Vitals
New World
Grown and blended outside Cuba — Nicaragua, Dominican Republic, Honduras, Ecuador and beyond. New World makers have redefined premium cigar-making with bold innovation and diverse microclimates.
Leaf Composition
Growing Region — Jalapa Valley
Nuanced, sweet leaf with fine texture; less body and spice than Estelí
High-altitude Nicaraguan valley prized for nuanced, sweeter leaf with less body than Estelí. Used by Oliva (Melanio), Padrón, My Father, and many boutique brands. The elevation and volcanic soils produce a distinct terroir impossible to replicate elsewhere.
Flavour Profile
producer baselineThe Brand
Founded by Cuban exile José Orlando Padrón in 1964 with only a hammer for carpentry work. Today one of the most respected premium cigar brands in the world, vertically integrated from seed to box.
CA #1 Cigar of the Year: 1964 No.4 Natural
Cigar Aficionado awards the 1964 No.4 Natural a 95-point score and the #1 ranking for 2009. A landmark validation of the brand's decades-long commitment to long-aged Nicaraguan tobacco.
1926 Serie launched for José's 75th birthday
The 1926 Serie is introduced to commemorate the year José Orlando Padrón was born. All tobacco aged 5–10 years minimum. The line becomes one of the most celebrated regular-production cigars in the world, earning a 97 from Cigar Aficionado.
Moves production to Nicaragua
Padrón shifts manufacturing to Nicaragua, recognising the country's exceptional volcanic soil and tobacco potential. Establishes farms in Jalapa, Estelí, and later Chontales — creating the vertically integrated operation that defines the brand today.
Founded in Miami with a hammer
Cuban exile José Orlando Padrón arrived in the USA with almost nothing. He started a carpentry business in Miami with a single hammer. Began rolling cigars in his spare time using Nicaraguan tobacco he discovered during this period.
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