Perdomo Cigars are characterized by the three attributes Tabacalera Perdomo values most: "quality, tradition, and excellence." With an unparalleled attention to detail, and a commitment to integrity that's been handed down from generation to generation, when you buy Perdomo cigars you get more than the finest hand-rolled cigars in the world; you get the pleasure of smoking an ongoing legacy of distinction. Our cigar staff has produced an informational guide comprised with Perdomo cigar reviews for all of the blends we carry at Famous
The Perdomo Cigars story begins with the family patriarch, Silvio Perdomo, who was born and raised in San Jose de las Lajas, Cuba, 17 miles southeast of Havana. During the early 1930's Don Silvio apprenticed at Cuesta y Cia until 1937 when he moved on to the H. Upmann factory. By 1945 he was working at the famed Partagás factory in Havana where he worked until 1959. His son, Nick Perdomo Sr., began his apprenticeship in 1948 at the Marin & Trujillo factory and earned such high praise for his craftsmanship, he was soon working with his father at Partagás.
By 1959, the Cuban Revolution changed everything. Don Silvio, an ardent anti-Communist, was vehemently opposed Castro's regime, which led to his arrest, trial, and conviction, where he spent over 12 years of cruel and unusual punishment in some of Cuba's most vile prisons. Silvio finally left Cuba in 1974 and emigrated to the United States
Nick Sr. suffered similar consequences in Castro's "New Cuba." Ambushed by pro-Castro guerillas, he was shot several times and critically wounded. Thanks to a close friend and a sponsorship from The Catholic Church, Nick was able to leave Cuba and start a new life in the U.S.
Living in Washington, D.C. Nick worked as a janitor in a psychiatric hospital, but the lousy wages made it difficult to support a family. In 1976, after connecting with relatives who were already living in Florida, Nick moved his family to Miami, started a small construction business, and became a very successful general contractor.
Nick's son, Nick Perdomo Jr., grew up in Miami and after high school joined the U.S. Navy. Following his military service, Nick Jr. took a job as an air traffic controller at Miami Intl. Airport. Though his knowledge of the business at the time was limited, Nick Jr. was determined to follow in the footsteps of his father and grandfather and become a cigar maker.
While keeping his lucrative job at Miami Intl., in 1992, with the help of his wife Janine, Nick, Jr. started "Nick's Cigar Co." in his garage. The tiny tabacalera had three rollers and Nick and Janine handled all of the packing. Despite their tireless efforts, the company sold less than 10,000 cigars in the first year. Though sales improved, revenues were still way below par. However, Nick's timing was excellent; the impending cigar boom was warming-up in the bullpen.
At that time cigars made with mild Dominican fillers and Connecticut wrappers were the norm. But Nick Jr., who always thought outside the box, and liked bucking industry trends, began making full-bodied cigars. When the boom arrived in the mid-90's, cigar smokers were eager to try these Nick Perdomo cigars made with robust Central American tobaccos and richer-tasting Ecuadorian Sumatra wrappers. During the boom Nick also introduced the Perdomo Squared cigars line. As one of the first box-pressed cigars ever produced for the U.S. market, its success was a huge shot in the arm to the company.
In 1995 Nick Jr. bought his first cigar factory in Estelí, Nicaragua. His father, Nick Sr., who had already retired to Estelí, helped set up and supervise the factory's operations with his brother Antonio, and Perdomo Cigars S.A. was born.
Meanwhile, the Miami factory sales were heating up to the boiling point. Backorders were piling-up, so in 1997 Nick Jr. opened a new Perdomo Cigars factory in the Ybor City district of Tampa. But due to high labor costs which limited production and profits, the Tampa factory tanked.
Were it not for Nick Jr.'s vision and success in Nicaragua, cigar smokers today wouldn't be able to enjoy Perdomo Habano cigars, Perdomo 10th Anniversary Champagne, or be able to buy Perdomo cigars online. Perdomo would just be another cigar brand among many that fizzled-out after the boom.
In the first year alone the Estelí factory produced over a million cigars, and by 1999 Perdomo had to build an even bigger factory to keep up with demand. By 2001 production had increased by 10 times with a staff of 700 workers. That same year, the leaves for the future Perdomo Cigars Lot 23 selection were harvested.
Nick Perdomo Sr. passed away in 2004, but he left a marvelous legacy. The company has continued to grow and modernize by combining traditional Cuban tobacco farming methods with the latest advances in agricultural science. Today, the Tabacalera Perdomo factory is an 88,000 sq. ft. state-of-the-art facility, and the second-largest producer of premium handmade cigars in Nicaragua.
