Quick answer: The closest cigar to a Padron 1964 Anniversary is the My Father Le Bijou 1922, a dark, all-Nicaraguan cigar made in Esteli. For less money, try Tatuaje Havana VI or Oliva Serie V. For more strength, Camacho Triple Maduro. Or stay in the family: Padron's own Thousand Series costs about half as much.
A Padron 1964 Anniversary runs about $13 to $16 a cigar at the cheapest stores we track, and Padron boxes are rarely marked down much. That is the real reason people ask what else tastes like it. They love the cigar. They just do not want to pay Padron prices for every cigar in the humidor.
The good news is that the Padron style, dark Nicaraguan tobacco with cocoa, coffee and earth, is not exclusive to Padron. Here are eight cigars that get close, what each one does differently, and what they cost today.
What Cigar Is Most Similar to Padron 1964 Anniversary?
The My Father Le Bijou 1922 is the closest match. Like the Padron 1964, it is made entirely from Nicaraguan tobacco, rolled in Esteli, and dark, rich and full of cocoa and coffee flavor. The Garcia family at My Father Cigars wraps it in a Cuban-seed leaf they call oscuro, which gives it a little more black pepper than a Padron. Cigar Aficionado named the Le Bijou 1922 Torpedo Box Pressed its No. 1 cigar of 2015 with 97 points, and that size is the only box-pressed one in the line, so it also matches the square Padron shape. It usually costs a few dollars less per cigar than a 1964. If you want something cheaper still, the Tatuaje Havana VI comes out of the same My Father factory for around half the price. Our Le Bijou 1922 line guide covers every size.
What Makes a Padron Taste Like a Padron?
Before you shop for a substitute, know what you are matching:
- All-Nicaraguan tobacco. Wrapper, binder and filler all come from Nicaragua.
- A box press on the 1964. The square shape packs the tobacco tight and gives a slow, even burn.
- Cocoa, coffee and earth. Natural or maduro, the 1964 leans dark and sweet rather than grassy or creamy.
- Full body without harshness. It is strong, but the smoke stays smooth from start to finish.
Most of the picks below match three of those four. The ones that do not are labeled.
8 Cigars Similar to Padron
1. My Father Le Bijou 1922: Closest Match
All-Nicaraguan, dark and full, with more pepper than a Padron and a sweet, salty finish. This is the one to try first. It is carried by fewer stores than most picks on this list, so check the My Father brand page for who has it.
2. Tatuaje Havana VI: The Value Twin
Made at My Father Cigars in Esteli, the same factory as the Le Bijou. Pete Johnson's Havana VI uses an Ecuadorian Habano oscuro wrapper over Nicaraguan binder and filler, so it has the Padron richness with a spicier edge. At about $6 to $8 a cigar, it is the best value on this list. Compare Tatuaje Havana VI prices.
3. Oliva Serie V: The Widest Choice of Stores
Nicaraguan binder and filler, including ligero from the Jalapa valley, under a sun-grown Ecuadorian Habano wrapper. It is full-bodied but a little smoother and less peppery than a Padron. Eighteen stores carry it, and singles run about $5 to $8. Compare Oliva Serie V prices.
4. Joya de Nicaragua Antaño 1970: All Nicaragua, Old School
Joya de Nicaragua has been making cigars since 1968, longer than almost anyone in the country. The Antaño 1970 is all-Nicaraguan like the Padron, with black pepper, walnut and a sweet finish. It costs about $7 to $10 a cigar. Compare Antaño 1970 prices.
5. La Aroma de Cuba Mi Amor: The Sweet One
Rolled by My Father Cigars for Ashton, with a dark Mexican San Andres wrapper over Nicaraguan tobacco. It is sweeter and oilier than a Padron natural, closer to a 1964 maduro. Cigar Aficionado put the Mi Amor Belicoso on its Top 25 list in 2011 and again in 2016. About $7 to $9 a cigar. Compare Mi Amor prices.
6. Liga Privada No. 9: For Maduro Fans (Not Nicaraguan)
The No. 9 is not a Nicaraguan puro: it has a dark Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper, a Brazilian Mata Fina binder and Honduran and Nicaraguan filler. But if your favorite Padron is the 1964 Maduro, the cocoa and espresso here are as close as it gets. It is priced like a Padron, about $12 to $17. Compare Liga Privada No. 9 prices.
7. Camacho Triple Maduro: For More Strength
Every leaf is maduro, wrapper, binder and filler, which Camacho bills as the first all-maduro cigar. It is heavier and more earthy than a Padron, the pick for someone who finds the 1964 too polite. About $8 to $12 a cigar. Our Triple Maduro guide explains the blend.
8. Diesel Whiskey Row: The Budget Pick
Blended by AJ Fernandez, with a Mexican San Andres binder aged in Rabbit Hole bourbon barrels, an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper and Nicaraguan filler. It is medium-bodied, so lighter than a Padron, but the oak and brown-sugar sweetness make it an easy daily cigar for about $5 to $9. Compare Diesel Whiskey Row prices.
Or Stay With Padron for Less
The cheapest way to smoke Padron tobacco is Padron's own Thousand Series, the line the company started with. The 2000 and 3000 use Nicaraguan filler aged about two and a half years under a sun-grown Nicaraguan wrapper. They are round, not box-pressed, and milder than the 1964, but they taste like Padron for about $8 to $10 a cigar. If I wanted the Padron flavor on a budget, this is where I would start, before any other brand. Compare the Padron 3000 and Padron 2000, or see the whole lineup ranked on our best Padron cigars page.
