again.
Overall: 8 I would have given it a 9, but the flakey ash did take away some of the pleasure of this cigar.
Additional comments: With a little age, this will be one tough cigar to beat.
Robusto Claro:
Appearance: 8 Nice looking cigar save for one very large vein.
Construction: 8 Very easy draw, slightly uneven burn (didn't really bother me though), and the ash was a little more flakey than I like.
Flavor: 8 Pepper was the main flavor in this cigar, with hints of vanilla. Continued like this most of the way down, getting spicier towards the end. I really enjoyed the spice.
Value: 8 If this is cheaper than a Camacho SLR, than it could be a good alternative to it.
Overall: 8 A good little cigar. Reminded me a lot of a lesser Camacho SLR. I'm sure that with some humidor time, this thing will start showing it's flavors much more.
Thanks to Billy for letting me samle these cigars. I enjoyed them very much, and plan on my next box of the Padilla Hybrids very soon.
Eddi
Posts: 877 | Location: San Francisco, CA USA | Registered: October 15, 2003
Appearance-9 Nice silky smooth oily wrapper devoid of veins with a nice triple cap as with all Padilla cigars.
Contruction-7 I got a good light but it burned evenly crooked till about half way then straighted up on its own. Felt good in the hand and was firm. I took the band off and it ripped a big chunk out of the wrapper, thats why there is a 7 instead of a 9. I was very, very careful but it seems like whoever applied the glue was very sloppy and didnt care too much about there job. The burn was dead even at the snub out.
Flavor-8.5
First puff was sweet wood, nuts and a super creamy vanilla flavor with spice. I like the Padilla flavor profile. They always have a solid core of complex flavors that seem to intertwine and mingle between each other. I enjoy smokes of all gambits, and for a medium bodied smoke this bady has more flavor than anything in its class. At half way the flavor and body builds fast and rich. Towards the last 1 1/2 to 2 inches I detected some ammonia suggesting some youth. Nothing a couple of months in the humi wont take care of.
Value-9 Nice price for a nice smoke. You wont find anything cheaper with as much flavor in its class.
Overall-8.375 This seems like the perfect cigar to offer a begginer. Not overpowering but a nice balanced mild-medium smoke big on flavor. A nice addition to a very good line of cigars
B.A.S.E #0000 <(o)> C.L.A.S.P. #0000
Posts: 4793 | Location: Texas | Registered: June 15, 2003
