Padilla Dominus Double Robusto

Since its creation, the Padilla brand has continued to earn high ratings, receive top honors, and wow enthusiasts at the same time. The brand was created by brothers Ernesto and Carlos Padilla, who are dedicated to perfection and use what they refer to as “lost or forgotten” old-Cuban traditions in order to create an outstanding premium handmade cigar. To them, attention to detail is paramount, so Ernesto and Carlos personally observe each cigar as it passes through a 5-step, “seed-to-box” process. The name Dominus means master in Latin, which is fitting as this cigar definitely lives up to that title. Handmade at the famed Raices Cubanas factory in Honduras, this beauty has a core of Nicaraguan long-fillers and binder which is secured by a gorgeous 2006 Nicaraguan Corojo wrapper. Full bodied, this complex smoke will lend notes of black pepper, coffee, chocolate, earth, and a subtle sweetness on the finish. Cigar Aficionado loved this cigar, as we did, and gave this smoke a 92-rating, noting its excellent construction and razor-sharp burn. Enjoy this smoke with a bourbon.

Honduras has been a tobacco growing and cigar manufacturing area for hundreds of years, but it was the Communist revolution in Cuba that really put Honduras on the map. In the 1960s, many Cuban cigar makers fled their homeland and arrived in Honduras to re-establish their way of life. The immigrants took advantage of the climate, soil, and geography, which were well-suited to tobacco growing, and began producing high quality cigars. The center of the Honduran cigar industry is the city of Danli and the nearby Jamastran Valley. The majority of the world’s pure Corojo tobacco is grown here, now that Cuba has stopped production of this iconic, spicy, and rich variety in favor of Corojo hybrids. Other important areas of Honduran cigar production include the Talanga Valley, Copan, and Trojes.