Padilla Signature 1932 2009 Limited Edition Salomon Oscuro (7.25x57)

I have had 9 cigars from a 10 pack purchased in 2009 sitting in my humidor aging for over a year now. My initial impression was put in a review last year and I wanted to see what over a year of age had done for this smoke. I think I am in for a treat.

The cigar presents with nice oils and a wrapper that has an excellent sheen and few veins. I recall that this cigar was nearly dripping oils when I put it in the humidor some months ago and I was relieved to see that it still had nice sheen without appearing to have dried out. The construction appears to be excellent as I can detect no areas of softness or undue tension in the roll. The pre light aroma has some light coffee notes and some rich earthy fragrances. The pre light draw shows a nutty sweetness and leaves a nice peppery taste on the palate.

The cigar opens with a very subdued profile for a cigar that looks like it will be in your face. There are some very nuanced notes of sweet nuts and light wood in the foreground and I find myself settling in for what could be an excellent experience. At the back of the palate there is a satisfying zip of pepper and earth that balances the front of the profile beautifully. The draw is excellent and I am relieved as I have smoked samples of this vitola before and found issues with it. The burn is also sharp, and again I am surprised because I have smoked many of these that burn poorly.

The first third of the cigar transitions and the core profile shows nutty qualities with some sweet grassy notes in the mix. At the back of the palate there are some solid flavors of dark wood and black pepper that are showing through with gusto. The draw remains above average, imparting ample smoke with each draw. The burn stays solid into the main body of the cigar and I am certain I will not encounter any issues, very rare in a Salomon.

The middle third of the cigar flattens out a bit for me. The core profile is still showing some nutty tones, but they are sparse. The profile transitions into a more metallic presentation and some of the depth and character go away. At the back of the palate there are still some nice showings of pepper and wood, but there is a strange sweetness coming out that is like sugar cane. The draw stays consistent and the burn continues to be strong to this point.

The final third of the smoke shows some excellence. The profile takes on a more coffee infused flavor, but there are some hints of dark fruit, spice and wood on the palate as well. At the back of the palate there are sharp blasts of pepper and anise that ratchet up the strength quotient nicely. The draw remains steady, but the burn goes askew a few times and requires a slight tap of some excess wrapper that did not burn correctly.

The finish is long and powerful showing notes of nuts, dark wood and some sugar cane sweetness.

Appearance- 89 a very bold looking cigar, but it is a but ruddy
Taste- 87 I would like to go higher, but the middle third hurt the experience
Construction- 90 aside from some minor burn issues this performed well
Strength- 91 very nice medium that transitioned to full late in the smoke
Overall- 89 a nice experience and I think with more age it will improve

La Flor Dominicana Ligero Cabinet Oscuro L300 (5.75x50)

I have always found La Flor offerings to be on the sick to my stomach side of full flavored and I smoke nothing but strong cigars, so this cigar languished in my humidor for over a year before I could find an appropriate time to give it a run. The foot showed some damage, I am assuming because it had found it's way in and out of my travel humidor several times always hoping to be chosen, but never quite getting the call. Other than that damage, which does not bother me because I will smoke through it, the cigar presents well. This cigar has significantly less sheen than when I placed it in the humi all those months ago and the wrapper has taken on a mottled appearance where oils have soaked back into the wrapper. An inspection tells me that the cigar is well made and I do not detect any areas of concern. The pre light draw is smooth and shows notes of dark wood and rich tobacco character. The pre light aroma has some hints of dark fruit and heavy spice.

I light the cigar and begin with trepidation, I have always thought these cigars can be in very in your face, but I am surprised to find a very mellow opening with a core profile of dark wood, tobacco and light coffee flavors. At the back of the palate there is an earthy texture and flavor to the smoke and there are some further hints of dark fruit and some other flavors I can only describe as salty and meaty. This level of complexity and depth while not being overwhelming is running contrary to my customary experience with these cigars. The draw is nearly perfect and produces scads of smoke. The burn is a bit wonky, but that is due to the damage that is my fault so I will not deduct.

The first half of the cigar is a thing of beauty. The core profile continues to impress with a balanced and deep presentation of coffee, dark wood and rich tobacco flavors. The saltiness, that was noted at the back of the palate, has permeated the core profile and provides a very tasty counterpoint to the main flavors. The back of the palate maintains a steady presentation of earth with some fruity sweetness that shows in spurts. The draw remains excellent and after I pass the damaged area of the foot the burn evens out and performs very well.

The final half of the cigar loses some complexity and balance, but it is still acceptable. The core profile shows some thin wisps of wood and tobacco, but has taken on a slightly vegetal quality. At the back of the palate there are still some nice notes of earth, but not much else is going on. It is a shame because this smoke was on it's way to becoming a near classic experience for me. The burn and draw remain excellent throughout.

