JR Alternative–Padron Exclusivo
Today’s review is an ultra cheap bundle cigar offered by JR Cigars. They offer alternatives to dozens of cigars. My lifelong friend Jay gave me a couple of these cigars, which are an alternative to the Padron Anniversary Series 1964 Exclusivo. He was basically curious of my opinion. So here it is, my opinion of the JR Alternative Padron Exclusivo.
Wrapper, Binder, & Filler: ???
Size: 5.5 x 50
Price: Bundle of 20 – $31.95
Pre-Smoke & Construction:
The wrapper looked good, with small veins and no noticeable flaws. It had a barnyard smell, and the foot shared the same odor. The cigar was a little spongy when squeezed, with some minor tight spots towards the head. The pre-light draw was free, and had an earthy and woody taste.
The burn required a few decent sized corrections, and the ash held for a bit over an inch.
Flavor:
The initial few puffs of the first third were earthy. Soon after, the flavor became a little buttery with some of the associated creaminess. The earthiness fell to the background, and I picked up some woody notes.
The second third kept the same buttery creamy flavor and smoke feel. When passing smoke through the nose, I could pick up slight earthy notes.
The last third developed a slight sweet spice, but otherwise remained the same as before.
Conclusion:
For a little over a buck, this cigar met it’s price point. Obviously it brought nothing special to the table. It was an OK mild to medium bodied cigar. I have run across much more expensive cigars that offer the same as this one does. Because of that, I say this is not bad. At least there were no bad flavors or harshness. How does it compare to the actual Padron? Give me a break, it isn’t even close. Clearly this is a gimmicky sales tactic, which I’m sure you’ve figured out by now.
This entry was posted on Sunday, January 22nd, 2012 at 12:32 pm and is filed under Cigar Reviews, Value Cigar. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
Tom January 24th, 2012 at 9:01 pm
Vulture – For the price it is good. Anything more and I’d have to re-think it. I wasn’t gifted a full bundle, but if I were, sure I’d finish em off with coffee. In fact, these probably would go best with coffee to help add more flavor.