Padron 50th Anniversary Singles

Just FYI - singles are available for $106 at Serious Cigars for whoever's interested. 
 
http://www.seriouscigars.com/product_popup_details.aspx?pdid=9280

Wow that's a bit rich.... Thanks for the heads up.

At least someone is breaking up that thing. Seems a little more palatable. But not much.

$5300 for 50 cigars....



I'm not quite sure those are made for me...lol

Good to see what it looks like though, thanks for sharing.

You think Min Ron Nee will buy one of the humidors? I'm not sure if he smokes anything besides cubans.

I buy lots of cigars, some are quite expensive.  As much as I like Padron, this is 'over the top' and isn't on my radar.  When they came out, I was buying Milleniums for half that price.  For a company with the 'little hammer' story, of working hard and making something incredible, in my opinion the Padron family seems to have all but forgotten that legacy.  I 'get it' that the 50th is a heck of an anniversary, but wouldn't it be something if the working folks that supported them all these years could actually afford a few of these and celebrate with them?  No, they seem to be marketing to the Maybach and Gulfstream guys.  I wish them nothing but the best, but I have to admit I'm more than a little disappointed.  
 
As they say, one man's opinion......

BlindedByScience said:

I buy lots of cigars, some are quite expensive.  As much as I like Padron, this is 'over the top' and isn't on my radar.  When they came out, I was buying Milleniums for half that price.  For a company with the 'little hammer' story, of working hard and making something incredible, in my opinion the Padron family seems to have all but forgotten that legacy.  I 'get it' that the 50th is a heck of an anniversary, but wouldn't it be something if the working folks that supported them all these years could actually afford a few of these and celebrate with them?  No, they seem to be marketing to the Maybach and Gulfstream guys.  I wish them nothing but the best, but I have to admit I'm more than a little disappointed.  
 
As they say, one man's opinion......

Click to expand...

I agree.   I've paid some pretty decent prices for some sticks, but one for the price I can get a whole box of 2000's is out of my range.

[SIZE=10.5pt]The Padron Family now subscribes to the 'Fuente Family School of Brand Marketing'....and it's just that, marketing. As I've seen the quality of their affordable cigars circle the toilet the last few years, I think it's because they now use their aged tobacco for their 'Top Shelf' offerings. I have all but bailed on buying them as a brand.[/SIZE]
 
[SIZE=10.5pt]The prices for the 1964 & 1926 series are through the roof, don't taste the same, and lack the refined smoothness they were known for right out of the box. The *000 series is not what it used to be, are bitter at times (young tobacco), and have too many burn issues for me to consider buying them. All they seemed to be focused on is the "Best-of-the-Best Marketing Plan' where they tweak a nice existing blend and then ask 50 times the price....ah la Fuente. They tack on a cleaver name, add in a dose of 'story' and BINGO....$30.00 to $125.00 a stick for a cigar that cost them a couple of bucks. These two families are a far cry from the 'working man's' companies they used to be. When the marketing of a product costs much more than the product itself....that's not a good sign. [/SIZE]
 
[SIZE=10.5pt]I can't remember the last time I smoked a cigar in Fuente's Hemingway line (natural, maduro, sungrown, etc.) that tasted like they did just 7-8 years ago...and the same goes for a Padron *000 series. They flat out just don't taste the same these days for what I would consider an affordable cigar.[/SIZE]
 
[SIZE=10.5pt]I wouldn't even consider buying one of these at over $100 a cigar. Tom sent me two of the other 50ths in a natural & maduro wrapper and they were pedestrian at best. Maybe my expectations were too high to start with, but that didn't affect my taste buds in that the cigar wasn't all THAT good. I've seen a change in the Padrons direction around the time they released the Millennium. They got too comfortable marketing cigars in that $30.00+ price range. At first they were good, then they weren't as good like the 46th & 50th...and at over $40.00 a stick with NJ taxes....no way! [/SIZE]
 
[SIZE=10.5pt]Now all they are is just another company with a slick marketing campaign and a heart felt story about an overpriced cigar. The Padrons and Fuentes are very nice people...but they lost their way when it comes to making a product that everyone can afford to smoke and tastes really good. That my friends is called 'value'....and neither company falls under that category any more....or maybe I'm not in their current 'target market' these days.[/SIZE]
 
[SIZE=10.5pt]As always, this is just my opinion....maybe I'm getting cranky, too damn honest, and refuse to buy cigars that don't taste that good for the money any more. [/SIZE]
 

I've heard you guys mention more than a few times that Padron and Fuente has gone down hill in the last 7-8 yrs. Unfortunately I just started smoking in that short time. So my question is what's ya'lls go to high quality affordable brand now a days? Pepin I presume, anything else?

A shop in Denver, cigars on 6th just posted on Facebook they have a humi of the 50th and received a humi on the padron millennium. They are offering singles at 105 for 50th and 110 for millennium, or a 2 pack, one of each for 205. I see that indeed the Fuentes and Padrons are mimicking Habanos SA marketing well.

