Padrón Black PB-97 Maduro

Padrón

• Country of Origin: Nicaragua
• Factory: Tabacos Cubanica S.A.
• Wrapper: Nicaragua
• Binder: Nicaragua
• Filler: Nicaragua
• Length: 6 3/4 Inches
• Ring Gauge: 54
• Shape: Round
• MSRP: $40 (Box of 10, $400)
• Release Date: March 2024
• Number of Cigars Released: Undisclosed
• Original Score: 91

In 2016, the Padrón Black Series debuted with the release of two corona gorda cigars that were made to celebrate the 89th birthday of José O. Padrón, the company’s founder. That release was quite limited and only sold at Smoke Inn, a chain of stores in South Florida. Two years later, those cigars reemerged as a release for retailers that are members of the Tobacconists’ Association of America.

Since then, different vitolas of the Padrón Black line have been found not in boxes, but in various samplers made to benefit the Cigar Rights of America. For years, I noted that we never really knew anything about the blend and Padrón didn’t even list it on its website. In the summer of 2023, Padrón showed off a new belicoso vitola of Padrón Black that would be sold exclusively to retailers who placed orders during the 2023 PCA Convention & Trade Show, though it took about nine months before they shipped to stores.

While the original Padrón Blacks tasted quite aged, the modern iteration of the blend is bold. Jorge Padrón told halfwheel that it is between the 1926 Serie and the Family Reserve, though closer to the Family Reserve in fullness. Over the years, we’ve noticed this uptick in fullness, but oddly, the Padrón Black PB-97 Maduro tasted a bit tamer than some others.

Where we differed is which part of the cigar excelled. Patrick Lagreid and I both noted that the first third showed a lot of the traits we associate with a classic Padrón blend: wood, earth and pepper, all with a certain richness that seemingly only Padrón consistently does. I found it paired with a thick fruitiness that reminded me of a jam. On the flipside, Brian Burt found that during the second third, the classic Padrón profile kicked in, whereas Brooks Whittington found the first handful of puffs to be overwhelming. While Padrón doesn’t release that many new cigars, our reviews found this to be the best of the bunch in 2024. — Charlie Minato.