This Padron Special Release 80th Anniversary Maduro cigar is made in Nicaragua. Outside, you'll find a Nicaraguan Maduro wrapper. Inside, the binder is Nicaraguan, and the filler is Nicaraguan. This is a Perfecto cigar with a length of 6.75 and a ring gauge of 54.

This is a special release of the Padron 1926 Anniversary line to commemorate the 80th birthday of the company founder, Jose O. Padron. If that sounds a tad confusing, just focus on this:

The 1926 Anniversary line has taken home Cigar Aficionado's Cigar of the Year twice.

In the group of the world's best cigars, this line pokes out just a bit taller than almost all the rest.

Let 's not get too carried away with accolades. The cigar itself, in both the Maduro and the Natural version, is handmade by master rollers, and it shows. The thing looks and smells like perfection. Inside, you'll find tobacco aged five to ten years, allowing for the development of an outstandingly mature flavor profile. It's an intense, complex smoke that gives out that signature Padron chocolate note, along with earth, dark fruit, and a touch of spice. The mouthfeel of the smoke is full bodied, and the draw is smoother than a chef's knife through cheesecake. And the finish is always noted by reviewers: it stays forever, giving you an extended experience unlike any other smoke.

Can we go back to accolades for a moment? The 1926 Anniversary has been a 97-rated smoke. We've seen one 98 and one 99. That's it. In all the years of the Cigar Aficionado Top 25 list, we've seen two sticks rated higher. And this wasn't just on one occasion! In 2017 this stick pulled down the #2 spot. They might even have had to talk themselves down from giving it a third Cigar of the Year rating, for all we know. The 1926 line demonstrates a continuing commitment to cigar perfection that is undying.

We're honestly not sure we've ever cared about anything as much as the Padron family cares about making the world's finest cigars. Of course, they don't go crazy with mass production. That would surely bring quality down. As a result, inventory can be tight. If you see some in stock and your own mother is in the way, it's safe to say that she's gotta go.

Wait? Did we talk about Jose and his 80 years of life in the world of cigars? Let's leave it at this: the man started out selling 25-cent fumas and wound up leaving a legacy that arguably makes him the greatest premium cigar manufacturer of all time.

Yes way, Jose.