Wrapper: Undisclosed
Binder: Undisclosed
Filler: Undisclosed
Size: 7 x 50 Churchill ~ Box Pressed
Strength: Medium
Price: $178.00
Released: March 2024
Quantity Released: Undisclosed

My one and only cigar received one year of home humidor time…in its cello.
I reviewed this cigar’s brother yesterday. The Carlos Fuente Jr. Honoring José O. Padrón was an absolute killer blend. You can read it here.

BACKGROUND:
From Cigar Aficionado:
“We discussed Jorge blending a cigar in honor of my father, out of respect and gratitude,” says Fuente Jr. “And I was going to make a cigar that Mr. José Orlando Padrón would like.” It was a curious move, two rival companies, each a leader in the world of fine cigars, working together on a project that would bear both of their names. Coke doesn’t share the stage with Pepsi; Porsche and BMW don’t do joint projects; Rolex doesn’t make a watch with Patek Philippe.

“Two and a half years after that initial meeting, on a blazing hot July afternoon in Las Vegas, their idea had its unveiling. Fuente Jr. and Padrón stood on a small stage assembled on the floor of the PCA trade show. In front of a crowd of retailers, they showed off their creation, called Fuente y Padrón Legends.

“Proceeds from these highly anticipated cigars will be donated to two charities, the Fuente family’s Cigar Family Charitable Foundation and the Padrón Family Foundation.

“Two generations of cigar excellence. Carlos Fuente Jr. (top left) and Jorge Padrón (top right) with their fathers José O. Padrón (bottom left) and Carlos Fuente Sr. in Miami in 2014.” Photo courtesy of Cigar Aficionado:

THE WHOLE MEGILLAH:
I found one review and the cigar was given an enthusiastic thumbs up.

Like its brother from another mother, this is a well-made cigar. Solid to the core without a single soft spot. The box press is crisp. I don’t know what it is, but a box press speaks to cigar smokers. It is novel in the age without George Jetson but it feels good in the hand and the mouth. Am I the only one who struggles to make sure that the front of the cigar band is showing while it hangs from my giant open maw rather than the bottom side? I think it is a little bit of OCD but purty is purty. Right? Am I right?

The giant schnoz goes deep and there’s barely anything there. A wrapper nearly devoid of aromas. I push harder and find some barnyard, dark chocolate, baking spices, caramel, and black coffee.

The thing about my PerfecPunch is that it never needs a replacement. How is that possible that a stainless-steel punch isn’t designed with camera obscura in mind. It’s $40 for this little bitty thing. I am using the same one I got a few years ago. How many of your cigar accessories, with edges, last more than a year or two? I am only a so-so bullshit artist and I could never sell a cigar tool if I didn’t believe in it. I’m just too old for that shit.

The resistance is perfect-o-mundo. The cold draw is similar to the absence of prominent wrapper aromas. There is sweet caramel, cocoa with marshmallows, espresso, baking spices, and black pepper.

Let’s see how this whale blows.

If you can’t swing $7,000 for the humidor and cigars, you end up without a choice of picking one or the other blends from this line. You must buy them in pairs. That’s a big commitment.

Very sweet start with more cocoa with marshmallows, creamy café au lait, caramel, BBQ brisket, and black pepper. Wow. An incredible first puffs. Just like the Fuente Honoring Padron. I’m a lucky boy. Wish you were here.

Puffing slowly is a must. No rushing like a gator chasing down a governor.

The finish is delicioso. I read the other review and the purveyor of words described very ordinary flavor points. I am receiving the same signals from Jupiter. Not extraordinarily unique but the earthy depth is amazing. I despair when I must write the description of chocolate, espresso, hazelnut, baking spices, and black pepper. There should be subcategories…oh wait, there are.

Like the Fuente, the ash is gentle and flaky. A coincidence. Full moon fever.

This is so odd. The blends are identical but nothing alike. Both are creamy and sweet with a beautiful balance of savory. Even the deep direction of lush amortization follows the same timeline.

That was all in inch number one. Ha. Another 10,000-word manifesto is born.

The burn is as sharp as the crease in my butt crack.

Rocshire Records had just collapsed under the weight of the F.B.I investigation. We had just sold 81,000 records in a single month. And it came to a full halt. My asshole of a press agent tried to pull a fast one. He called to congratulate me on the sales. But the next day, after being dragged onto the carpet by Rocshire, he called me again. “Oops. I meant it was only 8,100.” Radio stations across the country were playing it as it was released the month before Halloween. Everyone was talking about it. My deal with Rocshire was that they pay me 25¢ for every single from day one. That’s 81¢ in 2025 dollars. Do the math and it spells out I made $65,610 in just one month. Rocshire didn’t want to pay me that much.

