Padron Black

What Is Padrón Black?

Padrón Black is the name the company uses for its small, occasional releases: trade-show exclusives, Cigar Rights of America sampler cigars and birthday blends. It began in 2016 with the José O. Padrón 89 Birthday Blend, a corona gorda made for a single Florida retailer, and the name has followed a handful of releases since. Jorge Padrón has described the Black blend as sitting between the 1926 Serie and the Family Reserve, closer to the Family Reserve in fullness.

Like the rest of the catalog, Padrón Black is a Nicaraguan puro, with Nicaraguan wrapper, binder and filler grown and processed by the family and rolled at Tabacos Cubanica S.A. in Nicaragua. Both releases we carry are named for birthdays José Orlando Padrón would have celebrated, and both come in natural and maduro, packed ten to a box.

Padrón Black Releases

PB-97, 6.75 x 54 Torpedo

Unveiled at the 2023 PCA Convention and Trade Show and sold only to retailers who placed an order there, with boxes arriving in stores in March 2024. Padrón has described it as a one-time release and has not said how many were made. The natural leans toward earth, cocoa powder, roasted nuts, cinnamon and oak; the maduro toward coffee bean, cocoa nibs, almond and caramel with a cherry-like sweetness. Shop the PB-97 Natural or the PB-97 Maduro.

PB-99, 6.75 x 60 Gordo

First shown in April 2025 and shipped to retailers that August. Unlike the PB-97, the PB-99 is regular production, so it is meant to stay available. Padrón lists the size as a gordo extra, the thickest Black release so far. The natural shows cedar, roasted nuts, leather, toast and dried fruit; the maduro espresso, dark chocolate, anise, baking spice and molasses. Shop the PB-99 Natural or the PB-99 Maduro.

All four can be bought singly, as a 5-pack or by the box of 10.

Natural and Maduro Padrón Black

Both releases use the same blend under each wrapper, so the natural and maduro of a given size share their binder, filler and shape. The natural Black is the drier, woodier version, with earth, cedar, roasted nuts and leather, and oak or toast depending on the size. The maduro is the sweeter one: coffee, cocoa and caramel in the PB-97, espresso, dark chocolate and molasses in the PB-99.

Strength and Profile

We list every Padrón Black as medium to full. Reviewers describe the strength building as the cigar burns, with the PB-97 Maduro starting near medium and the PB-99 and PB-97 Natural finishing at the full end of the range. If the 1926 Serie feels a little light to you but the Family Reserve is more than you want for an evening, this is the line in between.

PB-97 or PB-99?

• Collectors: the PB-97, which Padrón has described as a one-time release.
• Smokers who want a box to come back to: the PB-99, which stays in production.
• Prefer a pointed head: the PB-97 torpedo.
• Like a big ring gauge: the 60-ring PB-99.

To compare Black with its neighbors, try a 1926 Serie cigar and a Family Reserve next to it. Both lines are also represented in our Padrón samplers.

Storage

Hold Padrón Black cigars at 65 to 70 percent humidity and let them rest a few weeks after shipping. If you're keeping a box of PB-97 as a collectible, keep the humidity steady and check it regularly.

Padrón Black FAQ

Is Padrón Black a regular line?

It is a name for small releases rather than a fixed line. The PB-97 was a one-time release; the PB-99 is regular production.

What do the numbers mean?

PB-97 and PB-99 mark the 97th and 99th birthdays José Orlando Padrón would have celebrated.

Was the PB-97 sold everywhere?

No. Padrón sold it only to retailers who placed orders at the 2023 PCA Convention and Trade Show.

How strong is Padrón Black compared to the Family Reserve?

A little lighter. Jorge Padrón places the Black blend between the 1926 Serie and the Family Reserve, closer to the Family Reserve.