Joho
New Member
Size: 7.0" x 48
Shape: Churchill
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Corojo
Binder: Nicaraguan Criollo
Filler: Nicaraguan Criollo & Corojo
Strength: Full
Country: USA
Price: $8.40
Greetings once again, CP! This is my second review ever. The selection today is a Padilla Miami 8/11 Churchill, another wonderful gift from a wonderful BOTL. This Churchill stands at a towering 7" with a ring gauge of 48. Wonderfully crafted in the humble city of Miami, our guest of the day boasts a Nicaraguan descent with a Cuban heritage. The Nicaraguan Corojo wrapper is of a deep medium-brown, topped off with what seems to be a Cuban-style triple cap.
A beautiful black, red, and gold band adorns this particular stick, the words "Padilla" and "Miami" clearly visible to one's eye. My fingers reveal a firm construction with a moderate give and no lumps that I can detect. The cigar looks gorgeous rested upon my cutter and choice of reading material for the duration. I gave the cap a good snip.
The Padilla smells of a sweet tobacco scent and cedar, the latter of which was probably due to the stick not having a cellophane wrapper in my humidor. A pre-light draw reveals a medium tightness and a spicy black pepper taste. I toasted the foot and quickly lit it up, anticipating a red-hot fiery smoke.
With the first few puffs I became pleasantly surprised. Instead of the sharp and overwhelming black pepper I originally predicted, I was met with a smooth, rich smoke that somewhat resembles a very earthy vanilla. I wouldn't go as far as to say creamy, but "smooth" definitely hits the nail on the head for me when it comes to describing this one. Copious amounts of blue-gray smoke billowed out of both ends of the cigar, and I also detected black pepper in the back of my throat that mysteriously disappeared within minutes.
If someone came up to me and asked me what I thought of the Padilla Miami 8/11, there is one word that will come to mind--playful. The tastes and flavors would dance back and forth across my tongue, into and out of my palate at times. Black pepper would fade in and out, playing a game of hide & seek with my senses. The ash was a cement white-gray with black crevices that held on for a respectable one or two inches at a time. Burn was slightly uneven at times, but there were no major problems that required retouching.
The smooth symphony of savor continued on with its piece; the black pepper section seemed to crescendo and decrescendo over and over again, which I found to be extremely delightful. Despite being a full-bodied selection, I found this Padilla to be all but overwhelming and a beautiful smoke at that.
Approximately 45 minutes in I had to relight the stick but the rest of the cigar continued just as beautifully as before.
After just over an hour of smoking I reduced the colossal Churchill to a mere inch, and at that point I had to depart from my smoking quarters. I thoroughly enjoyed this cigar and thought it to be a wonderful smoke; its complexity was fabulous and not too staggering for a newbie's palate. Its price tag is a bit high for a student in my financial position, but if I ever come across a good deal, it'll be one that I'd regret not taking.
Shape: Churchill
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Corojo
Binder: Nicaraguan Criollo
Filler: Nicaraguan Criollo & Corojo
Strength: Full
Country: USA
Price: $8.40
Greetings once again, CP! This is my second review ever. The selection today is a Padilla Miami 8/11 Churchill, another wonderful gift from a wonderful BOTL. This Churchill stands at a towering 7" with a ring gauge of 48. Wonderfully crafted in the humble city of Miami, our guest of the day boasts a Nicaraguan descent with a Cuban heritage. The Nicaraguan Corojo wrapper is of a deep medium-brown, topped off with what seems to be a Cuban-style triple cap.
A beautiful black, red, and gold band adorns this particular stick, the words "Padilla" and "Miami" clearly visible to one's eye. My fingers reveal a firm construction with a moderate give and no lumps that I can detect. The cigar looks gorgeous rested upon my cutter and choice of reading material for the duration. I gave the cap a good snip.
The Padilla smells of a sweet tobacco scent and cedar, the latter of which was probably due to the stick not having a cellophane wrapper in my humidor. A pre-light draw reveals a medium tightness and a spicy black pepper taste. I toasted the foot and quickly lit it up, anticipating a red-hot fiery smoke.
With the first few puffs I became pleasantly surprised. Instead of the sharp and overwhelming black pepper I originally predicted, I was met with a smooth, rich smoke that somewhat resembles a very earthy vanilla. I wouldn't go as far as to say creamy, but "smooth" definitely hits the nail on the head for me when it comes to describing this one. Copious amounts of blue-gray smoke billowed out of both ends of the cigar, and I also detected black pepper in the back of my throat that mysteriously disappeared within minutes.
If someone came up to me and asked me what I thought of the Padilla Miami 8/11, there is one word that will come to mind--playful. The tastes and flavors would dance back and forth across my tongue, into and out of my palate at times. Black pepper would fade in and out, playing a game of hide & seek with my senses. The ash was a cement white-gray with black crevices that held on for a respectable one or two inches at a time. Burn was slightly uneven at times, but there were no major problems that required retouching.
The smooth symphony of savor continued on with its piece; the black pepper section seemed to crescendo and decrescendo over and over again, which I found to be extremely delightful. Despite being a full-bodied selection, I found this Padilla to be all but overwhelming and a beautiful smoke at that.
Approximately 45 minutes in I had to relight the stick but the rest of the cigar continued just as beautifully as before.
After just over an hour of smoking I reduced the colossal Churchill to a mere inch, and at that point I had to depart from my smoking quarters. I thoroughly enjoyed this cigar and thought it to be a wonderful smoke; its complexity was fabulous and not too staggering for a newbie's palate. Its price tag is a bit high for a student in my financial position, but if I ever come across a good deal, it'll be one that I'd regret not taking.
