padron_1926_serie_no-48_natural_taa_exclusive

Padron 1926 Serie No. 48 Natural

The Padron 1926 Serie No. 48 is Padron Cigars’ contribution to the Tobacconist Association of America (TAA) Exclusive Series for 2016. It is part of the fourth installment in the TAA series by Padron Cigars. The No. 48 introduces a 5 1/2 x 60 vitola in the Serie 1926 line. This is not Padron’s first 60 ring gauge in the 1926 Serie as in 2013 the Padron 1926 Serie TP40 was released as a 6 1/4 x 60 retail Exclusive to Tobacco Plaza. As for the name, the No. 48 refers to the 48th edition of the TAA’s annual convention. Like previous releases, Padron provides two blends into the 2016 TAA Exclusive Series for the No.48 – a natural and a maduro. Today we take a closer look at the Padron 1926 Serie No. 48 in the Natural blend. Overall, I found to be an interesting and enjoyable spin on the Padron 1926 blend.

Padron 1926 Serie No. 48 TAA Exclusive

Padron 1926 Serie No. 48 Natural (Top) and Padron 1926 Serie No. 48 Maduro (Bottom)

In terms of the TAA as an organization, it is a small group of retailers. At press time the number of retailers is approximately 80. As per their web-site, the TAA is defined as:

The Tobacconists’ Association of America, Ltd. is a trade organization established in 1968 by visionary retail tobacconists. By providing education, communication, research, advocacy, and member discount programs, The TAA works with our members and the industry they support to offer the tools and relationship building opportunities needed to maximize professionalism and success.

Exclusive cigars for the TAA are nothing new, but over the past few years the number of offerings offered per year has grown quite large. 2016 included ten new limited offerings, six on-going exclusive offerings, and the event-only La Flor Dominicana TAA 48 Celebration Limited Edition Maduro. This brings the total cigars for 2016 available to TAA members to seventeen.

This year, the following new cigars have been released for the 2016 TAA Exclusive Series (displayed from left to right in the photo that follows):

2016 TAA Exclusive Series

The 2016 TAA Exclusive Series

In addition to the offerings introduced in 2016, the six blends used as on-going releases exclusive for TAA retailers are:

  • Ashton VSG Robusto Especial
  • Drew Estate Acid Big Bang
  • Padron 1964 Toro TAA Exclusive Natural
  • Padron 1964 Toro TAA Exclusive Maduro
  • Rocky Patel 15th Anniversary Robusto Grande
  • Nat Sherman Panamericana

Padron has played an extensive role in the TAA Exclusive Series. There have been a total of four installments and eight blends.

* The Padron 1964 Anniversary Belicoso TAA Exclusives released in 2014 and the Padron Serie 1926 No. 47 TAA Exclusives released in 2015 have been added as regular offerings in the Padron portfolio.

Without further ado, let’s break down the Padron 1926 Serie No. 48 Natural and see what his cigar brings to the table:

Blend Profile

The Padron 1926 Serie Natural line is a Nicaraguan puro:

Wrapper: Nicaraguan Habano
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Country of Origin: Nicaragua (Tabacos Cubanica S.A.)

Vitolas Available

The following lists the TAA and regular production vitolas of the Padron 1926 Serie. As mentioned, each size is available in a sun-grown natural or a maduro wrapper. All of the sizes are box-pressed except for the recently released Padron 1926 Serie No. 90.

No. 48: 5 1/2 x 60 (2016 TAA Exclusive)
No. 1: 6 3/4 x 54
No. 2 5 1/4 x 52 (Belicoso)
No 6: 4 3/4 x 50
No. 9 5 1/4 x 56
No. 35: 4 x 48
No. 47: 5 1/2 x 50 (2015 TAA Exclusive, now regular production)
40th Anniversary: 6 1/2 x 54 (Torpedo)
80th Anniversary:  6 3/4 x 54 (Perfecto)
No. 90: 5 1/2 x 50 (Rounded)

Appearance

The Padron Serie 1926’s Nicaraguan Habano wrapper has a medium brown color with a slight cinnamon tint. Upon closer examination there is some subtle darker marbling on the surface of the wrapper. I found a slight amount of oil on the surface. There are also some thin wrapper seams and thin visible veins. The box-press is more of a soft Cuban press.

