Padrón Padrón 60th Anniversary Perfecto

Felt like the brand's love letter to itself, and the patient drinker is rewarded. Smooth, complex, generous on the mid-palate, with a sweetness in the third that wants company. A Tawny Port answered the call.

A Padron in the Cuban tradition, with the patience and care that implies. Two hours of slow evolution. Worth the cost.

Padron at this size and budget had to deliver, and it does. Two hours of evolution from cedar to cocoa to coffee, with a sweetness that lingers. Cuban it is not, but on its own terms - among the best non-Cuban smokes I've had this year.

Lit one of these on a porch in Charleston during a thunderstorm. The cigar slowed me down, which was the right thing for the night. Even draw, clean burn, evolving from coffee to cocoa to a quiet sweetness by the end. Patient cigar, patient evening.

Brought a few of these to the herf and split one with a friend - yes, you can split a perfecto, with the right cutter. Worth the indulgence. Long, evolving, never harsh, even when we let it sit too long between puffs.