Cards&Gars
"Kellito"
BOTLs,
I apologize for the length of this report ahead of time. :blush:
The “cliff notes” to this post are: Met Jorge; met Jeffery; got four cigars; had a hellava time!
I would just like to say the Jorge Padrón cigar dinner was a huge treat for me. Not only did I meet the man, but I met his nephew, Jeffery Padrón, as well… and we had a blast!
The night started with a “meet and greet” at Emerson’s Cigars in Chesapeake, Virginia at around 4:30pm. There Dan, Bob, Miles (my buds) and I stopped off to meet Jorge and pick up a couple of gars before we went to the Town Point Club for dinner. After we got to Emerson’s we met and talked to Jorge and got him to take some pictures and autograph the box of 1926 Serie #6s I purchased before the dinner. I will say this about the man… He is a hell of a guy. Some of the adjectives I would use to describe him are: down-to-earth, approachable, personable, friendly and charming. We all talked about various subjects: the future of Cuba; how Padrón Cigars might change if the Cuban borders were opened; why “what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas”; whether or not the Padrón family business will survive past the third generation (with little Jorge); and the best way to cook frijoles negros and season a steak.
Kelly & Jorge at Emerson's Cigars
We stood around the store counter and talked about these things a long time. I kept telling Jorge I didn’t want to capitalize his time (because there was a crowd at Emerson’s waiting to meet the man), but he insisted on continuing our conversation. He would always stop just long enough to sign an autograph and take a picture as more people flowed into the store, but always he came back to talk to me and my pals …and that is how the night began.
Interesting side note: I had heard his name pronounced two different ways all night, so I asked him how HE preferred his name to be pronounced. He said he had no preference and answered to both. I then asked him how his wife pronounced his name when she was angry with him. He laughed and said, “George!” So I stuck with “hor hey.”
From Left to Right: Kelly, Dan, Miles & Bob
Dinner: The Town Point Club is a pretty nice place. It has a nice reception area, and multiple dining and meeting rooms, and most importantly a dark wood paneled cigar lounge (complete with a nice plasma TV and overstuffed leather chairs). Our particular event dining room had an all window front that faced the harbor and (thankfully) a door that led out to a large balcony overlooking the water and marina. I say “thankfully,” because the smoke was thick in the dining room last night.
As soon as we arrived to the reception, we were handed 1926 Serie #9 which was immediately put to good use. This fine cigar was enjoyed by all as we quenched our thirsts around the very FREE, thus very popular, open bar. Dinner was served a little over an hour later, and was good, but nothing exceptional. What was exceptional, however, were the cigars.
Another fine Padrón cigar was passed out between courses - a large black, box-pressed Padrón 1964 Millennium Series Maduro that smoked like a dream! Then before dessert, I was passed another Padrón 1964 Millennium Series Maduro by a “friend” along with another 1926 Serie #9 (which I immediately lit.) Oh, and then we got another cigar after dessert…
From Left to Right: Jorge, Dan, Jeff, and Kelly
When dessert was over I got into another conversation with Jorge and Jeff about the Big Smoke in Vegas in November when Jorge got swamped again with admirers. No worries, Jeff and my group took our cigars and scotch out on the balcony and hung out for the rest of the evening. What was really cool about that was what we discovered about Jeffery Padrón. Jeff is 21 and lives in Texas with his mom. Now that he is “of age” he is being introduced to the business, traveling with is uncle to these dinners and other events, and visiting their factories in Nicaragua.
So, you may start seeing him mentioned in articles. (Wow…imagine… 21 and all that ahead of you…) One of the things Jeff was interested in was how the cigar community really liked his family’s cigars… “Simple,” I said, “Just go to www.cigarpass.com and read all about it.” No worries… he asked for my card and for me to write down the website address so he could look it up. I told him to make sure he introduces himself and that “Search is your friend!”
Kelly & Jeff Padron
So, it was a good night… Met some great people, had some great conversations, took some great pics, and smoked good smokes. I told Jorge at the end of the night that I would send him the pic of our little group so he could have it framed and hang it on HIS wall.
…oh, that last cigar? After dessert was served, guests received their final cigar of the night, a dark, box-pressed pyramid with a simple band and no lettering that was brought out by Jorge Padrón. Jorge described this cigar as a “special Padrón Family Reserve cigar that has never been released or seen by anyone outside the Padrón family.” …and that our little dinner was “only the second time this cigar was passed out.” Hmmm…I wonder how it tastes… I can’t wait to find out!
