Padron Cigars
Founded in Miami in 1964 by Jose Orlando Padron and built on Nicaraguan puro blends and box-pressed formats made at the family's Esteli factory.
Jose Orlando Padron founded the company in Miami on 8 September 1964, having left Cuba after the confiscation of his family's land in Pinar del Rio. He financed the start with about six hundred dollars saved from carpentry work, and the small hammer he was given at the time became the company's emblem. Manufacturing moved to Nicaragua in 1970, and the family has operated there ever since through Nicaragua American Cigars S.A. in Esteli.
Padron blends are Nicaraguan puros, using only Nicaraguan filler, binder and wrapper, and most of the range is box-pressed. The line structure is unusually simple: the original Padron Series, the 1964 Anniversary Series released in 1994 for the company's thirtieth year, the Serie 1926 created in 2002 for the founder's seventy-fifth birthday, and the Family Reserve introduced in 2009. Each of the premium series is offered in natural and maduro.
The company remains family-owned and is run by Jorge Padron, the founder's son, from Miami. Jose Orlando Padron died on 5 December 2017. Padron's aged-tobacco programme, in which leaf for the anniversary series is held for several years before rolling, is one of the more heavily documented aging practices in the non-Cuban industry. The company does not produce cigars for other brands, and its catalogue has stayed deliberately narrow while most competitors expanded theirs.
Padron 1964 Anniversary Torpedo Maduro
Introduced for Padron's 30th anniversary in 1994 and still one of the most decorated Nicaraguan blends made; the maduro wrapper is aged noticeably longer than the natural version.
Padron 1964 Anniversary Torpedo Natural
The sun-grown natural-wrapper counterpart to the Maduro version of this same torpedo - same 6x52 box-pressed vitola, same Nicaraguan-puro blend aged roughly four years, different wrapper leaf. The 1964 Anniversary line pioneered mainstream box-pressed cigars when it launched in 1994. Named Cigar of the Year for 2021, Padron's fourth win and 16th Top 25 appearance in the award's first 17 years.
Padron 3000 Maduro
Part of the original Padron Thousand Series; widely regarded as one of the best value maduros on the market thanks to Padron's long aging program.
Padron 60th Anniversary Perfecto
Padron's fifth Cigar Aficionado Cigar of the Year win, a record, and only the second perfecto shape the company has ever released commercially - round and tapered rather than Padron's usual box-press. Rolled in small batches by a single pair of specialists; released in both Natural and Maduro wrappers, with the Natural version scoring the award-winning 97 points.
Padron Family Reserve No. 45 Maduro
Launched September 2009 to mark the 45th anniversary of Padron's founding, built on tobacco reported to be aged up to ten years - the top of the brand's already-premium Family Reserve tier. Padron's third Cigar of the Year win in six years, taking the 2009 title at 95 points. No longer in regular retail distribution.
Padron Londres Maduro
A slim corona-format vitola from Padron's original core line, dating to the company's 1964 founding; often cited as one of the best budget-priced maduros available.
Padron Serie 1926 40th Anniversary Torpedo
Released in 2004 to mark Padron's 40th anniversary as a company (founded 1964) - an original run of about 400 boxes of 40, split between Natural and Maduro wrappers. Once that limited run sold out, the blend continued on as a standing item in Padron's regular lineup, now sold in 20-count boxes. Named the very first Cigar Aficionado Cigar of the Year in 2004, at 93 points.
Padron Serie 1926 80 Years Maduro
Released to mark Jose O. Padron's 80th birthday; individually numbered with a second band, and rated 94 points by Cigar Aficionado as its No. 2 Cigar of the Year for 2008.
Padron Serie 1926 No. 2
A belicoso-shaped vitola from the 1926 line, which uses tobacco aged five years; ranked among Cigar Aficionado's top cigars multiple times.
Padron Serie 1926 No. 9 Maduro
Named Cigar Aficionado's Cigar of the Year in 2007; a wide-ring short vitola built to concentrate the 1926 blend's power.