PADRON 2000 - A Brief History of the Brand & Cigar Review

Years ago, as a novice completely ignorant of cigar brands, “Padron” was a name I recall hearing often. A name seemingly just hovering above the conversations I seemed to be peripheral to, waiting to be uttered. My early trips to the cigar shops were about bluffing, selecting modestly priced cigars confidently, hoping to come across as a more weathered smoker to the tobacconist. It wasn’t long ‘til I made the fatal error of mistaking the price per cigar for the 5-pack price in my reckless selection. I bit my lip at the cash register and paid the full amount. I put my faith in the mystery purchase I had selected, to be at least 5 times the value I thought it would be. My brazen selection style had paid off, the cigars in question were the robusto sized Padron 2000s. Since this day Padron has always had a special place in my repertoire, confirming the beauty and magic of our hobby, namely of selecting a cigar at random, and having this leap of faith rewarded tenfold.

Padron is immediately distinguishable just from the box, it’s understated, simple presentation undercuts traditional marketing tactics, giving subtle nods to the incredible life story of founder Jose Orlando Padron. It is clear that Padron cigars carry a very special historical weight. The simple but classic brown and white (Montecristo style) cigar band, the ubiquitous silhouette of Cuba, the atypical joinery of the cigar box and hammer logo on the seal, all make for a handsome impression, hinting at Jose’s carpentry background. A sense of antiquity is exuded in the style of presentation, no doubt as the Padron family tobacco legacy dates to the early 1800s.

For a brand whose roots are so firm in the soils of the Pinar del Rio, the Cuban seed Nicaraguan puro specialists deviate from the classic 25 count Habanos standard, ditching the cardboard placeholder for a round 26 count box. At the expense of perhaps slightly messier accounting, the consumer is favoured. Jose Orlando with the lineage and knowledge of the many tobacco farmers that came before him, understood that the very soul of good cigar making relied on the interpersonal and collaborative relationship between manufacturer and consumer.

Exiled from his native Cuba in 1961, Jose Orlando was left in limbo uprooted from his family’s tobacco farm in the Pinar del Rio. The Hispanic capital of Madrid could not provide any respite from his homesickness, seeing a return to the culture of the leaf as his only home and only option. Precariously tasked with keeping alive the centuries’ worth of tobacco know-how on his shoulders, invaluable knowledge tracing all the way back to his grandfather Damaso, Jose boarded a steamship to the U.S. Like so many Cuban exiles before him, he inched himself as close as he could to his homeland physically and culturally, to Little Havana, Miami (a mere 165 km away from the island).

It is in this period occupied with manual labour jobs to fund his cigar manufacturing dreams, where the mythology of the hammer or “el martillito” comes in, forging the very spirit of the soon to-be resuscitated “Padron” brand. As legend has it, a hammer lent to him by a friend provided the final $600 dollars earned through carpentry work, needed to open up a modest storefront on West Flagler Street. Equipped with a single roller, Padron cigars was established in Sept.8,1964 under the company name Piloto, a reference to his previously owned factory of the same name in the Pinar del Rio. Never one to dissuade the importance of friendship and collaboration, the hammer now adorns the seals of Padron cigar boxes in perpetual gratitude to those who helped him along the way.

With the Pinar del Rio in spirit at the forefront of the company, the small operation would tailor it’s blending towards the flavour palettes of fellow Cuban exiles. Workers seeking a post-lunch smoke, were treated to a powerful sensorial connection to their beloved homeland so close, yet so far. The Padron brand however wouldn’t come into its own until 1967 with the introduction of Nicaraguan tobacco, years after experimenting with many Connecticut, Brazilian, Puerto Rican leaves. The tobacco tasted reminded the patriarch of the classic H.Upmann No.4’s he would smoke in Cuba. Jose saw in the Nicaraguan Jalapa valley a mythical sister to his native Pinar del Rio, a land most analogous to the microclimate and topography of the sacred Cuban terrain. In the fateful year of 68, Padron’s production nearly doubled from 479,000 to 800,000 cigars a year in 1968, finding the winning combination for the company to become the premier purveyors of Cuban seed Nicaraguan puros.

