Comparable in size to the Padron Delicias, the Nica Libre Principe sales for $2 ($50 for 25), while the Delicias goes for $2.70 ($70 for 26). But for me the NL has a bit less strength, which is preferable, and I'd probably go with it 2 out of 3 times. Am I crazy?
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:-)

Anni?

:-)
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I'm with Mr. Blueface. Where are you shoping at? The cheapest 64 I can find is the 64 Principie @ $10.50 (before the taxes hit) a pop. I can pick up the NL's for ~$2.00 a pop on cbid. I don't think any are trying to say the NL is a one for one replacement, but close enough to the 64's for me. With a $8.50 difference in price, I'll smoke the NLs. I have had many of the x000 smokes and none to this point have appealed to me.

I find the NL to match a lot of the Padron creamy/chocolaty range (as in not spicey at all) and as other have noted pretty much one demensional. But then I also find the Padron 64 to be one demensional as well. Just is what is from start to finish. I would love to smoke an "aged" NL just to see what qualities change over time.
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Not the 64's, just the regular line at $2.70 a pop: here

Even though the difference is only $.70 a pop, I'd still go w/ NL and bag the savings...
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What do you mean unfortunately. :-)
It is a nice cigar, especially for the money. But it is far from a Padron
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:-)

Perhaps not written right.

I meant you ruined it for me.:-)

Will definitely try it.
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Looks like I too will soon know what they taste like.
Ordered a 10 pack (5 sizes, 2 of each) that's on special on CI for $19.99.

I consider myself a Padron Anni whore from day one in '94. Can't wait to try these and compare. I will be open minded. I will remind myself I paid $2 each. I will remind myself to play nice in sand boxes.:-)
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I'll be waiting to hear what your thoughts are. I think you'll be happy if you don't expect a Padron, but a cigar with some of the same characteristics.



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Great stuff Blueface; make sure to post your thoughts!
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If you don't like them Blueface let me know I will buy them off you.
Posted via Mobile Device
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I think with all the folks that have chimed in on these cigars and with folks I know well that are Padron Anni fanatics like Mikey (Made in Dade), I think I will in fact enjoy these very much and truly look forward to them.
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I believe these are blended by AJ Fernandez, and for that reason alone I would try them. If you include free shipping and 2 bucks a stick it's probably a win.
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Got my two sampler packs earlier this week and lit up the Exclusivo version with my dad last night.

I figured I would post here and save another thread.

Folks, I SWEAR I went into this with an open mind.
I SWEAR my dad did also.

I got two 5 five packs for $19.99 plus $5.00 shipping.
At $2 a cigar, was it a great deal? Heck yeah. No doubt about it.

Upon looking at the stick, it is very, very similar to a Padron Anniversary.
It has a dark, oily wrapper very similar to that of a Maduro Anniversary.
It has a band that is so, so similar to that of a Padron Anniversary.
It is box pressed just like a Padron Anniversary.

That my friends is where the similarities end. Before lighting this cigar, I inspected all five. Something I got from my dad. I took each cigar and felt for firmness/construction. Two of them have voids in the middle of the cigar that will clearly present burn issues. Shame that one of the is the large Diplomatico version. The five I gave my dad had no voids at all in the cigar. They were all fine.

Upon initial light, nothing like an Anniversary. It left a bitter after taste that both my dad and I picked up immediately.
After a few drags, the after taste was not only still evident but I could sense the taste by the smell of the tobacco also.
It was quite peppery, more so than a Padron Anniversary. The Padron starts out peppery but after a few drags, quickly tones down. This pup didn't.

Burn wise, this was a very good cigar. Burned quite similar to that of an Anniversary. It stayed lit the entire time.

While the flavors did evolve ever so slightly as I went along, it frankly wasn't very much. It pretty much gave me two thirds of the way in the very same I got from the start. About two thirds of the way through it, I developed an unusual throat itch and cough and put the cigar out.

Both dad and I agree that at $2 a stick, one can't help but shut up, light it up and smoke away. Not much you can get that is made in the manner that cigar is for that price. You can clearly see it is a quality cigar. HOWEVER, to say this is a good replacement for a Padron Anniversary is purely one's opinion that neither I nor my dad can agree with. This is not an Anniversary nor is it remotely close. While you do get a bit of resemblance from the cigar to an Anniversary, that resemblance is certainly far from the real thing and comes purely from the box press, the label and the shade of the wrapper. The flavor similarity, while I must confess there is a twang of resemblance, frankly, it is quite minimal.

Bottom line for me, while this cigar can save me a considerable amount of money as compared to a Padron Anniversary, so can a Toyota Yaris in lieu of my BMW convertible. I rather have the ultimate driving machine for those moments I consider special, which is every time I light a cigar, which is a moment I always try to smoke the one I would enjoy the most, then move down the line. Unfortunately for me, that means I can never, ever have a single Padron Anniversary in my humidor. At this moment, that holds true.

Do I regret buying them? I never regret trying any new cigar, specially at the price I got them.
Would I buy them again? Jury is still out. I will reserve that decision for after I have had a chance to smoke the remaining four, which I promise I will. Dad feels the same.

Respectfully submitted by a Padron Anni whore and his yet greater Padron Anni whore dad.:-)
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Padron whore myself. Thanks for saving my money!
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Very nice review Blueface!! And with an open mind. :-)
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Erick,
I would try them if you are a Padron Anny whore too.
They are worth trying and your taste may differ significantly to mine.
They are a fantastic value.
Just can't expect them be a replacement for the real thing.
I plan on smoking all five as they may be different based on vitola.
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Pretty much sums up my experience with 'em. Thanks for the review.:-)
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Mine also. After I originally posted this, I had gotten 15 of them. Quite frankly I think they are pretty bad and experienced the same aftertaste as mentioned. It is like going for a Coke and getting the Sams Club brand of soda.
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More like going for an ice cold Coke and getting a very flat and hot Sam's Club brand.
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These caught my attention in a cigars intl magazine. Now I just need to get money to spend in ******.. XD.


Or not.. They sound dirty after reading the rest of this thread.
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