Best of the Best 2016: Leisure | Cigars: Padrón Dámaso

Long known for its full-bodied Nicaraguan puros, the family-owned and -operated Padrón brand created the Dámaso to suit contemporary tastes for a lighter smoke. It used Nicaraguan tobaccos for the binder and filler but swapped the Nicaraguan wrapper for a smoother, sweeter Ecuadoran Connecticut leaf. Redolent of citrus and gingerbread, the Dámaso is dramatically milder than Padrón’s other offerings and will likely bring the venerable brand many new fans. · Robb Report

Richard Carleton Hacker

Updated Sat, Jun 11, 2016, 12:00 PM

Long known for its full-bodied Nicaraguan puros, the family-owned and -operated Padrón brand created the Dámaso to suit contemporary tastes for a lighter smoke. It used Nicaraguan tobaccos for the binder and filler but swapped the Nicaraguan wrapper for a smoother, sweeter Ecuadoran Connecticut leaf. Redolent of citrus and gingerbread, the Dámaso is dramatically milder than Padrón’s other offerings and will likely bring the venerable brand many new fans.

The cigar is named for Dámaso Padrón, the first member of the family to grow tobacco in Cuba; he established a farm there in the late 1800s.
The light-tan color of the Connecticut-leaf wrapper distinguishes the Dámaso from other Padrón cigars.
Six sizes are available: No. 8 (5½ × 46), No. 12 (5 × 50), No. 15 (6 × 52), No. 17 (7 × 54), No. 32 (5¼ × 52), and No. 34 (6 × 50 torpedo).
The binder and filler tobaccos are aged a minimum of 3 years.

Padrón Cigars, padron.com ($12.50–$17.50)