Padilla Connecticut Churchill (7x50)

If you had asked most people six years ago who the one person they would most like to be in the cigar industry you probably would have gotten several answers, but one of the names that would have come up most often would have been Ernesto Padilla. 

Padilla was the it brand in the boutque world back then with classics like the 8&11 and the Signature 32 (Of which I still have boxes hoarded in my humidor, and no I won't tell you where I live), it of course helped that his smokes were being made by one of the other guys whose name would have been on the list mentioned above, Jose Pepin Garcia.  Something happened on the way to the fair though and Padilla fell off the map.  Pepin stopped making cigars for Padilla (I will let you research why on your own), Padilla started to farm out production to companies with inferior tobacco, rolling and quality and the lilly stopped blooming.  Then the day of horror for all boutique enthusiasts arrived, Padilla Cigars started appearing in CI, this is the death knell for cigar makers in my world because it means you have become another bulk brand that people buy on the cheap because they are made on the cheap.  I was depressed and Padilla continued to slop around the industry looking for a home like a stray dog. 

I heard awhile back that he hitched his wagon to Oliva, this caught my attention because they are reputable company with a long history of making quality smokes.  I then kind of forgot about it because I am so involved in finding and smoking boutique offerings.  Fast forward to IPCPR and I find an old friend of mine that used to work for General repping in the Oliva booth, he and I caught up for a bit and he slapped this bad boy on me.  Now in full disclosure, this guy knows how I write reviews and I have killed some of his cigars before so when he gives me a cigar he already knows that I might write it's obituary and he is ok with that.

I waited awhile to smoke this because, well, it is a Connecticut and despite being told that it had some power and wouldn't be what I expected I had to find the right time to give it a whirl.  The cigar is beautiful to look at.  The wrapper is a wonderful blond/brown and smacks of everything that anyone should love about Connecticut wrapper.  Few veins, silky smoothness and that wondeful dusty wood and light spice smell that is the epitome of the Connecticut wrapper in my mind.  The cigar is very well constructed and I can't find a single issue in it at all.  The pre light draw is smooth and fluid and shows some nice cinnamon tones.  The pre light aroma smacks of dusty earth and wood and has some spice notes as well.

The cigar opens with a profile that is wonderfully complex.  The core flavors have light wood and cinnamon notes, but there is a molasses sweetness coming in here that complements the main flavors wonderfully.  I am being transported to my family cabin in the Upper Peninsula in Michigan where kitchen always smells of wood and molasses, I love cigars that take me on nostalig trips through my younger days.  At the back of the palate and through the nose there are some very nice light earth tones and a light brush of white pepper that tickle the palate subtly.  The draw is nearly perfect, maybe just a little too loose for me.  The burn is solid and a nice, crisp ash is forming.

The first half of the cigar really ramps up.  The core profile begins to show a more pronounced wood flavor, that is still light but more flavorful.  There are some crisp cedar notes here off set by a more subdued balsa wood that provides a nice back drop for the main wood flavors.  The cinnamon notes have really taken off here as well and the robust character of these flavors is something to note.  My only complaint is that I have lost that molasses note that was so splendid early on.  The back of the palate is still earthy but threatens to turn grassy, this makes me wary because I don't care for grassy, but I plow on searching for more meaning.  The pepper notes are really kicking up as I approach the halfway point and I am anxious to see where this goes.  The draw is still just a touch too loose, but I am not getting any heat so I am good with it.  The burn is rock solid.

The final half of the cigar is unlike any Connecticut experience I have ever had.  The core profile becomes all cedar with light brushes of something like caramel, but with a toasty quality.  I have never experienced this in a cigar before and I want it again and again.  The back of the palate becomes a fantastic show of pepper flavors that are so astounding in a Connecticut smoke that I can't put my head around it all right away.  The draw stays acceptable to the end.  The burn was a star throughout the smoke.

The finish was smooth and full of pepper and toasty caramel notes.

This is the cigar that could put Padilla back on the map, I was very impressed.

Appearance- 92 a wonderful cigar to look at, even the band was elegant
Taste- 94 there is just so much going on here, a wonderful smoke
Construction- 92 some reductions for the loose draw
Strength- 97 starts medium and ramps to just on the low side of full, all complementing each stage of the smoke beautifully
Overall- 93.5 an absolute must smoke in my mind...