The Padron 1926 Serie No. 48 has two bands with each using the same design as the rest of the 1926 Serie line. The primary band has an antique white background and features the maroon and gold Padron logo. Just below it is a maroon quadrangle with the text “1926” in white. There are two thin gold leaves flanking the quadrangle. Below the quadrangle is the text “SERIE” in maroon font. On the left side of the band is the text “HAND” in gold font. On the right side of the band is the text “MADE” – also in gold font. There are gold stripes to the far left and far right that come together when the band is closed. The band also features gold trim.

The second band has an ivory and dull gold color scheme. It rests just under the first band and serves as a band of authenticity for the Padron cigars – which are often subject to counterfeiting. It features the scripted Padron logo in gray and the text “AUTHENTICITY GUARANTEED BY JOSE O PADRÓN” in a gold(ish) font – all sitting on an ivory background. Each Padron 1926 has a unique serial number located on that second band in black font. My serial number for the cigar photographed is 595829.

Preparation for the Cigar Experience

Prior to lighting up the Padron 1926 Serie No. 48, I went with my usual choice of a straight cut using a large ring gauge cutter. Once the cap was removed, I proceeded with the pre-light draw. The cold draw delivered a mix of natural tobacco, floral, and cedar notes. Overall I considered this to be a satisfactory pre-light draw. At this point I was ready to light up the Padron 1926 Serie No. 48 and see what the smoking experience would have in store.

Flavor Profile

The Padron 1926 Serie No. 48 Natural started out with a mix of natural tobacco sweetness, cream, cedar, and white pepper. The natural tobacco and cream notes moved to the forefront early on and developed a nice synergy. Meanwhile the cedar and pepper moved into the background. The retro-hale had a combination of wood and mixed pepper.

Once the flavor profile took form, the natural tobacco and cream notes alternated in intensity. At the same time the cedar and woody notes also alternated in intensity in the background. At times I also found these cedar and wood notes to make their way to the forefront. This pattern continued throughout the first two thirds of the smoking experience.

By the last third of the Padron 1926 Serie No. 48 Natural, the wood notes took center stage. The natural tobacco, cedar, and cream notes moved into a secondary role. This is the way the cigar experience wrapped up. The resulting nub was firm to the touch, but cool in temperature.

Burn and Draw

While there was a slight amount of jaggedness on the burn line, I found the Padron 1926 Serie No. 48 Natural still maintained a straight burn path. I didn’t find this to be a cigar that required a frequent amount of touch-ups. The resulting ash was on the firm side and had a salt and pepper color. While the burn temperature was ideal, the burn rate was a little fast. The faster burn didn’t have any adverse effects other than shortening the smoke time.

padron_1926_serie_no-48-burn

Burn of the Padron 1926 Serie No. 48 Natural

The draw was on the open side, but I wouldn’t say it was a loose draw. There were no issues with combustion. This probably contributed to the faster burn, but at the same time I felt this draw scored well.

Strength and Body

This is probably one of the more dialed back Padron 1926 Serie cigars I have had. Overall I found this to be a medium strength, medium-bodied cigar from start to finish. I didn’t find a lot of variance in either of these attributes along the way.

In terms of strength versus body, I found both attributes to balance each other nicely with neither attribute overshadowing the other.

Final Thoughts

While it’s a popular size, many cigar connoisseurs will often steer away from a 60 ring cigar. For my personal taste I’ve always been open to smoking a big ring gauge cigar – and have enjoyed many of them. At the same time, I do think the Padron 1926 Serie is an excellent line. When it comes to the 5 1/2 x 60 No. 48 vitola, this is a good cigar. The problem is that was less exciting than some of the other offerings in the Padron 1926 Serie. Overall it’s still a cigar I’d recommend to either an experienced or novice cigar enthusiast who wants to give the big ring gauge a spin. It’s still a cigar I’d recommend picking one up and smoking.

Summary

Key Flavors: Cedar, Natural Tobacco, Cream, Pepper
Burn: Very Good
Draw: Very Good
Complexity: Medium
Strength: Medium
Body: Medium
Finish: Very Good

Rating

Assessment: 2.5-Try One
Score: 89

References

News: Padron 1926 Serie No. 48 Natural and Maduro to be 60 Ring Offerings as Part of the 2016 TAA Exclusive Series
Price: $20.00
Source: Purchased
Brand Reference: Padron