The finish was touch short and showed some vegetal notes.

Appearance- 87 a box pressed presentation seldom does anything for me
Taste- 89 the first half gets a 95, the second half an 83, I split the difference
Construction- 94 a fine smoking experience in this area
Strength- 91 a surprising and pleasing medium
Overall- 90.75 still an excellent smoke, but it could have been so much more

Casa Magna Oscuro Robusto

This was a featured cigar at my local brick and mortar at a recent event. I had not tried this particular blend before and had not heard good reviews. I am not one to be influenced by the opinions of other however, so I settle in for the experience. The cigar presents with a bold, nearly black wrapper that has plenty of oils. An inspection reveals that the cigar may be too firm and I am concerned about what that may portend for the draw. The pre light aroma is of earth, but has some very sour tones. The pre light draw shows hints of pepper, but again has some sourness on the palate.

The cigar opens with overwhelming notes of earth that are bitter and sour. At the back of the palate there are some thin tobacco notes, but they are cloaked in a mixture of horrifying bitter flavors. The draw is tight and there is some labor to produce acceptable smoke. The burn is acceptable, but a little lopsided.

The first half of the cigar shows no signs of improvement. The core profile is still bitter and sour and I can't discern any real flavors in the mix. At the back of the palate the sour notes are pervasive and the experience is ugly, it is all I can do to carry on. The draw continues to be tight and the burn is still lopsided, but not deteriorating.

The second half of the smoke shows a core profile of earth and tobacco, but there are still sour notes that befoul the experience. At the back of the palate there are hints of dark wood, but the sour notes are still prevalent. The draw continues to be too tight and the burn is lopsided throughout.

The finish is putrid and has no redeeming value. In the future I will listen to my friends.

Appearance- 90 a nice looking cigar, it was all downhill after the first impression
Taste- 72 one of the worst I have ever smoked
Construction- 80 the draw was way too tight to be enjoyable
Strength- 75 supposedly full, but due to the profile difficult to rate
Overall- 78.25 a must miss

Padilla Signature 1932 2009 Limited Edition Salomon Oscuro

This is a huge cigar in a very rare vitola with an oscuro wrapper. The cigar is chunky and draped in an oily oscuro wrapper. The wrapper has no apparent flaws and is expertly applied. The construction appears to be solid and I do not detect any areas that would cause an issue. The pre light aroma is of tobacco, earth and some light spice. The pre light draw has an earthy sweetness and a hint of ginger.

The cigar begins with a profile of rich tobacco and some notes of spice. There is an earthy sweetness at the back of the palate. The draw is excellent, which is surprising to me for a cigar of this size. The burn is lopsided, but not causing some issues.

The first third of the cigar shows a profile of rich tobacco, spice and some meaty overtones that are interesting. There is some salt and mint at the back of the palate that is strange, but not off putting. The draw has stayed near perfect, but the burn has continued to deteriorate and may require a touch up (we all know how I feel about touch ups).

The middle third continues to show a profile of tobacco and spice, but is showing some minty notes as well. There is still some salt at the back of the palate. The burn has to be retouched twice in this segment of the cigar, and I am disappointed. The draw continues to stay strong to this point.

The final third shows a profile of pepper, pepper and more pepper. There is still some earthy sweetness and mint showing through at the back of the palate. The burn has continued to need retouching throughout the final two thirds, but the draw has been excellent.

The finish is lingering and shows notes of pepper, earth and spice.

Appearance- 94 it is impossible not to be impressed with this cigar
Taste- 88 not bad, but the profile lacked some depth and some of the flavors were not complimentary to one another
Construction- 85 the burn issues hurt the score
Strength- 88 a nice medium/full that could use more pop
Overall- 88.75 a nice smoke, with nice aging potential

Pinar Del Rio Oscuro Corona

This cigar presents with a dark maduro wrapper that appears to be somewhat short of the oscuro appellation it is given. The wrapper is mottled and there are some flaws, the wrapper almost seems to be applied too loosely. The pre light aroma is acidic, but there are some notes of cinnamon. The pre light draw is sour.

The cigar begins with muddled earth notes and a sour bitterness on the palate. The burn is lopsided and the ash is a dirty gray. At the half inch point the wrapper is letting go down to the one third point of the cigar. There is no further profile development and the wrapper continues to unfurl.

The final half of the cigar is bitter and sour. There are no characteristics worthy of redemption for the rest of this smoke. It is acrid and foul. The burn is lopsided and the wrapper is not holding to the binder.

The finish is horrid, with sour flavors and bitter aftertaste.

Appearance - 72 nothing is appealing about this
Taste- 70
Construction- 70 one of the worst I have ever smoked
Strength- 70 there is nothing to report here as the profile was destroyed by the sour and bitter notes
Overall- 70.5 this is about as bad as it gets