Padrón Family Reserve No. 96 Natural

Today, we look at the Padrón Family Reserve No. 96 Natural. The Padrón Family Reserve No. 96 is the seventh installment in Padrón’s Family Reserve line. Keeping to the form of most Padrón releases, the Family Reserve No. 96 is offered in both Natural and Maduro lines. The “96” signifies what would have been the 96th birthday of the late José Orlando Padrón. The Family Reserve No. 96 was offered exclusively to those retailers that attended the 2022 PCA Trade Show. This past spring, both the Natural and Maduro blends of the Padrón Family Reserve No. 96 made their way to retailers.

Padrón Family Reserve No. 96

SPECIFICATIONS

The Padrón Family Reserve features some of Padrón’s oldest and most exceptional tobaccos. Both the Natural and Maduro options feature 100% Nicaraguan tobacco.

  • Wrapper: Nicaraguan
  • Binder: Nicaraguan
  • Filler: Nicaraguan
  • Country of Origin: Nicaragua
  • Factory: Tabacos Cubanica S.A.
  • No. 96: 5 3/4 x 54

The following are the installments of the Family Reserve Series. Each is offered in natural and maduro blends. Except for No. 96 and No. 95, they are all box-pressed offerings.

  • Family Reserve No. 44: 6 x 52 (Torpedo)
  • Family Reserve No. 45: 6 x 52 (Toro)
  • Family Reserve No. 46: 5 1/2 x 56
  • Family Reserve No. 85: 5 1/4 x 50
  • Family Reserve No. 50: 5 x 54
  • Family Reserve No. 95: 4 3/4 x 60 (Parejo)
  • Family Reserve No. 96: 5 3/4 x 54 (Parejo)

Like many Padrón cigars, the cigars represent milestones in Padrón’s family history. No. 44, No. 45, No. 46, and No. 50 refer to the company’s anniversary (1964), and No. 85, No. 95, and No. 96 commemorate company founder José Orlando Padrón’s birthdays.

PERFORMANCE

The Family Reserve No. 96 Natural opened up with notes of cedar, coffee beans, and natural tobacco. There was no dominant note early on the tongue. The retro-hale had notes of cedar with touches of black pepper. Natural tobacco eventually became the primary note. Early on, the natural tobacco had some fruit and caramel characteristics, but they fused with the natural tobacco. By the end of the first third, some black pepper surfaced on the tongue.

The second third of the Family Reserve No. 96 saw the coffee bean notes increase in intensity, and by the second half, it joined the natural tobacco in the forefront. During the second half, the pepper notes increased as well. The fruit and caramel qualities of the natural tobacco dissipated. The final third still saw a combination of coffee beans and natural tobacco complemented by the pepper and cedar notes. The cigar finished with a cool, firm nub.

Throughout the smoking experience of the Family Reserve No 96, the flavors remained medium-bodied, countered by medium strength. There was a slight increase in the intensity of strength and body as the cigar progressed, but it remained medium. The burn was a bit jagged and meandered at times – resulting in frequent touch-ups. The draw was more open than I preferred but not overly loose.

OVERALL ASSESSMENT

Final Thoughts

When it comes to Padrón, the question always is Natural vs. Maduro. From a personal standpoint, I tend to lean toward the Maduro, and in the Family Reserve No. 96 case, the Maduro is my choice. The Family Reserve No. 96 Natural fell short in the flavor, complexity, and construction departments. In each of these cases, it was a slim margin, but a margin that did prevent the Family Reserve No. 96 from reaching the Cigar Coop Standard of Excellence. It still scored a very nice 89. One last point: as a whole, I was much more pleased with the No. 96 release than the previous installment, the Padrón Family Reserve No. 95.

Ultimately, with the Family Reserve No. 96, I still would lean toward the Maduro over the Natural. I’d also choose other Family Reserve Natural installments over the No. 96. Given that this is a cigar over $30.00, I’d recommend trying a sample first.

Summary

Key Flavors: Natural Tobacco (some fruit and caramel qualities), Earth, Cedar, Pepper
Burn: Very Good
Draw: Very Good
Complexity: Medium
Strength: Medium
Body: Medium
Finish: Excellent

Rating

Value: Try a Sample
Score: 89

 

REFERENCES

Previous Assessment: Padrón Family Reserve No. 95 Natural
News: Padrón Family Reserve No. 96 to Launch at PCA 2022
Price: $30.50
Source: Purchased
Brand Reference: Padrón

Photo Credits: Cigar Coop

Note: Agile Cigar Reviews are cigar assessments using a lightweight, shorter format. These will never take the place of our comprehensive reviews. They are only used on blends we have previously assessed. This might be a blend we are re-scoring or giving a score for the first time. It might be a blend we are looking at in a different size.