Padron 1926 Series
Size: 5 1/v x 56 ("No. 9")
Tobacco: Nicaraguan Puro
Price: $22.99 (at Cigar Depot in Memphis)

James and Laura put two of these beauties in my stocking for Christmas; the idea being that James and I could smoke them together, but the weather unfortunately did not cooperate. So, I smoked the first one a few days later, while watching Alabama lose the Independence Bowl (as I contemplated the smoldering ruins of the Mike Shula era), and I smoked the second while watching Ohio State play for the national championship (it was supposed to be an homage to James, until OSU lost to Florida, in a huge upset).

These cigars pack some serious flavors, and although I'm not good at detecting what they are, I would say I tasted a soft buttercreme flavor upon the first light, which progressed to a more nutty palate, which finally evolved into a taste both stronger and more acidic. Both cigars burned evenly and cool for just under an hour and had an excellent draw that yielded a very white, airy smoke with little aftertaste. They blend exceptionally well with single malt scotch or Yuengling beer.

The only drawback to this cigar is that it is box-pressed, which to me is more awkward to hold in my mouth than a traditional round cigar.

I started researching these cigars online and found out they are the "super" premiums of the Padron line and seem to have a cult following similar to OpusX, Anejo, God of Fire, and a few others. From www.cigar.com:

The Padron 1926 Anniversary debuted after the highly successful launch of the 1964 line. The Padron 1926 line was introduced to commemorate the 75th birthday of Jose O. Padron. It is the most limited and sought after cigar rolled at the Padron factory, with scarce distribution and an enormous demand by aficionados worldwide. The tobaccos used are aged for a full 5 years. Each cigar is individually numbered, as only a few hundred thousand are made each year.