Padilla Releases Padilla 88 Aniversario

Padilla releases Padilla 88 Aniversario. This new, three vitola line, is a tribute to Heberto Padilla, the father of Padilla Cigars owner and founder Ernesto. Heberto Padilla was a Cuban poet who was imprisoned for criticizing the repressive Cuban government led by the Castro clan. This is known as the Padilla affair. After a month of imprisonment and torture, Padilla was released but could not leave the island until 1980.

It is not the first time that Ernesto Padilla honors his father in a cigar. The Signature 1932 refers to the birth year of Heberto Padilla. The Padilla 1965 to the year when he published his first book. And the 85th anniversary was a tribute to what would have been the 85th birthday of Padilla if he hadn’t passed away in 2000. The Padilla Poetica is also a tribute to Ernesto’s father.

The Padilla 88

The new Padilla 88 line comes from Nicaragua, from the factory of A.J. Fernandez. The cigar is made with Nicaraguan tobaccos on the inside and an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper. Some of the filler is Pelo d’Oro. The three sizes are a 6×52 Toro, a 5×50 Robusto, and a 6×60 Figured.

The cigar box has a nostalgic feel. It is covered with a sepia picture of no other than Ernest Hemingway with Heberto Padilla in 1959 Cuba. The rest of the box is quite plain, to make it feel cubanesque. According to Ernesto Padilla, it fits with the iconic Cuban profile that he and Fernandez tried to achieve with this cigar.

For now, this is a three vitola line. But Padilla has plans to add more vitolas. Classic vitolas which seem to be out of favor with the majority of cigar smokers. Sizes such as corona, Lonsdale, and Perla. Since Padilla hardly has a presence in international markets, it’s not likely that the cigars will make it outside of the United States.