Ernesto Padilla
Encyclopedia
Ernesto Padilla is a Cuban-American artist, graphic designer
, and cigar maker. He is the son of Cuba
n poet, Heberto Padilla
.
, a Cuban writer and poet, and his wife, the artist and poet Belkis Cuza Malé. Heberto Padilla was out of favor with the government of Fidel Castro
at the time of Ernesto's birth, and the family was living under house arrest
in an apartment in the Marianao
neighborhood of Havana.
In 1979, Padilla and his mother were allowed to leave Cuba for the United States. His father, Heberto, was not allowed to leave Cuba until 1980. They initially settled in Miami, Florida
, but later moved to Princeton, New Jersey
.
, the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale and the Miami School of Design. He has participated in numerous art exhibitions throughout the USA and currently has works at The Gallery of Cuban Art at La Casa Azul in Fort Worth, Texas
.
After completing his schooling, Ernesto began working in advertising, working on various major accounts. He moved to Miami to take a job with Tabacalera Perdomo, where he was involved in marketing and product development.
region of Cuba, and his father had grown up on it. Ernesto attributes his love of cigars and the tobacco business to his father: "He always had a passion for cigars. He was like a secondary ambassador for cigars…I always loved it, always loved the business because of that." Coming from a tobacco family, Ernesto knew or was acquainted with many people in the tobacco growing world. Working for Perdomo served to solidify these connections, and in time, he struck out on his own.
On 24 April 2003, Ernesto and his brother Carlos incorporated as Padilla Cigar Company, and embarked on a new career as cigar makers. He was married to Ronda Young in the late 1990s.
Ernesto was briefly married to Ronda Young in the mid nineties.
Padilla Cigar Co. is what is referred to as a "boutique" brand, i. e., a small company of limited production and distribution. This allows such a company to concentrate on achieving a high quality product. In the case of Padilla Cigars, they have chosen to concentrate on using very rare and limited Cuban-seed first generation tobaccos in almost all their blends, production numbers are therefore also naturally limited.
In developing the blends used in Padilla cigars, Ernesto worked closely with several recognized experts, including master blender José "Don Pepin" García
and Gilberto Oliva. The results are easily seen, for in the short time that the company has been in existence, it has become recognized in the premium cigar industry as one of the leading boutique cigar companies, and its cigars have been consistently been given high ratings.
In 2008, Padilla parted company with García due to the latter's expanding commitments to other cigar makers. Padilla opened up his own 2000 square feet (185.8 m²) manufacturing facility in the Little Havana section of Miami, Florida
, to which production of Padilla's "Miami", "Signature 1932", and "1948" cigars was shifted. Production of other Padilla-branded products continued under the auspices of other cigar makers, with the "Serie 1968" made in Honduras
by Tabacalera Aguilar and the "Padilla Habano" made in Nicaragua
by A.J. Fernandez.
The company currently has several brands in regular production and makes special, limited release cigars from time to time as well as occasional custom brands.
Graphic designer
A graphic designer is a professional within the graphic design and graphic arts industry who assembles together images, typography or motion graphics to create a piece of design. A graphic designer creates the graphics primarily for published, printed or electronic media, such as brochures and...
, and cigar maker. He is the son of Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
n poet, Heberto Padilla
Heberto Padilla
Heberto Padilla was a Cuban poet. The Padilla Affair was named after him. He was born in Puerta de Golpe, Pinar del Río, Cuba. His first book of poetry, Las rosas audaces , was published in 1948...
.
Early life
Padilla was born to Heberto PadillaHeberto Padilla
Heberto Padilla was a Cuban poet. The Padilla Affair was named after him. He was born in Puerta de Golpe, Pinar del Río, Cuba. His first book of poetry, Las rosas audaces , was published in 1948...
, a Cuban writer and poet, and his wife, the artist and poet Belkis Cuza Malé. Heberto Padilla was out of favor with the government of Fidel Castro
Fidel Castro
Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz is a Cuban revolutionary and politician, having held the position of Prime Minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976, and then President from 1976 to 2008. He also served as the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba from the party's foundation in 1961 until 2011...
at the time of Ernesto's birth, and the family was living under house arrest
House arrest
In justice and law, house arrest is a measure by which a person is confined by the authorities to his or her residence. Travel is usually restricted, if allowed at all...
in an apartment in the Marianao
Marianao
Marianao is a town and municipality in the province of the city of Havana, Cuba, 6 miles southwest of the original city of Havana, with which it is connected by the Marianao railway. , the municipality had a population of 133,016. Marianao is on a range of hills about 1500 ft. above sea level,...
neighborhood of Havana.