Agree 107%, Gary.  While I'm not 'happy' with your findings on the 50ths, you hit nail on the head as far as my observations and opinion.  Last box of 3000's I bought were tannic and bitter.  What a horrible disappointment.

CMontoya79 said:

A shop in Denver, cigars on 6th just posted on Facebook they have a humi of the 50th and received a humi on the padron millennium. They are offering singles at 105 for 50th and 110 for millennium, or a 2 pack, one of each for 205. I see that indeed the Fuentes and Padrons are mimicking Habanos SA marketing well.

Click to expand...

 
I think it's the other way around. Habanos is copying the Fuente model.
 
The Fuente's have been at this since 1999, long before all the regional releases and SEs. 

Ah yes that is correct.

sar127 said:

I've heard you guys mention more than a few times that Padron and Fuente has gone down hill in the last 7-8 yrs. Unfortunately I just started smoking in that short time. So my question is what's ya'lls go to high quality affordable brand now a days? Pepin I presume, anything else?

Click to expand...

 
Great question.  One of my New Year's resolutions is to not be critical of something without proposing a reasonable solution.  Well, at least reasonable to me....(now is the time to shut up, IronPeddler)....   Given that, here are a couple that I can easily recommend;
 
http://www.illusionecigars.com/cigar/rothchildes/
 
These can usually be found for ~$200 / 50 smokes so that's (carry the seven) about four bucks a stick.  These are wonderful smokes, and they are easy to recommend.  Try Atlantic Cigar, or ask our good friend Israel about them.
 
http://www.espinosacigars.com/our-cigars/601-la-bomba/
 
...yeah, yeah, whatever.  "Not recommended for new cigar smokers"....whatever.  These are wonderful, rich, strong cigars that I have around and when I want a real super full Nicaraguan smoke, I'll blaze one up.  They've never put me on the ground, but I did see a buddy have to take a rest after smoking one....but it may have been the half bottle of Patron he chugged....not sure....   In any event, put the hype aside and try a couple of these.  I think they are really good.
 
http://www.atlanticcigar.com/cigars/Tatuaje-Tattoo.asp
 
Pete's 'Tatoo' line are really good smokes.  To be honest I was more impressed with the Illusione sticks than the Tatoo lines, but taste is an across variable.  I'd score a 5-er of these, give them a test drive.
 
sar127, it just so happens I'm clearing out my cabinet over the weekend, and if you'd PM me, I'd be happy to send along some random stuff for you to try.  I'm thinking 'free' is a pretty good price.....
 
Cheers, guys - B.B.S.

Wow too good an offer to pass up, thanks!!

Nice one, Tom!  Totally agree about the Illusione Rothschildes.  I could see some people being turned off by the San Andreas-earthiness, but Dion/Casa Fernandez do San Andreas better than anyone.  Period.
 
As far as the Padron conversation goes, the last box I purchased was 2000 Maduros in 2011.  They still haven't come around in the same amount of time like the first boxes I bought in 2008.  I thought maybe my storage was off, maybe my tastes were off... anything but slipping consistency from my favorite manufacturer.  This makes me really sad to hear that others are observing the same issue.
 
In a recent interview, Jorge said that the 50th Anniversary Little Hammer would be the last new thing they introduce for a while.  Maybe they'll cover-down on consistency with their core lines.  In a few years hopefully the x000s will be back to the dependable smokes we all love.
 
I will caveat that the box of PAM 1964 Exclusivos I won in the raffle earlier this year have smoked brilliantly.

The way everyone keeps talking up the rothchildes I guess I'm going to track a few of them down to try. Would be great to find another go to in that price range.

Well said, both Tom and Gary. Great alternatives too, Tom.

I had found that the Padron's over the past few years did not resonate with me the same. I noticed this in '09/10, but honestly, I had moved to Denver and thought maybe the altitude has affected my taste buds.
 
To Gary's post above, excellent point.
 
The way Padron managed the 50th anniversary surprises me not only in the approach but in the overall way it was released. 
I at least would have thought they would offer a sampler with the 50th in it, kind of a retrospective sample of the past 50 years. It could have been a 5 stick pack for under $200. I would probably have raided the piggy bank for it. I appreciate that Superior has opened the humidor to single purchases, but I just have no interest and find that money goes further and smoke better in other directions.
 
I used to think of Padron as being a viable and accessible alternative to a Cuban cigar. Now, its cheaper just to buy a Cuban cigar.
 
Don't really see Padron's on my radar in 2015.
 
Cparker

 

mjolnir01 said:

In a recent interview, Jorge said that the 50th Anniversary Little Hammer would be the last new thing they introduce for a while.  Maybe they'll cover-down on consistency with their core lines.  In a few years hopefully the x000s will be back to the dependable smokes we all love.
 

Click to expand...

 
You know, it's funny.....one of the other Padron kids is all over Facebook with seriously expensive, seriously exotic cars he keeps buying.  I don't begrudge a guy that's done well from having fun, but it's obvious where his priority is.  Not sure the kids are going to maintain the legacy that Senior Padron started.....time will tell.