Padron Family Reserve

Padrón Family Reserve: Ten Years in the Making

The Family Reserve is where Padrón puts its oldest regular tobacco. Every cigar is made from Nicaraguan leaf aged ten years, more than twice the aging of the 1964 Anniversary Series, and each size is numbered for a family milestone: a company anniversary (Padrón was founded in 1964) or a birthday of founder José Orlando Padrón, who died in December 2017. The line began in 2008 with the No. 44 and has grown one number at a time since.

It is a Nicaraguan puro, with a sun-grown natural or maduro wrapper around Nicaraguan binder and filler, made at Tabacos Cubanica S.A. in Estelí and packed in boxes of 10. The five original sizes are box-pressed. The two newest, the No. 95 and No. 96, are round, a change Padrón made with the No. 95.

Shop Family Reserve by Number

• No. 44, 6 x 52: box-pressed with a torpedo head; the first Family Reserve, released in 2008 for the 44th anniversary. Choose natural or maduro.
• No. 45, 6 x 52: a nearly square box-pressed toro from 2009; the Maduro was Cigar Aficionado's 2009 Cigar of the Year. Choose natural or maduro.
• No. 46, 5.5 x 56: a heavily pressed robusto extra from 2010. Choose natural or maduro.
• No. 85, 5.25 x 50: a box-pressed robusto for José Orlando's 85th birthday in 2011, packed in two layers of five. Choose natural or maduro.
• No. 50, 5 x 54: a short, thick box-pressed robusto added in 2014 for the 50th anniversary. Choose natural or maduro.
• No. 95, 4.75 x 60: the first round Family Reserve, shipped in 2022. Choose natural or maduro.
• No. 96, 5.75 x 52: a round toro, shipped in 2023. Choose natural or maduro.

We offer every number as a single cigar, a pack of five or Padrón's 10-count box.

Natural and Maduro Family Reserve

The natural wrapper brings cedar, roasted nuts and cocoa forward, with leather, earth and black pepper, and cinnamon or hay in some sizes. The maduro is darker and heavier on the sweet side: dark chocolate, espresso, oak and leather, often with molasses, plum or clove. The No. 45 Maduro is the best known of the fourteen thanks to its 2009 award, but the naturals have their own following.

Strength

Padrón calls the line full-bodied and we list every size as full. It is the strongest regular Padrón line. Reviews vary a little by size and wrapper; the No. 85 Maduro tends to sit at the gentler end and the No. 95 and No. 96 Naturals at the fuller end.

Which Number to Choose

• First Family Reserve: the No. 45, natural or maduro.
• A shorter smoke: the No. 85 or No. 50.
• Like a tapered head: the No. 44 torpedo.
• Prefer a round cigar: the No. 96, or the 60-ring No. 95 for a thicker smoke.
• Want to try several: the Family Reserve Sampler holds the No. 44, 45, 46, 50 and 85; find it in our Padrón samplers.

The 50th Anniversary uses tobacco aged at least as long in a longer 6.5 x 52 toro, and Padrón Black is a good choice if you want something just short of Family Reserve strength.

Storing Family Reserve Cigars

Keep the box in a humidor at 65 to 70 percent humidity. Keep the humidity steady, especially if you're holding a box for a while.

Family Reserve Questions

What do the Family Reserve numbers stand for?

Each marks a Padrón milestone. The No. 44, 45, 46 and 50 are company anniversaries; the No. 85, 95 and 96 mark José Orlando Padrón's birthdays.

How old is the tobacco?

Ten years, as long as any Padrón line.

Are all Family Reserve cigars box-pressed?

No. The No. 44, 45, 46, 50 and 85 are pressed; the No. 95 and No. 96 are round.

Which Family Reserve won Cigar of the Year?

The No. 45 Maduro, from Cigar Aficionado in 2009.

When did the No. 95 and No. 96 come out?

The No. 95 was shown at the 2021 PCA show and shipped in March 2022. The No. 96 was shown at PCA in July 2022 and shipped in April 2023. Both mark birthdays José Orlando Padrón would have celebrated.

Why do they only come in boxes of 10?

That's how Padrón packs the line. We also sell singles and 5-packs if you'd like to try one first.