Know what is impressive? That no matter how long I allow the cigar to rest, it remains lit and ready to go. Damn. Why do you gotta drop two bills, man?

I skip ahead to inch number three. The complexity kicks in. Superbly rich and refined. I don’t know how else to explain this. If only I was a smart guy. The acceleration was slow as this burning effigy’s construction is stellar. Smooth as silk. I’m on a magic carpet ride without Steppenwolf’s John Kay.

I wish I was sitting underneath the Cone of Silence and didn’t have to write a damn thing…just enjoy. But nooo…I made a commitment to you, my readers, to report the news. Damn. Can you guys just go away for a while? No? Dang me.

The first half took an hour and 30 minutes. It was a dream. The constant forward motion was exhilarating. As stooges constantly shoveling our money into the greed machines, we should be allowed a stigmata now and again in which the cigar manufacturers do us a solid and give us a blend like this without the need for us selling our life insurance.

Flavors don’t change. They don’t need to. Flowery epithets are required. This is nothing like what we’ve smoked from Padron. Nothing. This is totally unique to the line. So what are the leaf stats? I can’t even begin to guess.

The feds did an audit but not before interrogating me about my association with Rocshire Records. They determined that the first number cited by the press agent was correct. And that the single continued to sell another 40,000 units. I was owed over $85K. But the feds said ‘So sorry, we are confiscating that dough’ because the record company owners embezzled $15 million from Hughes Aircraft. Almost $50 mil in today’s money. After my aggressive interview, the FBI realized I was just a dupe and had nothing to do with the illegality of the situation. They never brought up the cocaine that everyone was doing in the 80’s.

If I don’t get up now and again, I become frozen in time like Mother Theresa. Creaky joints.

Smoky glass. A bolt of blue lightning sky. Imagine honey caramelizing on a beautiful rack of ribs after being slow cooked for a day.

The second half can spellbind a ferret into submission. The depth has layer upon layer. I am nearly sedated into a sense of well being while ignoring that I can barely walk due to arthritis.

Flavors: Creamy, chocolate, coffee, caramel, nuts, black pepper, dark honey, and green veggies. Simple. Elegant. Complex. Without remorse. Depends without the Velcro.

Inigo Montoya (doesn’t want his real name made public) sent me the pair of cigars. I have signed a deal in which I am his bitch in perpetuity.

I had put all my dough into the Eddie Munster project. I had a silent partner who sunk serious dough into it as well. And like a flipped light switch, it was over. I took a meeting with the guy at Universal Studios. It was pure Spinal Tap. This young guy sat in a huge office, with windows, and barely had his chin above his massive desk. Not a single decent suggestion. He was afraid of the feds too. I was busted…agents can’t be trusted. And then a few days later, a drunk Butch came to my house, unannounced. I was eating lunch on my couch while watching television. He had our contract in hand, shaking it like a bunch of raked leaves. Per California law, a manager must pay the client a minimum of $10,000 per year ($30K in 2025 dollars). Butch declared over and over he wanted his money. I lost it. I threw my plate of spaghetti at him. I missed and splayed the food all over my tv and the wall behind it.

Transitions are nearly invisible. Earth mamas. The depth of field is astounding. You haven’t smoked anything like this. Me neither.

Each puff is every picture tells a story. A glamorous blend.

If I had to pick between the Fuente or Padron blend, I’d be a mess. I can’t. They are both exquisite cigars. Unflawed. Fastidious blends. I could smoke both til kingdom come.

99% of us cannot afford the $178 cigar. But there’s hope. The once expensive Padrón blends are now reasonable compared to the giant uptick in pricing over the last year. I recommend you seek them out from sponsor Small Batch Cigar. Take 10% off with promo code KATMAN. You can also retrieve Fuente cigars from an expansive selection from Small Batch Cigar. Take 10% off with promo code KATMAN.

RATING: 97

Categories: CIGAR REVIEWS

Tags: arturo fuente cigars, cigar reviews, cigar reviews by the katman, cigars, Fuente y Padrón Legends ~ José O. Padrón Honoring Carlito Fuente Jr. | Cigar Reviews by the Katman, katman, padron cigars, phil kohn