Padron_1926_Serie_No.47_Natural
Padron 1926 Serie No. 47 Natural

The Padron 1926 Serie No. 47 is Padron Cigars’ contribution to the Tobacconist Association of America (TAA) Exclusive Series for 2015. This is the third installment by Padron Cigars that has been done for the TAA, but it is the first one to feature Padron’s ultra-premium 1926 Serie blend.  The No. 47 introduces a 5 1/2 x 50 vitola in the Serie 1926 line.This is the same size as the Exclusivo vitola in Padron’s other ultra-premium line, the Padron 1964 Anniversary. The No. 47 refers to the anniversary of the annual TAA convention. As with the other TAA releases, Padron provides two blends into the 2015 TAA Exclusive Series – a natural and a maduro. Today we take a closer look at the Padron 1926 Serie No. 47 in the Natural blend. Overall, I found this was a very good installment for both Padron and the TAA.

The TAA is a small group of retailers. At press time the number of retailers listed is 82. 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.

The TAA Exclusive Series has grown over the past few years and 2015 represents the most ambitious release to date as ten new blends were added to the series. When adding these blends to five on-going TAA releases it brings the total cigars for 2015 available to TAA members to fifteen.

This year, the following new cigars have been released for the 2015 TAA Exclusive Series.

* – Denotes cigar being released in multiple vitolas

The ongoing TAA releases are:

  • Ashton VSG Robusto Especial TAA Exclusive
  • Drew Estate Acid Big Bang TAA Exclusive
  • Padron 1964 Anniversary Toro TAA Exclusive (Natural and Maduro)
  • Rocky Patel 15th Anniversary TAA Exclusive Robusto Grande

As noted above, the Padron 1964 Anniversary Toro TAA Exclusive is an on-going release in both natural and maduro wrapper options.  Last year, Padron released the Padron 1964 Anniversary Belicoso TAA Exclusive in both Natural and Maduro options.  The Padron 1964 Anniversary Belicoso was a one time release for the 2014 TAA Exclusive Series.

Without further ado, let’s turn our attention to the Padron 1926 Serie No. 47 Natural and see what this 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

Each of the vitolas of the Padron 1926 Serie are available in a sun-grown natural or a maduro wrapper (except where noted). Each size is in a box-press shape.

No. 47: 5 1/2 x 50 (2015 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
40th Anniversary: 6 1/2 x 54 (Torpedo)
80th Anniversary:  6 3/4 x 54 (Perfecto)
LP40: 6 1/4 x 60 (Limited Edition to Tobacco Plaza – Maduro only)

Appearance

The Padron Serie 1926’s Nicaraguan Habano wrapper has a medium brown color. Upon closer examination there is some subtle darker marbling on the surface of the wrapper. I found the wrapper’s complexion to more silky than oily. There are also some thin wrapper seams and thin visible veins. The box-press itself is well packed with no soft spots.

The Padron 1926 Serie No. 47 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 was 202915.

Preparation for the Cigar Experience

As I normally do, I went with my usual choice of a straight cut to start the cigar experience of the Padron 1926 Serie No. 47 Natural. Once the cap was clipped, I moved on to the pre-light draw. The cold draw provided a heavy dose of sweet natural tobacco, a touch of chocolate and some tingly spices that lingered on the tongue. Overall I considered pre-light draw for the 1926 Serie No. 47 Natural to be satisfactory. At this point I was ready to light up this cigar and see what the smoking phase would have in store.

Flavor Profile

The Padron 1926 Serie No. 47 Natural started out with a strong dose of sweet natural tobacco, coffee, cedar and white pepper. The sweetness of the natural tobacco had slight bubble gum quality to it, but still very much a “tobacco” taste. The natural tobacco sweetness and coffee moved into the forefront early on while the pepper settled in the background. The cedar and white pepper moved into the background. Meanwhile the white pepper had a lingering effect on the tongue.

During the first third, of the Padron 1926 Serie No. 47 Natural the coffee and natural tobacco sweetness alternated in the forefront as to the dominant note. I found the natural tobacco sweetness had the edge in the first third.  During the second third, the coffee notes had more of an edge. I found the cedar and pepper notes in the background also slightly increased in the second third.

By the last third of the No. 47 Natural, the coffee notes were the primary flavor. The cedar / pepper combination was a close secondary note – eclipsing the natural tobacco sweetness. This is the way the flavor profile came to an end. The resulting nub was firm to the touch and cool in temperature.

Burn and Draw

Overall the burn performed quite well with the Padron 1926 Serie No. 47. Overall the burn path remained straight from start to finish. The actual burn line also remained relatively straight with only some occasional jaggedness. I found this was a cigar that did not require an abnormal amount of touch-ups. The resulting ash was on the firmer side – coming off the cigar in clean chunks. The burn rate and burn temperature were ideal.

Padron_1926_Serie_No.47_Natural-Burn
Padron 1926 Serie No. 47 Natural

The draw performed quite well on the Padron 1926 Serie No. 47 Natural. I found this to be an open draw, but not a loose one. The No. 47 Natural was a low maintenance cigar to puff on and derive flavor from.

Strength and Body

In terms of strength, there is some power with the Padron 1926 Serie No. 47 Natural and it will sneak up on you. Overall I assessed the No. 47 Natural to be medium to full strength cigar from start to finish. As for the flavors, they definitely had some weight on the palate. I assessed the No. 47 Natural as being full-bodied throughout the smoking experience. When it came to strength versus body, I gave the edge to the body.

Final Thoughts

On one hand, I can say that the Padron 1926 Serie No. 47 Natural is a very good installment to the 2015 TAA Exclusive Series. One differentiator is I felt the No. 47 Natural delivered more sweetness than other vitolas in the 1926 Serie. Is this the best vitola to be introduced into the Padron 1926 Serie Natural line? No. Is this a better cigar than the 5 1/2 x 50 1964 Anniversary Exclusive?  No. However, those are some very high comparisons against some very iconic cigars.  This is still a very good cigar.

With the Padron 1926 Serie No. 47 Natural, it’s a cigar I’m going to steer to a more experienced cigar enthusiast. As for myself, this is a cigar I would smoke again and it’s worthy of a box split.

Summary

Burn: Excellent
Draw: Excellent
Complexity: Medium
Strength: Medium to Full
Body: Full
Finish: Excellent
Assessment: 3.5-Box Split
Score: 90

References

News: Padron Serie 1926 No. 47 to be TAA Exclusive
Price: $18.00
Source: Purchased
Stogie Geeks Podcast: Episode 159
Stogie Feed: Padron 1926 Serie No. 47 Natural (TAA Exclusive)