Padrón 1926 Serie 40th Anniversary (Maduro) - Cigar Reviews by HB Cigars

Oh baby, the Padrón. The Apple Computer of cigars. Meticulously engineered, vertically integrated, and priced just high enough to make you feel like you're making a lifestyle choice rather than a purchase. José O. Padrón started this company in 1964 with $600 and a hammer he affectionately named "El Martillito." The man was mowing lawns and doing carpentry by day, rolling tobacco by night. Sixty-one years later, his family has built a dynasty so consistent that Cigar Aficionado has basically run out of ways to say "this is really, really good" across their portfolio of 90+ ratings. The 1926 Serie premiered in 2002 to commemorate José's 75th birthday, and the 40th Anniversary Maduro edition — released in 2005 — was named Cigar of the Year. Every leaf in this stick is aged a minimum of five years. The original run shipped in 400 hand-painted, hand-carved boxes of 40. This is the kind of cigar that makes you sit up straighter.

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🔥 THE VITALS 🔥

Cigar: Padrón 1926 Serie 40th Anniversary (Maduro)

Master Blender: Padrón Family

Size: Box-Pressed Torpedo (6.5" x 54)

Country of Origin: Nicaragua

Wrapper: Nicaraguan Habano (Maduro)

Binder: Nicaraguan

Filler: Nicaraguan (100% Nicaraguan Puro)

Price: ~$28–32 per stick

Aging: Minimum 5 years on all tobaccos

Factory: Tabacos Cubanica S.A., Estelí, Nicaragua

Production: Limited to approximately 100,000 cigars annually across the entire 1926 Serie

🚀 WE ARE LIT!

Draw: Effortless.

Burn: Razor sharp from foot to nub. No corrections needed.

Smoke Output: Billowing, dense, creamy clouds that linger in the air like a cologne sample you didn't ask for but don't hate.

Ash: Sturdy. Holds past an inch

That dark, oily Nicaraguan Habano Maduro wrapper practically glistens under the light — rich ebony with an almost obscene amount of tooth. The box-press is perfectly executed with seams so tight they could pass a home inspection in a market where the appraiser actually cares. Every Padrón 1926 comes with an individually numbered guarantee band as an anti-counterfeiting measure, because when you're this good, people will absolutely try to catfish your wrapper. Construction is flawless across the board. This is what happens when a family controls every step from seed to box — the tobacco equivalent of farm-to-table dining, except no one is posting it to Instagram with a "grateful" caption.

🎢 FLAVOR JOURNEY

FIRST THIRD: The Opening Statement

Right out of the gate, this cigar announces itself with a wave of dark chocolate so rich it feels like Willy Wonka finally got his act together and stopped exploiting Oompa Loompas. A creamy espresso note immediately layers underneath, smooth and rounded with zero bitterness — the kind of coffee that costs $7 and comes in a cup with your name misspelled. Through the retrohale, a measured white pepper crackles across the sinuses with enough authority to get your attention without overstaying its welcome. Leather rounds out the first third, supple and warm, grounding the sweetness of the chocolate and espresso into something substantial. The smoke is immediately full-bodied but carries itself with a refinement that belies its strength. This cigar doesn't shout. It doesn't need to.

SECOND THIRD: The Crescendo

The dark chocolate persists but deepens, less confectionary now and more cacao-forward, like the difference between a Hershey bar and whatever single-origin 80% bar your coworker who just got back from Peru won't shut up about. Leather takes a more prominent seat at the table as an earthy complexity begins to emerge — damp soil, mineral, the grounded terroir of Nicaraguan volcanic farmland pushing through. The espresso migrates to the retrohale, delivering a roasted warmth that blooms behind the eyes. The transitions here are seamless. There's no jarring shift, no awkward middle-child energy. It's a steady escalation of depth, like watching a director's cut where the extra twenty minutes actually improve the film instead of just padding the runtime.

FINAL THIRD: The Encore

This is where I stopped taking notes and just smoked. When you find yourself physically unable to put pen to paper because interrupting the experience feels disrespectful, the cigar has won. Earth takes full command now, rich and deep with a minerality that anchors the entire profile. Roasted nuts — almond, walnut — materialize alongside cedar and an intensifying leather that has gone from supple to well-worn. The pepper from the first third returns on the retrohale as a parting handshake, firm and warm. The finish stretches out impossibly long, creamy and smooth with lingering cocoa and a whisper of aged tobacco sweetness. The nub is cool, firm, and flavorful right down to the last half inch. This is the cigar equivalent of a standing ovation where nobody leaves early to beat traffic.