C&G… now a Padrón whore?
I apologize for the length of this report ahead of time. :blush:
The “cliff notes” to this post are: Met Jorge; met Jeffery; got four cigars; had a hellava time!
I would just like to say the Jorge Padrón cigar dinner was a huge treat for me. Not only did I meet the man, but I met his nephew, Jeffery Padrón, as well… and we had a blast!
The night started with a “meet and greet” at Emerson’s Cigars in Chesapeake, Virginia at around 4:30pm. There Dan, Bob, Miles (my buds) and I stopped off to meet Jorge and pick up a couple of gars before we went to the Town Point Club for dinner. After we got to Emerson’s we met and talked to Jorge and got him to take some pictures and autograph the box of 1926 Serie #6s I purchased before the dinner. I will say this about the man… He is a hell of a guy. Some of the adjectives I would use to describe him are: down-to-earth, approachable, personable, friendly and charming. We all talked about various subjects: the future of Cuba; how Padrón Cigars might change if the Cuban borders were opened; why “what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas”; whether or not the Padrón family business will survive past the third generation (with little Jorge); and the best way to cook frijoles negros and season a steak.
Kelly & Jorge at Emerson's Cigars
We stood around the store counter and talked about these things a long time. I kept telling Jorge I didn’t want to capitalize his time (because there was a crowd at Emerson’s waiting to meet the man), but he insisted on continuing our conversation. He would always stop just long enough to sign an autograph and take a picture as more people flowed into the store, but always he came back to talk to me and my pals …and that is how the night began.
Interesting side note: I had heard his name pronounced two different ways all night, so I asked him how HE preferred his name to be pronounced. He said he had no preference and answered to both. I then asked him how his wife pronounced his name when she was angry with him. He laughed and said, “George!” So I stuck with “hor hey.”
From Left to Right: Kelly, Dan, Miles & Bob
Dinner: The Town Point Club is a pretty nice place. It has a nice reception area, and multiple dining and meeting rooms, and most importantly a dark wood paneled cigar lounge (complete with a nice plasma TV and overstuffed leather chairs). Our particular event dining room had an all window front that faced the harbor and (thankfully) a door that led out to a large balcony overlooking the water and marina. I say “thankfully,” because the smoke was thick in the dining room last night.
As soon as we arrived to the reception, we were handed 1926 Serie #9 which was immediately put to good use. This fine cigar was enjoyed by all as we quenched our thirsts around the very FREE, thus very popular, open bar. Dinner was served a little over an hour later, and was good, but nothing exceptional. What was exceptional, however, were the cigars.
Another fine Padrón cigar was passed out between courses - a large black, box-pressed Padrón 1964 Millennium Series Maduro that smoked like a dream! Then before dessert, I was passed another Padrón 1964 Millennium Series Maduro by a “friend” along with another 1926 Serie #9 (which I immediately lit.) Oh, and then we got another cigar after dessert…
From Left to Right: Jorge, Dan, Jeff, and Kelly
When dessert was over I got into another conversation with Jorge and Jeff about the Big Smoke in Vegas in November when Jorge got swamped again with admirers. No worries, Jeff and my group took our cigars and scotch out on the balcony and hung out for the rest of the evening. What was really cool about that was what we discovered about Jeffery Padrón. Jeff is 21 and lives in Texas with his mom. Now that he is “of age” he is being introduced to the business, traveling with is uncle to these dinners and other events, and visiting their factories in Nicaragua.
So, you may start seeing him mentioned in articles. (Wow…imagine… 21 and all that ahead of you…) One of the things Jeff was interested in was how the cigar community really liked his family’s cigars… “Simple,” I said, “Just go to www.cigarpass.com and read all about it.” No worries… he asked for my card and for me to write down the website address so he could look it up. I told him to make sure he introduces himself and that “Search is your friend!”
Kelly & Jeff Padron
So, it was a good night… Met some great people, had some great conversations, took some great pics, and smoked good smokes. I told Jorge at the end of the night that I would send him the pic of our little group so he could have it framed and hang it on HIS wall.
…oh, that last cigar? After dessert was served, guests received their final cigar of the night, a dark, box-pressed pyramid with a simple band and no lettering that was brought out by Jorge Padrón. Jorge described this cigar as a “special Padrón Family Reserve cigar that has never been released or seen by anyone outside the Padrón family.” …and that our little dinner was “only the second time this cigar was passed out.” Hmmm…I wonder how it tastes… I can’t wait to find out!
C&G… now a Padrón whore?
