TX Duo Review - Padron Family Reserve 96 Natural 2023

[Çnote]

@Capn_Jackson I bet you loved retrohaling this.I haven't smoked a cigar in a couple days!

--'I know what is the matter with me,' he muttered, as he sat down by the door. 'I need smoke! I have not tasted it since the morning before the snowstorm.'--

Crackle of Nicaraguan tobacco with what can only be described as twang, but banana candy rather than the orange zest of CC. Does everyone know the difference between Cavendish and Big Mike?

A great start, but turns extremely Padron. Mellow earth and cinnamon. Very rich, but somehow texturally harsh and a rough retro for me. It's pleasant enough, but I'm emotionally done before I take the band off. I did smoke this down to a tiny nub, and probably a touch fast as it was deliciously boring. Superb construction as expected.

Shocked / not shocked to copy HWs 88 points, damning with faint praise indeed.

[Capn_Jackson]

Beautiful Padron wrapper, with a rounded body instead of the typical box-press. Wrapper’s a clean natural, milk chocolate with a little red, smooth with some oily spots and not many veins.

Cold draw is easy, but maybe a touch too open, and gives me a cereal sweetness, with a little crème. First few puffs bring roasted cashew and raisin right up front, then it settles quickly into a familiar cocoa and coffee combo. Padron DNA right out of the gate.

Things run very smoothly through the first third. Cashew softens and turns creamy, raisin fades in and out, and the cocoa/coffee pairing becomes the core. Occasionally a bit of Boston cream pie jumps up. Texture is oily, but not syrupy. Strength is just above medium, so far.

Moving into the second third, the sweetness pulls back a bit and the profile deepens. Cocoa gets darker, less powder and more bittersweet, while the coffee picks up some body. There’s a subtle earthiness creeping in too, nothing damp or musty, and a little hint of spicy herbs. A little molasses and brown sugar, not overt, replacing that earlier raisin note.

Right around the midpoint, strength ticks up a notch. Still not overly aggressive, but noticeably heavier than before. Orange peel comes in to join the show, but not abruptly. The balance is excellent. Nothing is jumping out trying to steal the show, just a good ensemble cast.

Heading into the last act, it settles into a darker register. The cocoa becomes more like baker’s chocolate, the coffee deepens, and the earlier sweetness is now more akin to molasses, in the background. A bit of char edges in, but nothing bitter. Construction holds steady, no touchups or relights necessary.

Final inch doesn’t change much. Tiny bit bitter at the nub. Overall, this feels like a more refined, slightly more nuanced take on the classic Padron anniversary. It executes at a high level. Curious what @Çnote thinks of this one.

Giving this a 90.

[Çnote]

21 hours ago, Capn_Jackson said:

Curious

I got bored after the 1st third but managed to smoke it all. Nothing like a Padron to pass the time. Thanks for this, but I'll stick to 64s and 26s when I need that itch scratched.