Today, we take a look at the Padrón Black PB-97 in the Natural blend. The Black PB-97 Natural (along with its Maduro counterpart) was unveiled as an exclusive cigar for retailers at the 2023 Premium Cigar Association (PCA) Trade Show. The Padrón Black is probably one of the most mysterious of all the Padrón lines. It’s a blend the company has released on a limited basis, and we’ve only seen it as an exclusive event cigar for Smoke Inn as part of the Cigar Rights of America (CRA) Freedom pack. The PB-97 is the fourth size, and it’s still limited. At the same time, it’s probably the most widespread release of the Padrón Black, given it was offered to retailers attending the PCA Trade Show.

Since 2021, the PCA has made attempts to formalize exclusive releases into a program similar to how the Tobacconists Association (TAA) has done. The following are the three PCA Exclusive releases Padrón has done. The release hit the market the following calendar year in each of these cases.

2021: Padrón Family Reserve No. 95 (Natural, Maduro)
2022: Padrón Family Reserve No. 96 (Natural, Maduro)
2023: Padrón Black PB-97 (Natural, Maduro)

The Black PB-97 reverses a trend from the previous Padrón PCA Exclusives in that it does not use the Family Reserve blend. All of the PCA Exclusives feature a number representing the age of the late José O. Padrón when the cigar was first unveiled.

Let’s break down the Black PB-97 without further ado and see what this cigar brings to the table.

Padrón Black PB-97 Natural – Cigar Review

SPECIFICATIONS

Blend and Origin

No specific details on the blend were disclosed on the Padron Black releases.

Wrapper: Not Disclosed, other than “Natural”
Binder: Not Disclosed
Filler: Not Disclosed
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Factory: Tabacos Cubanica S.A.

Vitolas Offered

Both the Natural and Maduro blends of the Black PB-97 come in a 6 3/4 x 52 figurado size. The following are the sizes of all of the Padrón Black Natural and Maduro blends. It has not been confirmed whether these all share the same blend. The No. 89 was released as an event exclusive to Smoke Inn (in anticipation of José O. Padrón’s 90th birthday; he was actually 89 when the event happened). As for the No. 100 and No. 200, these were included in the CRA Freedom Sampler packs.

No. 89: 6 x 46
PB-97: 6 3/4 x 52 (Figurado)
No. 100: 5 1/2 x 52 (Figurado)
No. 200: 5 1/2 x 56

Appearance (*)

The Black PB-97 Natural was medium brown, almost woody. The wrapper surface did not have much oil, but some toothiness could be detected upon closer examination. There were some visible veins, and most wrapper seams were well hidden. This figurado had some moderate tapering toward the head of the cigar, where it converged to a tip.

PERFORMANCE

Pre-Light Draw (*)

A straight cut was used to remove the tip of the Black PB-97 Natural. About half of the tip was removed so there would still be a tapering effect during the smoking experience. From that point, it was on to the pre-light draw. The cold draw delivered a mix of cream, nut, hay, and a slight amount of wood. Overall, this was a satisfactory pre-light draw experience. At this point, it was time to toast up the footer of the Black PB-97 Natural and see what the smoking experience would have in store.

Tasting Notes

The Black PB-97 Natural opened with notes of earth, black pepper, natural tobacco, hay, and lime. The pepper was quite present very early but gave way as the hay and lime notes surfaced into the forefront. Meanwhile, the notes of earth, natural tobacco, and pepper settled into the forefront. The retro-hale provided an additional layer of black pepper and hints of lime citrus sweetness.

As the Black PB-97 Natural entered the second third, the hay notes remained primary. Meanwhile, the lime notes floated in and out of the flavor profile. The earth, pepper, and natural tobacco rounded out the flavor profile. The pepper notes increased just past the midway point, and the lime notes became less prominent in the overall flavor scheme.

The final third saw the pepper join the hay in the forefront. While the lime, earth, and natural tobacco did help round out the flavor profile, there was a slight muddling of the flavors. This is the way the Black PB-97 Natural came to a close. The resulting nub was soft to the touch and relaxed in temperature.

Burn

Overall, the Black PB-97 performed well in terms of burn. The cigar maintained a straight burn path and relatively straight burn line, so an excessive number of touch-ups was not needed. The resulting ash wasn’t overly firm, but it wasn’t loose either. It was a light gray color. Meanwhile, the burn rate and burn temperature were ideal.

Draw

The draw to the Black PB-97 was on the open side. I usually like a little more resistance to a draw, but this didn’t adversely affect the cigar experience.

Strength and Body

The Black PB-97 started out with medium strength and medium-bodied flavors. As the cigar experience progressed, the intensity slightly increased. In the end, there was more intensity for strength and body than at the beginning, but both attributes remained in the medium range of their respective spectrums.

Regarding strength versus body, both attributes balanced each other, with neither attribute overshadowing the other.

BANDING AND PACKAGING NOTES (*)

The PB-97 Black does not have the fanciest packaging, but it does have very Padrón-like packaging. The cigars are packaged in ten-count wooden boxes. The band for the black is a black version of the Padrón thousand series band, but it is supplemented with the secondary serial number band. It’s not over-the-top packaging, but it works.

OVERALL ASSESSMENT

Final Thoughts

When it comes to any Padrón releases, it’s hard not to draw comparisons and ask if one blend is better. The Padrón Black PB-97 Natural is a good blend, but not a great one. The flavors are decent, but nothing that had me doing handstands. When I started to compare it up against the 1926, 1964, and Family Reserve releases, I had a hard time saying this one was better. The Padrón Black PB-97 Natural earns a respectable 88-point score. However, when you look at the $41.00 price point, you have to ask if it’s a good value. Ultimately, this cigar squeaked enough points to earn a Try a Sample – which may be hard given this limited and premium release. However, it does fall short of making me recommend buying and smoking this cigar.

Summary

Key Flavors: Hay, Lime, Natural Tobacco, Earth, Pepper
Burn: Excellent
Draw: Very Good
Complexity: Medium
Strength: Medium
Body: Medium
Finish: Very Good