Santa Damiana Corona in glass tubes

A first-class cigar

Santa Damiana embodies the cosmopolitan spirit amongst cigars and represents the Dominican way of life in humidors worldwide. For more than two decades, this brand has been one of the best-known and most popular hand-rolled cigars from the Dominican Republic. The renowned ‘Tabacalera de Garcia’ factory produces three ranges under this brand. The tobacco for the premium Santa Damiana is carefully sorted by hand and aged for at least two years before being processed. This allows the aficionado to enjoy the cigar straight away, without having to store it for a long time beforehand, as is the case with many others.

Although the Santa Damiana cigar brand has been in existence for over 20 years, it can essentially be regarded as relatively new, as it was only launched in 1992. It was given a slightly stronger and fuller-bodied blend specifically for the European market. The filler consists of a combination of Dominican and Mexican tobaccos, whilst the binder comes from Mexico. The wrapper, on the other hand, is a high-quality US Connecticut Shade.

Top rating

Santa Damiana is an extremely popular Dominican range that consistently offers first-class quality. It promises an uncomplicated and harmonious smoking experience with a flavour that can be described as light yet highly aromatic. The Churchill size, for example, received the top rating of 5 stars from Cigar Journal, which is the highest possible accolade in that magazine.

Tasting report

Cigars’ exterior: Golden yellow with fine veining
Cigar construction: Good workmanship, medium roll
Smoke: Mild , slightly creamy with medium volume
Flavour: Woody notes with hints of nut, earth and pepper.
Burn: Good burn