Padilla Obsidian
The Padilla Edicion Especial 2006, also known as the Obsidian, was originally a limited release from Padilla. However, the line experienced success and was therefor extended as an exclusive offering at Cigars International. Â These cigars only come in one vitola, a hefty belicoso, that is sold as a strong full-bodied cigar. Â As always, I have smoked my way through a handful of samples, and now report my side of the story.
Company:Â Padilla
Made in: Esteli, Nicaragua
Made by: Padilla
Size: 6 x 54 Belicoso
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Ligero
Filler: Â Honduran Corojo and Nicaraguan
Binder: Â Unknown
MSRP:Â $99 per bundle
Pre-light
The Obsidian comes cloaked in a dark, nearly black, maduro ligero wrapper that visibly appears oily. Â As I began to inspect the cigars with my fingers I found the wrapper to be very oily and toothy. Â Construction appeared spot on, however the extremely dark wrapper could easily hide any imperfections in the wrapper application. Â The bunching felt consistent, and the cigar felt heavy in the hand. Â The pre-light aroma was full of barnyard scents, most commonly hay and manure. Â I clipped the end with my Palio cutter and took a few pre-light draws. Â The draw seemed a bit tight and yielded a sweet tobacco taste.
First Third
Right off the bat, this cigar delivered heavy barnyard aromas. Â The flavors were full of cocoa, hay, earthy and hints of spice. Â The draw was still a bit tight, however, this did not detract from the overall smoking experience. As I continued to smoke my way through the first inch or so, I began to notice the burn line going astray. Â This is a problem I have experienced before with this cigar, and I believe it has a lot to do with the ligero wrapper. Â A slight touch up with my lighter corrected the issue and I continued smoking. Â Later on in the first third I began to notice this cigar picking up flavors that reminded me of smoked meat. Â The cigar also developed a pleasant bitterness that I can best describe as a light IPA.
Second Third
Into the second third of the Obsidian the flavors began to mellow out. Â The core flavors remained however the barnyard flavors really started to pick up. Â The burn has also become much more agreeable, I believe my previous touch up may have corrected issue for good. Â Later in the second third the roasted/smoked meat flavors began to transform into more of a roasted nuttiness. The ash was strong and fell off in 1 1/2 inch chunks.
Final Third
The flavors remained pretty consistent as I smoked my way though the final third of the cigar, with only a slight variation. During the final third the spice kicked up some, but the smoke retained its earthiness that I had grow to appreciate in this cigar. The burn line did start to become a little ragged at this point, however, I did not touch it up so the final puffs would not become too hot.
Final Thoughts
Overall the Obsidian yielded a delightful full bodied smoking experience.  The flavors were rich with a subtle complexity that kept things interesting.  In the past I have experienced extreme burn issues with this cigar.  However, before smoking  the selection for this review I removed the cigars from their cellophane and allowed them to sit in the humidor for a few weeks.  This process, I believe, helped these cigars humidify evenly and corrected some of the extreme burn issues I have experienced in the past.  These are full bodied smokes, but they are not overpowering.  I’d recommend them to anyone that is looking for an every day full-bodied stick, and think it would pair well with any variety of IPAs or stouts.
If you enjoyed this post, please consider to leave a comment or subscribe to the feed and get future articles delivered to your feed reader.
Comments
Nice review. I actually smoked one of these last weekend I believe and I did not really think it was full-bodied. I also had a TON more burn problems and the draw was MASSIVELY tight!! I had to clip quite a bit off the end to get a free enough draw so I didnt look like a fish while smoking, especially with having to puff 3 or 4 times to get some smoke in my mouth. I really did not like the draw at all. Maybe it is because of the draw problems that I was not getting the full-body effect of this stick?
Well it was not a nasty stick, but with all the problems I had I would probably not go out and buy anymore. I had 2 I got from @jbrookeiv and I might let my nephew or brother-in-law try the 2nd ;)
Mike
Nice review. I’ve also had major problems with the two I’ve smoked, it’s kind of put me off with these cigars.
I got these under a year ago when CI first introduced them. I smoked 1 around a week after I got it, but the ammonia was so strong I threw it out. I tried the cigar again about 6 months later with the same result. So, now they are just aging away in my humi… probably won’t touch for another year.
Jeremy
I agree with your review – these are full-bodied cigars, but not overpowering. I consider myself to be a medium-bodied cigar smoker, still relatively new to the culture, and I really enjoyed these cigars.
Nice review Chris. I think most people had had the same burn issues with these sticks. I have found that these are hit or miss as far as flavor and contruction. I have gotten quite a few where the draw was just unbearable.