Good Life Diaries

[Interview conducted January 2009] There are a lot of brands that we consider “household” names… all solid products with a long history of quality and consistency which makes them deserving of the “household” status. And then there’s the other side… the “boutique” brands. The ones that you hear about once in a while, or read about in a magazine and start looking for but you have a hard time finding… and then finally you find one and get the chance to try it. I’ve known Ernesto Padilla for a number of years, and it’s been a treat watching him develop as a brand during that time. It’s been even more of a treat to smoke his cigars and see how they too evolve. With the recent opening of his own factory in Miami, we’re entering the newest chapter of the Padilla saga. So how did u get started in this business?? I was born in Havana, Cuba. My family is from Spain, the Canary Islands, which have had a long tradition with cigars. Then they came to Cuba, bought land and began to sell to major m

For 35 years, the MATASA factory has made some of the finest cigars in the Dominican Republic. From their flagship "Fonseca" brand, to other well known favorites like Cubita, Casa Blanca, and several others... the name MATASA has always been synonymous with excellence. Manuel Quesada has been the force behind the MATASA factory. Now, his "young ones" are growing up, and becoming more and more involved. With the "young ones" come new ideas, new concepts, and finally new cigars. On June 29, 2009 the entire Quesada family came to New York to premiere their new brand, Quesada, and a commemorative cigar to celebrate and honor their father and uncle, Manolo. Although it won't be available until late in the summer, about 80 lucky guests got to taste this new cigar, and I was one of them. Now, I'm a little biased since I had the pleasure of being part of the creative process from the beginning on this project, but to finally taste it finished, it its prope