Cigar:            Padron 2000 Maduro

Size:             50 x 5  Robusto

Wrapper:          Nicaragua

Binder:           Nicaragua

Filler:           Nicaragua

Age:              4 years

Vendor:           Gifted from Jeff Kirsch (Beans)

Beverage(s):      Bridgeport IPA

Smoke time:       60 minutes

Date:             2004-05-22

Construction:     Nice wrapper - no large veins.  Cap is a little rough with raised edges.

Prelight:   Firm, no hard or soft spots.  Mildly aromatic.  Cut well, but the cap peeled off.  Wrapper loosened but never unraveled.  Moderate draw.  Sweet unlit.

First third:      Voluminous smoke.  Ash fell off at about 1/2".  No harshness.  Cool smoke.  Draw excellent.  Mild.  Sweetish finish developed.

Second third:     Kind of nutty.  Ash now firm with some flake.  Needed to tend to the burn.  Nuttiness sweetened and then mellowed to a tanned leather flavor - new saddle. 

Third third:      Pepper aroma, then later slightly peppery on the tongue.  Continued to mellow.  New tanned leather flavor/aroma continued.  Smoked it to the 1" mark when it got a bit hot and a bit funky. 

Overall:    A very nice cigar.  NEVER harsh.  Flavor mellowed throughout smoke.  Very little nicotine buzz.  Kept its light over long inactive periods.  There was some other pleasant flavor, mostly in the first half that I could not identify.  It wasn't the main chord, but a harmonic or overtone.  Familiar, but I couldn't put a word to it, so I used "nutty" and "sweet", but it wasn't really either.