Padron Family Reserve 50 Years Maduro Review
If you’ve followed us as we’ve written over the last few years, you may have noticed a dearth of reviews of cigars from Padron. I didn’t realize until recently just how few Padron cigars we have reviewed, so I added a few into the rotation for the next couple of weeks.
The Padron Family Reserve 50 Years (not to be mistaken for the Padron 50th Anniversary Limited Edition) is part Padron’s ongoing “Family Reserve” line which includes the Family Reserve 40, 45, 46, and 85. As you’ll read below, it really is quite a celebratory cigar, and a worthy purchase even at it’s steep ~$30 price tag.
Blend Specifics
- Cigar Reviewed: Padron Family Reserve 50 Years Maduro
- Wrapper: Nicaragua
- Binder: Nicaragua
- Filler: Nicaragua
- Size: 5 x 52 robusto
Appearance & Construction
The Padron Family Reserve 50 Years features a double-band composed of the traditional blood red, gold, and cream colors I’ve come to associate with Padron aniversario labels. The construction of the cigar itself is equally meticulous, with a flawless outer wrapper, sharply edged corners of the box press, and a light springiness when squeezed.
For some reason, more than any other brand, Padron cigars make me sneeze when I take a whiff off of the foot before a review. In the case of the Family Reserve No. 50 Maduro, I sneeze not once, not twice, but three times. Sneezes notwithstanding, the foot gives off intense, prickly spiciness, dry cedar, and sweet earth. The only potential problem with the cigar is the draw, which strikes me as far too freeflowing.
Flavor & Smoke Characteristics
Once lit, the Padron Family Reserve 50 Years Maduro Robusto comes roaring out of the gate with a blast of pepper and spice that sits atop a base of earth, dry wood, and rich dark chocolate. The retrohale is a searing mix of black, white, and red pepper. And then, just fifteen or so puffs into the cigar, the pepper and spice pull way back, bringing a complex and harmonious mixture of sweet earthiness, wood, stone fruits, and dark chocolate into focus. The aroma is something else, with cedar, buttered popcorn, and touches of spice. Strength and body are both at medium plus in the first third, and the thick white ash holds past an inch and a half. The cigar produces copious amounts of smoke, at least partially due to the free draw, so I take extra care to not smoke too quickly and risk heating the smoke up too much.
In the second third of the Padron Family Reserve 50 Years Maduro, the strength of the smoke ebbs and flows, sometimes highlighting sweeter elements of the profile, other times emphasizing black pepper and wood. At about halfway though, there is a definite movement away from the heavy earth undertones and toward a richer, smoother espresso note that is undoubtedly the main note. Overall, the cigar retains a remarkable clarity of flavor, with zero harshness entering into the smoke—quite a feat given the sheer strength and complexity of the flavors. The construction as well never falters, with a straight burn and ash that seems almost as sturdy as the rest of the cigar.
The final third of the Padron Family Reserve 50 Years Maduro is more of the same, and I’m not complaining. Smooth espresso, dark chocolate, cream, and subtle charred oak combine to produce a flavor profile that’s downright divine. Even in the final inch and a half, the smoke remains remarkably cool, with no deterioration in the flavors. An excellent ending.
Conclusion
The Padron Family Reserve 50 Years Maduro Robusto is easily my favorite from Padron cigars. The combination of flavors like espresso, dark chocolate, earth, wood, and cream, woven together effortlessly make this a truly special cigar.
That said, a quick word of advice here: don’t smoke this cigar too quickly. Particularly if your cigar has a relatively free draw like the one in this review. I found it most enjoyable with slow, careful draws to savor all of the flavors.