As I was driving down the street and approaching the building, I realized this is one cigar warehouse I could not miss. The elegant facade is certainly no hole in the wall, and as you go through the glass doors into the foyer adorned with properly impressive pictures of the tobacco fields. the Padrón family, and everyone else who has contribute to the making of this legendary brand, you know you are in the presence of history in the making.

 

But this is not just a museum or a delivery point. Here every box that comes in is open and every cigar is inspected again to make sure the cigar is perfect. Only then will the cigar make it into its wooden time capsule, not to be open again till it is time for us cigar aficionados to enjoy them. It is a joy to watch all these artisans at work, and admire the fruit of the labor of those masters who put them together.

 

When I showed up I was not sure I would be going anywhere past the foyer, even though I had been invited a couple of years ago at a Padrón event at Edward's to tour the facilities when in Miami. But I figured I got nothing to lose since I was already there. So I asked the lady at the front desk if Jorge Padrón (President of Padrón Cigars) was available. And as luck would have it, not only he was able to spare some time out of his busy schedule to chat with us, but he was also willing to give us the tour of the place while smoking an excellent Serie 1926 40th Anniversary. I told him all about our cigar club and he shared with us a description of the processing that takes place in this building and introduced us to other members of the family that also work there. Even his mom was there that afternoon, so I almost felt like I had a chance of visiting at home with the Padróns. And he also found the time to pose for photos! A most pleasant end to a rainy afternoon, and he still offered to accompany us to the car with a big golf umbrella to keep us out of the rain. Thank you Jorge, and keep making those wonderful cigars for our enjoyment.