In 1979, Padilla and his mother were allowed to leave Cuba for the United States. His father, Heberto, was not allowed to leave Cuba until 1980. They initially settled in Miami, Florida
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
, but later moved to Princeton, New Jersey
Princeton, New Jersey
Princeton is a community located in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States. It is best known as the location of Princeton University, which has been sited in the community since 1756...
.
Early career
After graduating from high school in Princeton, New Jersey, Ernesto embarked upon a career in the graphic arts, and studied at several schools, including the Art Institute of PhiladelphiaArt Institute of Philadelphia
The Art Institute of Philadelphia is a private, for-profit school of art. It is primarily located at 1622 Chestnut Street; however, it also utilizes several more buildings throughout the Center City district of Philadelphia...
, the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale and the Miami School of Design. He has participated in numerous art exhibitions throughout the USA and currently has works at The Gallery of Cuban Art at La Casa Azul in Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...
.
After completing his schooling, Ernesto began working in advertising, working on various major accounts. He moved to Miami to take a job with Tabacalera Perdomo, where he was involved in marketing and product development.
Transition to cigar maker
He himself had not been involved in the cigar and tobacco industry prior to his work at Perdomo, but he comes from a family that had been deeply involved in tobacco in Cuba. His great-grandparents had owned a tobacco plantation in the Pinar del RíoPinar del Río
Pinar del Río is a city in Cuba. It is the capital of Pinar del Río Province.Inhabitants of the area are called Pinareños.Neighborhoods in the city include La Conchita, La Coloma, Briones Montoto and Las Ovas.-History:...
region of Cuba, and his father had grown up on it. Ernesto attributes his love of cigars and the tobacco business to his father: "He always had a passion for cigars. He was like a secondary ambassador for cigars…I always loved it, always loved the business because of that." Coming from a tobacco family, Ernesto knew or was acquainted with many people in the tobacco growing world. Working for Perdomo served to solidify these connections, and in time, he struck out on his own.
On 24 April 2003, Ernesto and his brother Carlos incorporated as Padilla Cigar Company, and embarked on a new career as cigar makers. He was married to Ronda Young in the late 1990s.
Ernesto was briefly married to Ronda Young in the mid nineties.
Padilla Cigars
Within the Padilla Cigar Company Ernesto handles product development and marketing, while Carlos handles administration and management. Much of the graphic arts in the brand advertising, including band designs, is done by Coolbirth, Inc.Padilla Cigar Co. is what is referred to as a "boutique" brand, i. e., a small company of limited production and distribution. This allows such a company to concentrate on achieving a high quality product. In the case of Padilla Cigars, they have chosen to concentrate on using very rare and limited Cuban-seed first generation tobaccos in almost all their blends, production numbers are therefore also naturally limited.
In developing the blends used in Padilla cigars, Ernesto worked closely with several recognized experts, including master blender José "Don Pepin" García
Pepin Garcia
Don José "Pepin" Garcia is currently the CEO of El Rey de los Habanos, Inc, a cigar company in Miami, also known as Don Pepín Cigars. He is a noted cigar maker living in Miami, Florida...
and Gilberto Oliva. The results are easily seen, for in the short time that the company has been in existence, it has become recognized in the premium cigar industry as one of the leading boutique cigar companies, and its cigars have been consistently been given high ratings.
In 2008, Padilla parted company with García due to the latter's expanding commitments to other cigar makers. Padilla opened up his own 2000 square feet (185.8 m²) manufacturing facility in the Little Havana section of Miami, Florida
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
, to which production of Padilla's "Miami", "Signature 1932", and "1948" cigars was shifted. Production of other Padilla-branded products continued under the auspices of other cigar makers, with the "Serie 1968" made in Honduras
Honduras
Honduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize...
by Tabacalera Aguilar and the "Padilla Habano" made in Nicaragua
Nicaragua
Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
by A.J. Fernandez.
The company currently has several brands in regular production and makes special, limited release cigars from time to time as well as occasional custom brands.