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🏆 THE VERDICT:

A- TIER

Flavor: A-

Construction: A

Availability: B-

Price: B

Final Rating:

What an unbelievable stick. From the first draw to the last, the Padrón 1926 40th Anniversary delivers a masterclass in what a Nicaraguan puro can achieve when every variable is controlled by people who have been doing this longer than most craft cigar brands have existed. The five-year minimum aging on all tobaccos isn't marketing copy — you taste it in every transition, every seamless note that melts into the next. At roughly $30 a stick it's not an impulse buy, but it's also not asking you to remortgage anything. The only thing keeping this from a straight A is that at this price point, you're comparing it against some of the finest cigars on the planet — including Padrón's own catalog. When your biggest competition is yourself, that's a flex most brands would kill for.

📊 BOTTOM LINE

The Padrón 1926 40th Anniversary is the benchmark. It's the stick other premium cigars have been quietly measuring themselves against for two decades. Cigar Aficionado named it Cigar of the Year in 2005 and honestly, it could win again tomorrow and nobody would argue. José O. Padrón built this legacy with $600 and a hammer. His family turned it into the most consistently excellent cigar brand on the planet. Every puff of this stick is a reminder that vertical integration, patience, and Nicaraguan volcanic soil are an unbeatable combination. If you've never had one, clear your schedule, because you're going to want to sit with this for a while. And if you've had one before, you already know.

TLDR: Very good, but not the best in padrón's own catalogue. Don't need to try now, but one day you should.

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Pioneer EX by ChiMolly - Cigar Reviews by HB Cigars

Holy ChiMolly. Every single time I see the name, I have to say it. Holy ChiMolly. I don't know why - it just doesn't feel right not to. Like how you can't eat a single Pringle or resist pressing the crosswalk button even though it clearly doesn't do anything. Some compulsions exist beyond rational explanation. And after smoking this stick? The exclamation feels justified. ChiMolly burst onto the scene in 2024 under founder Zhuofeng Weng, initially peddling handmade porcelain ashtrays before someone apparently told him "hey, maybe make the thing that goes IN the ashtray." The company operates under the slogan "It's all about texture," which sounds like marketing speak until you actually smoke one of their cigars and realize they weren't kidding. The Pioneer is their third release, following the Pangu and Dynasty lines, and it might be the best thing to come out of a company with Chinese characters on the band since fortune cookies started including lottery numbers.

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🔥 THE VITALS 🔥

Cigar: ChiMolly Pioneer EX (Robusto Extra)

Master Blender: Zhuofeng Weng

Size: 6" x 52 (Robusto Extra)

Country of Origin: Nicaragua

Factory: Mi Havana Factory, Estelí

Wrapper: USA Connecticut Broadleaf

Binder: Nicaraguan

Filler: Dominican & Nicaraguan

Price: ~$16-18 MSRP

Release Date: April 2025

🚀 WE ARE LIT!

Draw: Effortless perfection

Burn: Even and consistent throughout

Smoke Output: Luxuriously thick plumes

Ash: Compact grey, holds with dignity

The Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper presents in that gorgeous medium-dark coffee bean shade that photographs so well it should have its own agent. The dual-band presentation features purple and gold with Chinese characters that reportedly translate to something poetic about green ink and jade - the kind of thoughtful branding that makes American cigar companies naming things "BEAST MODE TORPEDO" look like they're trying too hard. Construction from Mi Havana is exceptional here, with tight seams and a cap that actually looks like someone cared about geometry. The secondary band sits three-quarters down the cigar in an unconventional position, which is either an artistic statement or someone at the factory decided to get creative on a Friday afternoon. Either way, I respect the commitment to being different.

🎢 FLAVOR JOURNEY

FIRST THIRD: The Velvet Introduction

sweet cream, espresso, dark chocolate, slight pepper

Sweet cream greets you immediately with the warmth of a grandmother who actually likes you, not just the one who gives you socks for Christmas. Espresso develops alongside it - not the bitter dregs from an office Keurig but the real stuff, the kind served by a barista who judges you for ordering anything with more than three syllables. Dark chocolate emerges next, rich and unapologetic, the sort that comes in bars with cacao percentages printed on them like SAT scores. A slight pepper whisper keeps things interesting without being aggressive, just enough spice to remind you this is still tobacco and not an artisanal dessert. The texture the company obsesses over? It's real. This smoke coats your palate like cashmere, assuming cashmere had flavor and you weren't a psychopath who eats fabric.

