Welcome to Miami –The Most Cigar-Friendly City in America
As a cigar smoker, you would be hard pressed to find a more cigar-friendly city. I recently had the opportunity to spend a long weekend in the area, certainly not the first time I have done so, and I was reminded again that a few good places still exist in this tobacco oppressed era. Don’t get me wrong, I’m OK with smoking legislation that protects innocent children, expectant mothers, adults with respiratory issues, etc., but a city enacting legislation that does not permit smoking within an establishment marketing itself as a cigar bar – that goes too far.
In fact, most of the state of Florida is cigar friendly, and Miami stands out as the winner (with no disrespect to Tampa, which has quite a cigar heritage itself and is a definite “top 5” in my book). So what puts Miami over the top?
Certainly, there is the “joie de vivre” among Miami residents and visitors, especially in the Miami Beach area. A fine cigar is associated with living the good life. Then there is the weather. It is an outdoors lifestyle in Miami, with many restaurants and watering holes featuring an open-air seating area – again very conducive to a smoke. However, in my opinion, it all starts with the Latin American influence and the especially strong representation of Cuban people and culture, including cigars. How many American cities have a region known as Little Havana? Miami does – and if you have an appreciation for cigars and look forward to a cultural experience, it is worth checking out.
Some excellent premium and super premium cigars are manufactured in Little Havana. The Padilla and Tatuaje brand cigars are just a couple worth noting for their high quality and recent recognition in the industry. The La Gloria Cubana brand, and one of my all-time favorite cigar companies, Padron, each share Little Havana and Miami roots, though very few cigars are still produced by either of these manufacturers in Miami anymore. I do believe a freshly hand-rolled La Gloria Cubana can still be purchased in Little Havana, and the Padron Cigar Co. is headquartered in Miami.
In honor of Miami and its rich cigar heritage, and for welcoming me back yet again this spring, I chose the Padron #3000 for my review this week. Please email me at cigarreviews@bullz-eye.com with other cigar-friendly cities or establishments that you like.
Cigar Review:
Padron #3000 Maduro
Size: 5½ inches in length, 52 Ring Gauge
Price: $4 to $5.50 range
The Padron #2000 through #6000 lines come in either a natural or maduro wrapper, the difference being the size of the cigar. These are premium hand-rolled Nicaragua-grown puros. Though it comes from Cuban seeds, the tobacco provides the smoker with an excellent example of Nicaraguan leaves. See the previous week’s article regarding puro cigars.
Padron also manufactures a couple of super premium cigars, like the 1964 Anniversary and 1926 lines.
Tobacco blend:
Wrapper: Nicaraguan
Filler and binder: Nicaraguan
Context
I smoked this on my last day of a long and active weekend in the Miami area visiting my brother and a couple of other friends. I was tired and was re-hydrating my body with ice water.
Look and feel
The cigars are not the prettiest, but looks are deceiving in this case. I’ve smoked enough of these to know that the quality of both the tobacco and construction tends to be consistent and very good, even though they will not win a beauty contest. The wrappers can have some blemishes, and the cap on this particular cigar had a sloppy application. The maduro version has a dark, oily sheen (which is good). The double guillotine cut was clean and the pre-draw was tasty.
Aroma and Taste
The Padron #3000, like virtually every Padron I have smoked, impresses me with copious smoke, an even burn and a long-lasting nature. The aroma, both pre-lit and lit, can be strong. This particular #3000 started with a burst of flavor, tending toward burnt toast on the first couple of puffs. It smoothed out quickly to a complex flavor that seemed to include a blend of strong black coffee with hints of cocoa powder. The flavor stayed pretty consistent down to the nub. Padrons will sometimes have a more discernable variety in flavor throughout the smoke than this particular cigar did, but the subtle variances are usually welcome and rarely disappointing.
RATING: 9.2 (on a scale of 1 to 10)
The Padron #3000 or #2000 is an excellent cigar to experiment with, to see if your taste buds are ready for a more full-bodied and flavorful smoke. The smoke is smooth and it is one of the best values in the market. You will be hard pressed to find a comparable cigar of this quality for under $5.
Cigar Quote:
“Smoking is indispensable if one has nothing to kiss.” – Sigmund Freud
DISCLAIMER: At the risk of sounding too much like a TV commercial, I do want to sincerely state: This feature is NOT intended to advocate the smoking of cigars any more or any less than you already do, nor do I intend to influence the non-smoker to begin smoking cigars. Make no mistake about it; CIGAR SMOKING MAY BE HAZARDOUS TO YOUR HEALTH.
