Located below the first two bands is a third band. That third band is red and gold like the first.  It features the text “45 Years” in gold font on a red background.  There is also gold and black striping on that band.

Preparation for the Cigar Experience

For my smoke of the Padron Family Reserve No. 45 Natural, I went will my usual choice of a straight cut.  Once the cap was removed, I started the pre-light draw.  The dry draw notes I detected were wood, pepper, and natural tobacco.   Overall I considered this a satisfactory pre-light draw.  At this point, it was time to light the foot of my Family Reserve No. 45 Natural and see what the overall smoking experience would deliver.

Flavor Profile

The start to the Family Reserve No. 45 Natural started with a mix of pepper and natural tobacco. In the first five percent, there was a short blast of the pepper. Once the pepper subsided, the No. 45 Natural settled into a combination of pepper, wood, and coffee.  No flavor emerged as the dominant flavor.

As the smoke of the Padron Family Reserve No. 45 Natural progressed to the ten percent mark, the flavor profile continued to evolve and get more complex.  At that point, the primary flavors were pepper, floral, and coffee.  There were wood and citrus notes that were close secondary notes.  The pepper was also very present on the retro-hale.  As the cigar continued to move through the first third, the pepper took on more white pepper characteristics.

By the end of the first third, citrus notes surfaced and took over as the primary flavor.  The coffee, white pepper, floral, and wood notes were now secondary.  In the second third, the white pepper joined the citrus as a primary note.  Some bread notes joined the other secondary notes in the background.

The flavor profile held until the end with the pepper and citrus notes alternating as primary flavors. The bread flavors remained secondary while the floral and wood notes dissipated. The close to the cigar had some spice, but was not harsh.  The resulting nub was cool in temperature, but soft to the touch.

Burn and Draw

Overall the Padron Family Reserve No. 45 Natural had excellent construction and this was reflected in the attributes of burn and draw.  The burn line remained straight from start to finish requiring only an occasional touch-up.  The resulting ash was white and tight in color with only occasional flaking.  The burn rate and burn temperature were ideal.

The draw was outstanding – making the Padron Family Reserve No. 45 Natural a joy to smoke.

Strength and Body

The Padron Family Reserve No. 45 Natural surprised me in that it had a lot more strength than I was expecting.  I assessed this cigar as having just enough strength to qualify as a full strength smoke.  As for the flavors, the Padron Family Reserve No. 45 Natural had bold and robust flavors. This cigar easily qualified to be a full-bodied cigar.  Both the strength and body have a nice equilibrium creating nice balance between these two attributes.

Final Thoughts

The Padron Family Reserve No. 45 easily ranks as one of the best natural wrapper blends made by Padron.  However as I said at the beginning, this cigar also ranks as one of the best cigars Padron has made overall.  The flavors, complexity, and construction to this cigar are second to none.  If you are looking at a cigar that has the potential to be a hall of fame smoke, this one fits the definition.  This cigar is priced around $25.00 and while we don’t factor price into our assessments, we mention this for awareness purposes.  While this cigar might have a little too much strength and body for the novice, an experienced cigar enthusiast will appreciate everything this cigar brings to the table.  In my book, despite the high price point – this is a cigar that is box worthy in my book and one I would easily smoke again.

Summary

Burn: Excellent
Draw: Excellent
Complexity: High
Strength: Full
Body: Full
Finish: Good
Assessment: Memorable
Score: 95

Source: The cigars for this assessment were gifted to me by a friend.