SECOND THIRD: The Silk Highway

cream, cacao, slight pepper

Cream continues to dominate, proving that ChiMolly's "texture" philosophy isn't just LinkedIn buzzwords made flesh. Or made smoke. You know what I mean. The cacao note shifts from dark chocolate toward something slightly earthier, more raw cacao powder than finished truffle, like you're watching the chocolate-making process in real time. The pepper remains present but polite, the kind of guest who knows how to make conversation without monopolizing the entire dinner party. There's a subtle sweetness threading through everything that prevents the earthier elements from taking over - it's balanced in a way that suggests Weng actually thought about this blend rather than just throwing priming grades at a dartboard. The smoke remains impossibly smooth, each draw feeling like you're inhaling something expensive.

FINAL THIRD: The Crematorium of Flavor

cream, espresso, pepper

Cream persists to the nub because apparently this cigar doesn't believe in third-act letdowns. Espresso reasserts itself with authority now, deeper and more intense, the caffeinated backbone that keeps the profile from floating away on its own smoothness. Pepper finally steps forward to claim its inheritance, building progressively but never overwhelming the established creaminess - think assertive rather than aggressive, like a middle manager who finally got promoted and now walks with purpose. The transitions throughout this cigar have been so seamless that you barely notice you've been smoking for over an hour. This is the kind of finale that makes you immediately want to buy a box rather than just admiring your good taste in singles.

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🏆 THE VERDICT:

S TIER

Flavor: S

Construction: A

Availability: B

Price: A+

Final Rating:

From the first draw to the last, this thing is unbelievable. Absolutely unbelievable. I don't throw S-tier ratings around like candy at a parade - this cigar earned every letter.

📊 BOTTOM LINE

ChiMolly came out of nowhere and started producing cigars that have no business being this good from a brand most people still can't pronounce correctly. The Pioneer EX delivers a masterclass in Connecticut Broadleaf execution, leveraging that wrapper's natural sweetness and earthy richness while the Nicaraguan and Dominican fillers provide depth without muddying the profile. At $16-18 per stick, the price-to-performance ratio enters genuinely absurd territory - this smokes like something that should cost twice as much and come with a waiting list and a condescending tobacconist. The B availability rating reflects the simple reality that ChiMolly is still building distribution and you might have to actually look for these rather than tripping over them at every B&M. Do the legwork. The company's obsession with texture translates into one of the smoothest smoking experiences I've had this year, and the flavor complexity proves that "smooth" doesn't have to mean "boring." Weng clearly knows what he's doing, and if this is what the Pioneer line delivers, I'm genuinely curious what happens when he really starts showing off.

TLDR: Holy ChiMolly indeed - this Connecticut Broadleaf beauty delivers S-tier cream, chocolate, and espresso in a package so smooth it should come with a warning label for your expectations.

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La Hacienda by Warped Cigars - Cigar Reviews by HB Cigars

Warped: the medium body kings. Not too light, not too strong. Their entire business model is doing it Goldilocks style, and honestly? In an industry where everyone's competing to see who can pack the most ligero into a 70 ring gauge monstrosity, there's something almost subversive about a company that just wants to make balanced cigars. Kyle Gellis founded Warped in 2009 while still a college student at UCF, which means he was blending premium cigars while his classmates were blending vodka with whatever mixer was on sale at Publix. The man's nickname came from his paintball days, which is the most aggressively 2000s origin story possible for a cigar brand. La Hacienda resurrects an old Cuban marca from the depths of history, because apparently bringing dead brands back to life is easier than coming up with new names. But is this stick any good?

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🔥 THE VITALS 🔥

Cigar: Warped La Hacienda

Master Blender: Kyle Gellis

Size: Multiple vitolas available (Gran Robusto 5 1/2" x 52, Superiores 5 5/8" x 46, Corona Gorda, First Growth 4" x 50)

Country of Origin: Nicaragua

Factory: Tabacos Valle de Jalapa S.A. (TABSA/Casa Fernandez), Estelí

Wrapper: Nicaraguan Corojo '99

Binder: Nicaraguan Corojo '99 & Criollo '98 (dual binder)

Filler: Nicaraguan Corojo '99 with Criollo '98

Price: ~$7-9 MSRP

Strength: Medium

🚀 WE ARE LIT!

