PADILLA MIAMI 8/11 ROBUSTO

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Tasting Note

It’s unusual for any cigar company to have versions of a brand rolled in three countries, and even more unlikely that such a brand would be among the smaller on the U.S. market, yet that’s the case with Padilla Cigar Co. Run by 33-year-old Ernesto Padilla, who has worked in the cigar business for only five years, the brand includes one Padilla rolled in the Dominican Republic and another in Nicaragua. The best is rolled in Miami, at El Rey de los Habanos. The Padilla Miami 8&11 Robusto (named in honor of the factory address, 8th Street and 11th Avenue) is a full-bodied masterpiece. Made with Cuban-seed Nicaraguan tobaccos, the 5 by 50 smoke has caramel, chocolate and spice notes and a long finish. They aren’t cheap or easy to find.