BACKGROUND: When José Orlando Padrón first came to this country in the early 1960's, he had left Cuba in the face of Castro's oppressive regime. He took various jobs to make ends meet. He delivered food to airlines and even did ironing until he finally saved $600 to start his cigar company. He did so in 1964 and he managed to sell 20,550 cigars his first year. Since then, he has dedicated his life to making fine cigars and has sold more than 100 million cigars in his lifetime.

Forty-six years after starting the Padrón company and after smoking more than a thousand test cigars, the Padrón family selected a final blend for its newest Family Reserve line of cigars. This cigar, which commemorates the resolve and determination of the Padrón family, is called the Padrón Family Reserve No. 46 Maduro.

The Family Reserve line started with the 6-inch by 52 ring Torpedo No. 44. This cigar began as a special release that was only smoked at small dinners and later went on sale commercially.

The No. 44 was followed by the 6-inch by 52 ring Toro No. 45. I featured this cigar in episode number 203 of the Stogie Fresh 5 podcast back in January of 2010.

The latest addition to the Family Reserve line is the No. 46, a dark Corona Gorda that measures 5.5 inches by 56 ring gauge. The Padrón family will be releasing a new Family Reserve cigar each year, coinciding with its September anniversary, until their 50th anniversary.

Like the other cigars in the Family Blend lineup, the No. 46 is made with a blend of all-Nicaraguan tobaccos aged 10 years. The cigar has a suggested retail price of $25 and is made at Padrón’s Tabacos Cubanica factory in Estelí, Nicaragua.

TASTING NOTES: This Corona Gorda started off with notes of dark chocolate, dark roasted coffee and a bit of toasted oak flavors. The retrohale provided some woody notes like that of oak and cedar. My first thought is that the No. 46 is more approachable than the No. 45, in that the body is a bit lighter.

The draw was perfect, but the burn line was a little off-kilter at the beginning due to some under-filling at the foot. The ash was flaky, but still held on until I chose to tap it off, usually in 1-inch chunks.

During the first half this cigar was medium in body and medium-full in flavor.

FINAL THOUGHTS: The Padrón Family Reserve No. 46 is another winner for the Padrón portfolio. With 10-year aged tobacco and a gorgeous maduro wrapper, this cigar looks good enough to eat, but you'll likely want to smoke it, just the same. The Number 46 displays the characteristic coffee and cocoa flavors of other Padrón maduros, but the tobacco is not quite as sweet. It sports a nice balance between body, flavor and strength, which makes this is a complex cigar that will challenge the most experienced palates, while also being approachable to all but the very beginning cigar smoker.

If I had to choose between the Family Reserve No. 45 and 46, I would give the nod to the No. 45. For my taste, I like a fuller-bodied smoke with more tobacco sweetness, befitting a great maduro.

Aside from the price, which is characteristically steep, the Family Reserve is something that you should treat yourself to, if you can spare the dime. The selection of long-aged tobacco make this a rare treat that I can recommend highly.

~Doc