Padrón Black PB-97 Maduro

Today, we review the Padrón Black PB-97 in the Maduro blend. 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 Padrón PB-97 Black is the fourth release under the Padrón Black line. In the case of the PB-97, it was limited as an exclusive offering to retailers at the 2023 Premium Cigar Association (PCA) Trade Show. Consistent with most Padrón releases, the PB-97 is offered in Maduro and Natural blends.

Since 2021, the PCA has been working to formalize exclusive releases into a program similar to the Tobacconists Association (TAA). Here are the three PCA Exclusive releases Padrón has made. In each case, the release hit the market the following calendar year.

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.

Without further ado, let’s take a closer look at the Black PB-97 Maduro and see what this cigar brings to the table.

Padrón Black PB-97 Maduro – Cigar Review

SPECIFICATIONS

Blend and Origin

No specific details on the blend were disclosed on the Padron No. 89 releases.

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

Vitolas Offered

Both the Maduro and Natural blends of the Black PB-97 come in a 6 3/4 x 52 figurado size. The following are the sizes of both Padrón Black 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) and later as a TAA Exclusive. 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 wrapper of the Black PB-97 Maduro had a cocoa brown color to it. The wrapper surface did not have much oil, but some toothiness could be detected upon closer examination. In addition, some mottling was visible on the surface of the wrapper. 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 (*)

Before lighting the Black PB-97 Maduro, a straight cut removed the cigar’s tip. 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 mocha, cream, and hay. I use mocha to describe a fusion of cocoa and coffee notes. Overall, this was a satisfactory pre-light draw. At this point, it was time to toast up the Black PB-97 Maduro and move on to the smoking phase.

Tasting Notes

The Black PB-97 Maduro opened with more notes of mocha, along with cream, hay, and earth notes. Early on, the mocha notes moved into the forefront as the primary note. The cream, hay, and earth settled into the background. In addition, some notes of cedar and pepper also surfaced later in the first third. The retro-hale delivered an additional layer of cocoa and pepper.

The mocha notes remained primary as the Black PB-97 moved into the second third. During this phase of the smoking experience, the mocha notes began to shed some of the cocoa qualities and transitioned to more of a straight coffee note. Meanwhile, there was a slight increase in the cedar and pepper, and the cream notes dissipated.

The final third didn’t change much. The coffee note remained primary. The cigar was rounded off with hay, earth, cedar, and pepper notes. This is how the Black PB-97 came to a close. The cigar finished off with a cool and firm nub.

Burn

While the Black PB-17 Maduro maintained a straight burn path and relatively straight burn line, it required frequent touch-ups to do so. The touch-ups kept things on track, but more touch-ups were needed than I prefer. The ash was a very light shade of gray skewed toward the firmer side. Meanwhile, the burn rate and burn temperature were ideal.

Burn of the Padrón PB-97 Maduro

Draw

The draw to the Black PB-97 Maduro was on the open side. I usually like a little more resistance to a draw. While the draw was open, it was not loose. In the end, the open draw had no adverse effects on the smoking experience.

Strength and Body

The Black PB-97 Maduro opened with medium-strength and medium-bodied flavors. The flavors quickly progressed to medium to full territory. Both the strength and body gradually increased in intensity throughout the smoking experience. In the end, Black PB-97 Maduro remained in the medium-strength and medium to full-bodied ranges for the duration of the smoking experience.

The body maintained an edge throughout the smoking experience in terms of strength versus body.

BANDING AND PACKAGING NOTES (*)

The comments on the packaging for the Black PB-97 Maduro are pretty much the same as when I assessed the Black PB-97 Natural:

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.

Packaging of the Padrón PB-97 Maduro

OVERALL ASSESSMENT

Final Thoughts

When I last assessed the Padrón Black in the No. 89 size, I thought the Maduro was better than the Natural. Although flavor-wise, I found the No. 89s different from the PB-97s, I still feel the Maduro provides a superior smoking experience. The one drawback is the high $41.00 price point. Still, this cigar checked all the boxes to earn its 90-point score and Cigar Coop Standard of Excellence designation. If you want to splurge, I don’t think you will be disappointed. As for myself, this is something I would buy and smoke again

Summary

Key Flavors: Mocha (Coffee, Chocolate), Earth, Hay, Cream, Cedar, Pepper
Burn: Very Good
Draw: Very Good
Complexity: Medium
Strength: Medium
Body: Medium (Start), Medium to Full
Finish: Excellent