Pre-light Experience

Aaron: The wrapper on the Padron Family Reserve Natural No. 96 is light brown and has a network of lightly raised veins. The seams are fairly smooth and the caps are well applied. There are two bands, stacked on top of each other with the traditional design for this series. The aroma from the wrapper is a mix of lightly musty cedar and light earth, while the foot brings lightly musty cedar, earth and a bit of an ammonia sting. The pre-light draw is quite open and brings a mix of sweet cedar and dusty earth.
Seth: Finished with a Natural colored wrapper, the Padron Family Reserve Natural No. 96 has some marbling and is light brown throughout. There is this wavy texture, almost like the wrapper is loose, and there are some spots throughout the wrapper where it is knicked. Small veins throughout the cigar, it is fairly firm with a leather texture. Aromas of spices, leather, minerals, tobacco and earth.
John: The Padron Family Reserve Natural No. 96 comes in cellophane and does not have a UPC sticker. There are two bands with the Padron Family Reserve 1964 overlaid on a secondary band with the serial number No. 242695. Aromas from the wrapper were chocolate, bread, sweet wood and a yeasty note underneath. From the foot, I was getting chocolate and earth.
Jiunn: The Padron Family Reserve Natural No. 96 has a natural Colorado wrapper shade. Not the best looking wrapper, providing several “stretch marks.” Veins are decently pressed, seams protruding, bunch and roll slightly loose and the head is well wrapped and capped. Aromas from the wrapper give spicy cedar and baking spices. Aromas from the foot give a more intense version of the wrapper. Cold draw reveals baking spices, cedar and hay.

Team Cigar Review: Padron Family Reserve Natural No. 96

First Third

Aaron: The cigar begins with toasted oak, slightly sharp baking spice and light earth. The retrohale is toasted oak, very zingy baking spice and light earth. At an inch in, a light mustiness becomes present. At an inch and a quarter, the earth picks up a bit. At an inch and a half in, the baking spice loses the sharpness. As the third comes to a close, the profile is toasted oak up front with baking spice and earth a bit behind and light mustiness in the background. The strength was slightly above medium.
Seth: The first third starts out with a flavor profile of dry earth, soft minerals, warm spices, coffee beans and leather. There is some toastiness present as well, and the cigar is medium to medium-full in strength and body.
John: The first third opens with sweet hay and a spicy wood to follow, and finishing the draw with delayed earth coming into the post draw. A cayenne spice is delayed on the post draw at medium-full to full. As the first third settles in, cinnamon is present through the retrohale. The intense spice notes calm down about an inch into the first third, settling at medium strength. Cayenne on the post draw is slowly replaced with black pepper as sweet hay comes into the retrohale.
Jiunn: The first third gives variations of spice more than anything. Raw baking spices and spicy cedar. In addition, graphite minerals and hay. Retrohaling is deep in spicy cedar. The finish is less spicy and mineral driven. Strength is medium-full and body is medium.

Team Cigar Review: Padron Family Reserve Natural No. 96

Second Third

Aaron: As the second third begins, the baking spice transitions to black pepper. At a half inch in, the black pepper is now fairly light and a mild bitterness has joined the toasted oak. At three quarters of an inch in, the mustiness picks up a bit. The retrohale is now toasted oak and earth with light mustiness. At an inch and a quarter, the black pepper is now pretty dull. As the third wraps up, the toasted oak and earth are now even up front with mustiness, dull black pepper and bitterness in the background. The strength remained at slightly above medium.
Seth: The second third is right in line with the first. Bits of toast, coffee, leather, earth and mineral spices. Some nuttiness and toast present as well. Still medium to medium-full in strength and body.
John: Chocolate opens the second third, with graham cracker and spices combining through the retrohale with some mild, dry wood and earth finishing. Black pepper is present again on the post draw. As the second third settles in, a sweet wood defines the center of the profile. Powdered cocoa is present on the retrohale by the halfway mark.
Jiunn: The second third is basically a continuation of the first third. The only thing that’s new is a leathery component to the overall high concentration of spiciness in spicy cedar and baking spices. Strength and body remains medium-full and medium, respectively.

