g-smoke
Silent but deadly
- Joined
- Jan 25, 2008
- Messages
- 496
5-Year-Old Padron 3000
A couple months ago I bought a fiver of Padron 3ks from Vinnyvega that had about 5 years of age on them. What lies ahead is my humble attempt at a review. I apologize in advance for the crappy photo. I only had my iPhone handy...
I'm sitting outside in my backyard, the sky is overcast but it's still a pleasant night in the upper 50s, low 60s. First time in a long time I'm able to sit outside and smoke without a hat, gloves, huge coat and the shivers. First thing I notice is that the shape and weight of the 3k in my hand are light, as seems to be pretty typical of the x000 series.
There is a light smell of cocoa -- not quite as pronounced as I'm used to from the couple 3000s I've had before and the dozens of 2000s I've smoked over the last year. Very familiar aroma, but more subdued.
After punching the cap, I take a dry draw and taste and, again, the familiar Padron flavor but without the peppery sting I have experienced from 2000/3000s fresh out the box. This smoke has definitely been sleeping for awhile.
I toast and light without any complications and take my first few puffs. Subtlety is what comes to mind. This is a refined Padron, to be sure. The draw is fairly loose so I opt to nurse it and not puff on it too much as I usually do. I'm a fast smoker but I'm going to take my time with this one.
I'm about an inch into the smoke and the flavors are pretty consistent -- cocoa and earthy flavors seem to dominate but they're all still pretty subtle. There isn't an ounce of harshness to it and exhale through the nose only brings the slightest bit of tingle, but it's a pleasant tingle nonetheless. The first ash falls off about an inch in, after placing it back on my Padron ashtray (appropriately enough).
I'm sipping a little Elijah Craig with the 3000 and it seems to pair nicely. I took it with one ice cube and it rounds out the caramel, buttery flavors of the bourbon. I'm not an expert in pairing cigars and drinks, but this seems to be a pretty decent package.
I've heard people mention that an x000 with a few years of age on it can approach the flavors and experience of a 64 or 1926 and I think they may be right. I'm not well versed in either of the premium lines, but I've had a handful of the sizes -- the 1964 being my favorite at this point -- and I think the flavors may be there, but the one difference may be in the aroma of the smoke. I've noticed that the premiums have some of the most aromatic smoke I've ever had the pleasure of experiencing. Not that this 5-year-old 3000 isn't a joy to whiff, but it lacks a complexity that I seem to remember with the 1964s and especially the 1926 line.
About 2 inches in and I'm starting to experience a numbing feeling in my mouth, similar to clove and spice. Very tasty and enjoyable. I guess I'm reaching the end of the firs third and so far this is quite a nice smoke. At first I thought the flavors would be too muted, but I think I'm just overly used to the peppery bite that I've experienced with fresher 2ks.
About half way into the smoke, flavors haven't changed too much but they're still top quality flavors. I'm sipping the smoke now more than usual and find that allows more complexity to come through -- just a quick puff and blow through the nose and it's all worth the price of admission. I find the flavor with this aged smoke is like that of a nice wine -- long and dry and overeager puffing will do nothing to allow that sophisticated flavor to come through. It's still burning solidly, no need for touchups and the ash falls off every inch or so
In the end, after about an hour of enjoying this, I think I may actually prefer the sharper flavors of a younger x000, but this was still a fantastic experiment in tasting. Thanks to Vinnyvega for sharing the goods and I look forward to kicking back and slowly enjoying the other four I have in the humidor. I don't think this is exactly what you'll get from a 1964 or 1926, but it's a clear indication of what you can expect. For anyone who's not well versed in the various Padron lines, I definitely recommend trying a few aged x000s for the experience. Just another reminder of how fascinating this whole world of cigars can be.
A couple months ago I bought a fiver of Padron 3ks from Vinnyvega that had about 5 years of age on them. What lies ahead is my humble attempt at a review. I apologize in advance for the crappy photo. I only had my iPhone handy...
I'm sitting outside in my backyard, the sky is overcast but it's still a pleasant night in the upper 50s, low 60s. First time in a long time I'm able to sit outside and smoke without a hat, gloves, huge coat and the shivers. First thing I notice is that the shape and weight of the 3k in my hand are light, as seems to be pretty typical of the x000 series.
There is a light smell of cocoa -- not quite as pronounced as I'm used to from the couple 3000s I've had before and the dozens of 2000s I've smoked over the last year. Very familiar aroma, but more subdued.
After punching the cap, I take a dry draw and taste and, again, the familiar Padron flavor but without the peppery sting I have experienced from 2000/3000s fresh out the box. This smoke has definitely been sleeping for awhile.
I toast and light without any complications and take my first few puffs. Subtlety is what comes to mind. This is a refined Padron, to be sure. The draw is fairly loose so I opt to nurse it and not puff on it too much as I usually do. I'm a fast smoker but I'm going to take my time with this one.
I'm about an inch into the smoke and the flavors are pretty consistent -- cocoa and earthy flavors seem to dominate but they're all still pretty subtle. There isn't an ounce of harshness to it and exhale through the nose only brings the slightest bit of tingle, but it's a pleasant tingle nonetheless. The first ash falls off about an inch in, after placing it back on my Padron ashtray (appropriately enough).
I'm sipping a little Elijah Craig with the 3000 and it seems to pair nicely. I took it with one ice cube and it rounds out the caramel, buttery flavors of the bourbon. I'm not an expert in pairing cigars and drinks, but this seems to be a pretty decent package.
I've heard people mention that an x000 with a few years of age on it can approach the flavors and experience of a 64 or 1926 and I think they may be right. I'm not well versed in either of the premium lines, but I've had a handful of the sizes -- the 1964 being my favorite at this point -- and I think the flavors may be there, but the one difference may be in the aroma of the smoke. I've noticed that the premiums have some of the most aromatic smoke I've ever had the pleasure of experiencing. Not that this 5-year-old 3000 isn't a joy to whiff, but it lacks a complexity that I seem to remember with the 1964s and especially the 1926 line.
About 2 inches in and I'm starting to experience a numbing feeling in my mouth, similar to clove and spice. Very tasty and enjoyable. I guess I'm reaching the end of the firs third and so far this is quite a nice smoke. At first I thought the flavors would be too muted, but I think I'm just overly used to the peppery bite that I've experienced with fresher 2ks.
About half way into the smoke, flavors haven't changed too much but they're still top quality flavors. I'm sipping the smoke now more than usual and find that allows more complexity to come through -- just a quick puff and blow through the nose and it's all worth the price of admission. I find the flavor with this aged smoke is like that of a nice wine -- long and dry and overeager puffing will do nothing to allow that sophisticated flavor to come through. It's still burning solidly, no need for touchups and the ash falls off every inch or so
In the end, after about an hour of enjoying this, I think I may actually prefer the sharper flavors of a younger x000, but this was still a fantastic experiment in tasting. Thanks to Vinnyvega for sharing the goods and I look forward to kicking back and slowly enjoying the other four I have in the humidor. I don't think this is exactly what you'll get from a 1964 or 1926, but it's a clear indication of what you can expect. For anyone who's not well versed in the various Padron lines, I definitely recommend trying a few aged x000s for the experience. Just another reminder of how fascinating this whole world of cigars can be.
