It's important to consider Padrón's résumé before lighting up this resplendent cigar. Padrón has been named Cigar of the Year three times (the current record holder). The Serie 1926 cigar has occupied the No. 2 spot twice. And a Padrón cigar has been in the top 10 ever since Cigar Aficionado has been handing out its Cigar of the Year Awards (since 2004). So the Padrón Serie 1926 No. 2 is more than merely a great cigar—it's a legacy of achievement backed by years of consistency.

The Serie 1926 is named for the birth year of company founder and patriarch José Orlando Padrón, who died at the age of 91 on December 5. It's an all-Nicaraguan blend and one of the most powerful, full-bodied cigars in the entire Padrón portfolio. But Padrón is meticulous in its blending—if the tobacco is strong, it will also show elegance and sophistication.

Every puff of the No. 2 reflects this marriage of power and grace from the delightfully earthy core to its rich coffee bean character, all accented by a sweet, underlying woodiness and black tea finish. The smoke is dense, the draw perfect and the cigar emblematic of the inimitable Padrón style José Orlando Padrón perfected over 53 years of making cigars.