Team Cigar Review: Padron Family Reserve Natural No. 96

Final Third

Aaron: As the final third begins, the overall profile is now fairly dry. The retrohale remains toasted oak and earth with light mustiness. At an inch in, the dull black pepper has picked up and is now in the middle of the profile. At an inch and a quarter, the wood bitterness increases and has a dampness to it. As the cigar wraps up, the toasted oak and earth are even up front with dull black pepper and damp bitterness in the middle and light mustiness in the background. The strength bumped up to medium-full.
Seth: The final third shows stronger spice and mineral notes, but the overall profile is in line with the second.
John: Chocolate and wood combine to lead off the last third, with mild hay to follow. Medium baking spices define the center of the profile and linger into the finish. Medium earth defines the post draw as the last third continues.
Jiunn: Nothing new to talk about within the final third. Still the same spice heavy profile with trailing minerals, leather and hay. Strength is still medium-full, and body is now medium-full.

Team Cigar Review: Padron Family Reserve Natural No. 96

Burn

Aaron: The burn line was straight throughout and the ash held on in inch and a quarter increments.
Seth: Amazing burn from start to finish.
John: The burn was straight through the first, becoming uneven in the second third. That uneven burn continued, necessitating a touch-up. Some waviness in the last third with no intervention required.
Jiunn: Great burn performance. Even burn, tight ashes and cool burning smoking experience.

Team Cigar Review: Padron Family Reserve Natural No. 96

Draw

Aaron: The draw was a bit looser than I prefer and I had to temper the draws at times.
Seth: Loose draw. You get a big hit with a small draw.
John: The draw was perfect, right in the ideal zone between resistant and open.
Jiunn: Draw basically plagues most Pardons, being way too loose. This did cause the cigar to heat up a bit fast at times, but overall it was fine.

Overall

Aaron: The cigar began with toasted oak, slightly sharp baking spice and light earth. Some mustiness joined in a bit later. The second third saw the baking spice transition to black pepper and a light bitterness join in. The final third saw the profile become dry and the bitterness increased and took on a damp component. The Padron Family Reserve Natural No. 96 had a fairly average flavor profile throughout that was focused around the toasted oak, baking spice/black pepper and earth. Nothing that I really found all that exciting. With the very high price point, this is going to be an easy pass for me.
Seth: There was a time when Family Reserve releases from Padron were very special. They delivered those core Padron flavor profiles, but had some elegance and additional depth to them. That is gone with this release. While I don’t think the Padron Family Reserve Natural No. 96 was a bad cigar, it was lacking in a lot of areas to get it out of the average category. There are a handful of aged/older smokers who are still enamored with Padron, and want to force the Padron greatness on all smokers. I think you will find this is not far off from Padron 4000, and that is much more wallet friendly as well.
John: The Padron Family Reserve Natural No. 96 lead off with some complex flavors as spicy notes dominated for a time, eventually settling down. The second third was just into the good line for flavor balance and the cigar was somewhat linear through the last third. The draw was perfect, while the burn had some waviness to it and required a touch-up to correct. In 2023, does the Padron 64 Family Reserve do enough to compete in the current market? I was a little let down by the performance in the second third and I expected more out of the last third. For a super premium priced cigar, although the flavors did just enough to rate good, this isn’t something I would return to as I feel Padron has more affordable releases that deliver a better flavor performance. Total smoking time is 2 hours and 30 minutes.
Jiunn: I’m one of the cigar smokers that overall loves Padrons. Granted I smoke much more maduro versions of the Family Reserve line, I’m therefore not as familiar with the natural line. But if it tastes anything like the Padron Family Reserve Natural No. 96, save yourself the hassle and pad your wallet. Honestly, this is a sorry excuse of the Padrons that I have grown to love and appreciate.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

5.45

Cost/Point

$5.60

Scoring System

Seth Geise

SCORE

5.30

Cost/Point

$5.75

Scoring System

John McTavish

SCORE

6.72

Cost/Point

$4.54

Scoring System

Jiunn Liu

SCORE

5.30

Cost/Point

$5.75

Scoring System

Team Cigar Review: Padron Family Reserve Natural No. 96