Padilla Reserva Maduro robusto

One of my favorite cigar shops recently took the plunge on some Padilla cigars, and these Reserva Maduro robustos are the first to hit the shelves. $9 a pop is at my top end for plunking down cheddar for cigars, but I wanted to support the local shop and his willingness to bring in new marcas.

Padilla Reserva Maduro robusto

Rolled by Oliva in Esteli, Nicaragua, the Reserva Maduro has a core of Nicaraguan fillers swaddled in a San Andres (Mexican) maduro wrapper. The rolling is pretty good, but I've never had a poorly rolled stick from Oliva either.

Getting this stick lit, a blast of bold leather, with a bit of earthiness hits the palate. The smoke is not super thick, but gives a nice soft spice to the sinuses. Woody leather gets bolder and tangier as we close out the cigar, the spice gets more pronounced near the nub.

Burn line wobbles a bit, like Lindsay Lohan staggering to rehab, but needs only one hit of the torch to even things out.

Nice stick, and every time I see that lion on the Padilla bands, I'm reminded of Aslan, the Lion of C.S. Lewis' children's fantasy series. Going back to those books as an adult, there are rich depths of theology there. [given my usual crass presentation, I bet you're shocked to see me write that].