The expansion of Jose’s company Tabacos Cubanico into Nicaragua was not without its tribulations. His business was caught in the crossfire of the Cold war instigated civil conflict in the late 70s, riots burned his Esteli based factory down, and the messy transfer of power to the Sandinista government ruptured manufacturing at various times. Jose’s resolve of his vision, would see him returning to the country in spite of the ongoing tumult, while astutely making contingency plans for continuous operation in Danli, Honduras. Following the Reagan era embargo against Nicaraguan goods between 85 – 90, Jose Orlando triumphantly returned to the war-torn country feeling the destiny of his cigar dynasty intertwined with the lives of his loyal workers, whom he saw as his extended family. Aside from the high-quality leaves and manufacturing, history indicates another ingredient to the excellence of Padron cigars; the selflessness of Jose’s vision and commitment to the welfare of his workers.

Jose’s refusal to be politicised by any side, but steadfast belief in the collaborative and reconciliatory spirit of the cigar, would see his life and livelihood endangered, in an incredible incident in 1978. The Padron patriarch returned to his native land and amicably negotiated the release of 3000 political prisoners with Fidel Castro, a move that saw 3 bombs detonated at Padron’s Miami offices by an anti-Castro group, sparking a short-lived boycott. Baptised through smoke and revolution, the Padron family dynasty continues its mission to this day, a testament to the resilience of the puro over reactionary violence.

The master cigar maker passed in 2017, with his son Jorge continuing his legacy as president of the company. What is unique about Padron is their control over every aspect of production, from growing, manufacturing and distribution, giving the company an edge for competitive pricing, and the freedom to stay true to the company’s philosophy of quality over quantity.

With time passed since my first induction into this famed brand’s cigars, I’m looking forward to revisiting the very cigar that started it all for me, the Padron 2000 Robusto (50 X 127mm).
Belonging to the regular production thousand series, the 2000 is a Padron mainstay and bestseller, a Cuban seed fully Nicaraguan puro. As per tradition the wrapper, binder and filler are solely sun grown, with the tobacco aged for a minimum of 2.5 years.

On the cold draw, dark chocolate, cocoa topsoil and barnyard meld a complex sweet-bitter balance.
First Third: Upon lighting, notes of leather and earth hit my palate, while heavy pepper gently pricks the back of my mouth. A few short puffs and the cigar mellows, revealing the subdued sweetness of dried fig and apricot. The easy draw delivers a generous, light and velvety smoke that invite clarity to the notes of dried fruit and earthy notes.

Second Third: As the Robusto progresses, the thickness and smoothness of the blend becomes more apparent, taking on the texture of cultured cream. Round notes of leather, wood and peat coat the mouth, while the aftertaste morphs to highlight, fig, molasses with the sweet tang complexity of a reduced balsamic vinaigrette.

Last Third: Reaching the finale, the bold wood and leather elements return to the forefront, the dried fruit sweetness morphing to resemble a more subtle almond sweetness. The cigar picks up in strength while maintaining a balance of bitter, sweet, and now spicy elements delivered through hints of anise and marzipan. The final few puffs of the 2000 offers a green finale, the wood notes collapsing into a damp earth, and eucalyptus.

Although my recollection may not be the most reliable from my initial encounter with the 2000, what I do remember is the full flavour and umami savouriness of this cigar that remains. Following this cigar, no palette cleanser is required, each time I will happily invite the aftertaste of this robusto to linger. This filling medium to full-bodied smoke is dynamic, and would pair very well with a light sherry cask Scotch of your choice. The Padron 2000 tastes unique, a characteristic that could be attributed to the family’s vertical integration model, hermetically sealed, and not straying from the lasting vision of the late cigar master, Jose Orlando Padron.

PADRON Cigars, and other great cigars are available at Whisky Cafe & Cigar Shop in Montreal.  See their menu here