Last month, Tabacalera Padilla opened its doors in Estelí, Nicaragua.
The new factory is a partnership between Ernesto Padilla and Osvani Hernandez, a Cuban-born agronomist who has been making cigars in Nicaragua for a few years.
Padilla told halfwheel that the new factory will make some of the company’s lines, including Padilla 1932, Padilla Miami and the new Padilla Barrel Proof. He also said the factory wouldn’t produce more than 800,000 cigars per year.
“I decided the opportunity and time was right to create my own factory,” said Padilla in a statement to halfwheel. “To create new high end blends who’s blends and visions I could control.”
Padilla has worked with factories in all of the major non-Cuban cigar producing countries: the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Nicaragua as well as the United States.
Padilla declined to talk details about the Barrel Proof, other than to confirm it is made at Tabacalera Padilla.
“Everyone loves to talk about how big their factory is. I want to speak about how small it will remain. I make millions of cigars at great prices for consumers. But now I want to go deeper into hardcore quality.”