Regular production lines
- Padilla MaduroPadilla MaduroPadilla Maduro is a brand of hand-made premium cigar owned by .-History and Background:The brand was created by Ernesto Padilla and is manufactured in the Dominican Republic. It was introduced in 2003.- Description :...
- Padilla HybridPadilla HybridPadilla Hybrid is a brand of hand-made premium cigar owned by .-History and Background:The brand was created by Ernesto Padilla and is manufactured in the Dominican Republic. It was introduced into the U. S. market in 2003.- Description :...
- Padilla MiamiPadilla MiamiPadilla Miami, originally known as the "Miami 8 & 11," is a type of hand-made premium cigar manufactured by the Padilla Cigar Company. The cigar was introduced in 2005.-History and Background:...
(formerly Padilla Miami 8 & 11) - Padilla Signature 1932Signature 1932Signature 1932 is a brand of hand-made premium cigar owned by Padilla Cigar Company of Hialeah, Florida.-History and Background:The brand was created by José "Pepin" Garcia and is manufactured at the El Rey de los Habanos factory in the Little Havana section of Miami, Florida, with one size made...
- Padilla Obsidian
- Padilla Dominus
- Padilla Artemis
- Padilla La Terraza
Special production cigars
Ernesto has produced several special cigars that took advantage of some special small-crop tobaccos by creating a series of very limited editions which he called Edición Especial. These are briefly listed below.- Padilla Edición Especial en Cedro. This was a Toro Grande (6 x 52) and had a ConnecticutConnecticutConnecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
wrapper surrounding tobaccos from NicaraguaNicaraguaNicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
, the Dominican RepublicDominican RepublicThe Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
and PeruPeruPeru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
. Each cigar was given a cedarCedar woodCedar wood comes from several different trees that grow in different parts of the world, and may have different uses.* California incense-cedar, from Calocedrus decurrens, is the primary type of wood used for making pencils...
sleeve. - Padilla Edición Especial Obsidian. With a very deep black Nicaraguan ligero maduro wrapper, the Obsidian (a Toro, 6 x 54) was filled with Honduran Corojo from Jalapá mixed with dark, Nicaraguan tobaccos grown in EstelíEstelíEstelí, officially Villa de San Antonio de Pavia de Estelí is a city and municipality within the Estelí department. It is the third largest city in Nicaragua, an active commercial center in the north and is known as "the Diamond of the Segovias."...
, NicaraguaNicaraguaNicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
. Initial release was limited to 50,000 cigars, but it was later (late 2007) re-introduced as an exclusive to a single retailer, this time as a 6 x 54 Belicoso. This new version is made at Pepin GarciaPepin GarciaDon José "Pepin" Garcia is currently the CEO of El Rey de los Habanos, Inc, a cigar company in Miami, also known as Don Pepín Cigars. He is a noted cigar maker living in Miami, Florida...
's Nicaraguan factory, TACUBA. - Padilla Edición Especial Achilles. This cigar was manufactured in Pepin GarciaPepin GarciaDon José "Pepin" Garcia is currently the CEO of El Rey de los Habanos, Inc, a cigar company in Miami, also known as Don Pepín Cigars. He is a noted cigar maker living in Miami, Florida...
's factory at Estelí, Nicaragua, Tabacalera Cubana. Production was limited to 60,000 of only one size, a Toro (6" x 50). A full-bodied cigar, the wrapper is a Corojo. Despite the low production numbers, it was reasonably priced.
Discontinued lines
- Padilla Connecticut (discontinued in 2006)
- Padilla 1948 (discontinued in 2011)
- Padilla HabanoPadilla HabanoPadilla Habano was a brand of hand-made premium cigar owned by . It was discontinued in early 2011.-History and Background:Introduced in 2005, the brand was created by Ernesto Padilla and is manufactured at Tabacalera Oliva Tabolisa in Estelí, Nicaragua under the supervision of Gilberto Oliva...
(discontinued in 2011) - Padilla Series '68 (discontinued in 2011)
See also
- Signature 1932Signature 1932Signature 1932 is a brand of hand-made premium cigar owned by Padilla Cigar Company of Hialeah, Florida.-History and Background:The brand was created by José "Pepin" Garcia and is manufactured at the El Rey de los Habanos factory in the Little Havana section of Miami, Florida, with one size made...
- List of cigar brands