David Savona
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David Savona
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A Tale of Two Factories
Posted: Apr 11, 2011 12:00am ET
My trip to Nicaragua last
week was short and sweet. I was there for the Nicaraguan Cigar Festival
and file a story for Cigar Aficionado (you'll read more about that
soon). You saw my visits to tobacco fields, but I also took the time to
visit two very different cigar factories in Estelí, the town in
northwestern Nicaragua where most of the country's cigars are made.
The first time I
visited a cigar factory in Nicaragua (back in 1999) I was surprised by
its relative silence. I was five years into the job at that point and
had visited several factories in the Dominican Republic. Dominican cigar
factories are quite festive. Loud music often plays and cigar rollers
converse loudly with their fellow workers as they go about their
business.
Not so in Central
America. The factories aren't quite silent, but the workers tend not to
chat as they roll or bunch. You hear noise of course, but that tends to
be the slap of chavetas on rolling tables,
the squeak of chairs moving as people get up to move to cigar presses,
the closing of doors—that sort of thing.
Nicaraguan factories
make phenomenal cigars, and I had the pleasure to visit two very nice
ones on this last trip. My first stop was at one of the mid-size
factories in Estelí—Tabacos Cubanica, owned by the Padrón family. This
is where all Padrón cigars are made. (Padrón once made some of its
cigars across the border in Honduras.)
At this facility,
which makes around 5 million cigars a year, the workers are divided
between rollers and bunchers, with the rollers (all female) sitting in
front, and the bunchers (all male) sitting in back. They make everything
from Padrón 2000s to Padrón Family Reserves here, using dark, rich
tobaccos. The cigars from this relatively modest cigar factory have won
our highest accolades, winning Cigar of the Year three times. Take a
look inside.
The second factory I
visited is My Father Cigars, owned by the Garcia family. The company's
My Father brand is made here, along with Tatuaje Havana VI, Jaime Garcia
Reserva Especial, La Aroma de Cuba (in many forms), San Cristobal and
many others. In 2009, a My Father No. 1 ranked No. 3 in our Top 25
Cigars of the Year.
There's a great deal of space here, and it
was designed by former engineer Jaime Garcia, so it has a smart flow of
product. Tobacco moves through the building, is made into cigars, then
out another end, packed in a box made elsewhere on the facility, which
is big, colorful and modern.
The workers are
arranged differently here, with bunching/rolling teams sitting side by
side. The rolling gallery is also much larger. Take a look.
Two factories in
Nicaragua, each with its own style and personality, each making
award-winning cigars.
Comments 7 comment(s)
Justin O'Brien — Windsor, Ontario, Canada, — April 11, 2011 9:05pm ET
Paul Byrne — Toronto , Ontario, Canada, — April 11, 2011 11:50pm ET
Those factories seem so much more modern, organized, and efficient than the Cuban factory videos we've seen before. Seems the Cubans could learn a thing or two from these guys.
stantine972 — April 13, 2011 7:44pm ET
David Savona
Any reason why the Padron factory has only female rollers and male bunchers? Whatever the reason, it is working quite well. Nicaragua, makes some of my favorite cigars, Padron, My father, Tatuaje.... Nice write up and we always love those videos Dave.
George
Terrell Harmon — Portage, MI, USA, — April 15, 2011 10:24am ET
David, next time slow down when panning the room you movesso fast the view was a blur. The Pardon's appear to have a very professional work place. Everything appears to be in its place. In my opinion the Padron's are the best non-Cuban Cigars.
D Stankiewicz — San Diego, CA, usa, — April 16, 2011 11:29pm ET
Thanks for the inside look of a cigar assembly operations. As a new cigar smoker, I would be interested to see where the El Baton's are made - just a thought for future travels!
Denis Clermont — Ogden, Québec, Canada, — April 17, 2011 10:44pm ET
Thanks David for these visits I realy enjoy them. Keep up the good work. Looking forward for other visits and information.
DENNIS M THRASHER SR — BIRMINGHAM, MI, UNITED STATES, — April 25, 2011 11:16am ET
Dennis T- Birmingham, MI with all of the cigar smoking bans and aggressive tactics by anti smokers it is a surprise to me that the industry continues to prosper. With a new Cigar Bar about to be approved in our fair City it is proof that while we may be down, we are not out. Nice article and congrats to the Padron and Garcia families.
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Excellent write up David and great video. Those Padron's look very tasty. It's great to view different factorys and workers making these fabulous cigars. Thanks for the update.