Draw: Excellent with proper resistance

Burn: Mostly solid, occasional touch-ups needed

Smoke Output: Generous billowing clouds

Ash: Light grey, holds reasonably well

The reddish Corojo '99 wrapper has that characteristic oily sheen that makes photographers on Instagram lose their minds - you know the ones, shooting cigars on leather-bound books next to glasses of whiskey like they're auditioning for a stock photo agency. The construction reflects AGANORSA's reputation for quality, though some batches show the kind of minor burn irregularities that keep you engaged rather than just passively smoking. It's like the cigar wants you to pay attention. The single ornate black band keeps things minimal in that deliberately understated way that boutique brands love - no gold foil, no embossing, just confidence. The high-priming, heavily aged tobaccos from AGANORSA's farms deliver complexity without demanding a PhD in flavor identification.

🎢 FLAVOR JOURNEY

FIRST THIRD: The Introduction

Caramel announces itself immediately, not the artificial syrupy stuff from gas station coffee but the legitimate slow-cooked variety that requires actual patience to produce. Baking spices join the party - cinnamon, nutmeg, the kind of warmth that makes you understand why people put pumpkin spice in everything even though nobody asked. White pepper develops on the retrohale, providing just enough kick to remind you this is Nicaraguan tobacco and not a dessert course. There's an underlying citrus brightness that cuts through the sweetness, preventing the profile from becoming one-dimensional. The medium body sits exactly where Warped promises - accessible enough that you could hand this to someone who thinks they don't like cigars, complex enough that you won't get bored halfway through. Graham cracker emerges toward the end of the first third, adding a toasted quality that sets up the transitions to come.

SECOND THIRD: The Development

Cedar takes the lead as the caramel sweetness recedes to a supporting role, creating a woodier profile that would pair disgustingly well with bourbon if you're the type of person who plans these things instead of just grabbing whatever's open. Almonds and pistachios join the nut category, roasted and slightly salted, the kind of snack you'd find at an upscale bar that charges $18 for cocktails. Leather enters the equation - supple, broken-in, not the aggressive tannin-bomb that lesser cigars produce when they're trying too hard to be "bold." Coffee notes develop, more latte than espresso, maintaining that medium-body commitment Warped is known for. There's a dark cherry sweetness lurking in the background that keeps the earthier notes from dominating. The dual binder is earning its complexity paycheck here, layering flavors without making you work for them.

FINAL THIRD: The Conclusion

Earth and cedar anchor the profile as the cigar enters its final act, providing a foundation for the remaining sweetness to play against. The baking spices return with renewed vigor, particularly the cinnamon, which has evolved from subtle warmth to more defined presence. Espresso notes intensify, adding depth to what's becoming a more robust experience - the cigar's strength creeps toward medium-full without abandoning its balanced principles. Nutmeg and a hint of cocoa round out the finale, creating a finish that lingers pleasantly without overstaying its welcome. The cream that's been threading through the entire experience maintains its presence to the nub, acting as a palate soother against the building complexity. It's the kind of ending that makes you immediately think about when you'll smoke another one rather than just checking the box and moving on.

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🏆 THE VERDICT:

A- TIER

Flavor: A-

Construction: B+

Availability: A-

Price: B+

Final Rating:

The La Hacienda delivers on Warped's promise of Cuban-inspired balance in a Nicaraguan package, proving that medium-bodied doesn't mean medium-interesting.

📊 BOTTOM LINE

Kyle Gellis built his reputation on going against industry trends - when everyone else was making 60+ ring gauge flavor bombs, he was crafting traditional sizes with actual nuance. La Hacienda represents that philosophy perfectly: a cigar that doesn't need to punch you in the face to prove it has something to say. The AGANORSA tobaccos deliver the complexity you'd expect from Jalapa and Estelí's volcanic soils, while the Corojo '99 wrapper provides sweetness that doesn't feel manufactured. At $7-9 per stick, the value proposition is genuinely compelling for a boutique brand using premium aged tobacco. The B+ construction rating reflects occasional burn inconsistencies that some smokers report, though nothing catastrophic enough to derail the experience. The A- availability means you can actually find these in most well-stocked humidors without needing to join waiting lists or bribe your local tobacconist. This is an everyday cigar that smokes like it should cost more - the kind of stick you buy a box of and don't feel guilty about smoking two in one afternoon when the weather's nice and your schedule's clear.

TLDR: Warped's Goldilocks approach delivers a medium-bodied Nicaraguan puro that proves balance isn't boring - it's just confidence without the need to shout.