ReviewsConnecticut & Mild

Padrón Dámaso No. 17: The Mild Outlier

Name: Padrón Dámaso No. 17: The Mild Outlier
Item: No. 17
Rating: 90
Author: Theo Bennett

Reviewed cigar

Padrón Dámaso No. 17

Brand: Padrón
Line: Dámaso
Vitola: No. 17
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Size: 6 inches × 60 ring
Strength: Medium
Origin: Nicaragua
Price: $12–16
Smoking Time: 60 min

August 4, 2026

By Theo Bennett

Last updated: August 4, 2026

Construction

Draw

Flavor

Burn

Value

Overall / 100

Who should buy

Smokers who genuinely want a mild, creamy Connecticut
Connecticut fans curious what Padron does with the style
Anyone wanting an impeccably built morning smoke

Who should skip

Fans chasing the bold, dark Padron house profile
Value buyers - it feels pricey at $14-16 for a mild
Anyone reaching for the badge expecting cocoa and earth

A superbly built departure from the house style

The Padrón Dámaso No. 17 is the marque's mild outlier - a round toro (6.5 x 54, not box-pressed) with an Ecuadorian Connecticut-seed wrapper over Nicaraguan binder and filler, made in Estelí by the Padrón family. It reads mild to medium: creamy cedar, almond and cashew, light coffee-with-milk, a hay note, a soft white pepper and gentle sweetness. Launched in 2015 and named for founder Dámaso Padrón, it was a deliberate move into the mild, creamy Connecticut category - and a real departure for a company famous for dark, box-pressed puros. I usually prize character over polish, which is exactly why this one gives me mixed feelings.

What's beyond debate is the construction. Padrón's build quality carries fully into the round format - excellent draw, even burn, firm ash - and the Connecticut mellowness is cleanly executed, smooth and refined without the flat blandness that sinks weaker mild cigars. As a morning-and-coffee smoke it does its job well.

The honest reservation is identity, and it's the crux of the whole cigar. The Dámaso is divisive among Padrón loyalists: fans of the bold, cocoa-and-earth house profile often feel it doesn't taste like a Padrón and is too mild for its roughly $14-16 price. As a mild category outlier it drew positive but more modest attention than the flagship lines. If you want the signature Padrón character, the cheaper Serie 2000 gives you far more of it. For cross-shops in the creamy-mild lane, the Ashton Classic, Arturo Fuente 8-5-8 Natural and Macanudo Café are the names to compare.

Where it fits is the morning slot for a smoker who genuinely wants a mild, creamy, impeccably built Connecticut and isn't hung up on the badge - or a Connecticut fan curious what Padrón does with the style. It is not the pick for anyone chasing the bold, dark Padrón profile, who will be happier and spend less on the Serie lines. As a well-made mild outlier, the Dámaso No. 17 succeeds on its own terms even as it divides the faithful.

Pre-light & Cold Draw

The Padrón that doesn't look like a Padrón - a round toro, 6.5 x 54, not box-pressed, wrapped in a pale golden Ecuadorian Connecticut leaf. For a marque built on dark, box-pressed, cocoa-heavy puros, the Dámaso is a genuine departure, and I lit it curious about whether Padrón could do restraint. My cold draw gave a soft cream and light cedar, the roll firm and clean the way everything from this family is. I came in with an open mind but a note of skepticism - a mild Connecticut is not the cigar this company made its name on.

First Third

It opens creamy and smooth - cedar leading, a light almond and cashew nuttiness behind it, a soft touch of white pepper keeping it from going flat. This is classic Ecuadorian Connecticut mellowness, and it's well executed. The draw was excellent, the round format taking nothing away from Padrón's construction quality, and the burn started dead even. It's mild-to-medium and unmistakably a morning cigar, gentle and polished. Whether that's what you want from a Padrón is the whole debate, but on its own terms the opening is clean and pleasant.

Second Third

The middle stayed easy - cream and cashew, a light coffee-with-milk note, a hay-and-grass edge and a gentle sweetness. It's smooth and refined, and the construction is exactly what you'd hope: my burn ran even, the ash firm and holding well. This is where my honest reservation surfaced, though - it's lovely, but it doesn't taste like a Padrón. Strip the band off and I'd never guess the maker. For a mild Connecticut fan that's fine; for someone reaching for the name, it can feel like a different company entirely.

Final Third

The final third brought a toasted-bread note forward with cedar and subtle pepper, a touch more body arriving late but staying refined and easy across about an hour. It never built to anything strong. My honest read is that the Dámaso is superbly made and a genuinely good mild morning smoke, but it's divisive for a reason: fans of Padrón's bold cocoa-and-earth profile often feel it doesn't earn its name or its price. If you want a creamy Connecticut it delivers; if you want a Padrón, the cheaper Serie lines give you far more of the house character.

Pros

Impeccable Padrón construction in a round format - great draw and burn
Cleanly executed creamy Connecticut - cedar, almond, light coffee
A genuinely good, refined mild morning smoke

Cons

Doesn't taste like a Padrón - a departure from the house style
Divisive value - feels pricey for a mild at $14-16
The cheaper Serie lines give far more signature Padrón character

Frequently asked questions

Does it actually taste like a Padron?

Honestly, no - and that's the whole debate. Strip the band off and I'd never guess the maker. It's a creamy Ecuadorian Connecticut, a real departure from the dark, box-pressed, cocoa-heavy puros the marque built its name on.

Why did Padron make a mild Connecticut?

Launched in 2015 and named for founder Damaso Padron, it was a deliberate move into the mild, creamy Connecticut category. As someone who prizes character over polish, it gives me mixed feelings, but the construction is beyond debate.

Is it worth the $14-16 price?

That's the sticking point. For a mild, it feels pricey, and Padron loyalists often feel it doesn't earn its name at that number. If you specifically want a superbly built creamy Connecticut and aren't hung up on the badge, it delivers.

I want the real Padron character - what should I buy?

The cheaper Serie 2000 gives you far more of the bold, cocoa-and-earth house profile for less money. That's where I'd point anyone reaching for the Padron name rather than the Connecticut style.

What are good cross-shops in the mild lane?

The Ashton Classic, the Arturo Fuente 8-5-8 Natural and the Macanudo Cafe are the names to compare against. If a creamy morning Connecticut is genuinely what you're after, weigh the Damaso against those.

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