La Madrina Shade Belicoso

Dapper Cigar Co.

• Country of Origin: Nicaragua
• Factory: Nicaragua American Cigars S.A
• Wrapper: Ecuador (Connecticut Shade)
• Binder: Mexico (San Andrés)
• Filler: Dominican Republic, Nicaragua & U.S.A.
• Length: 6 1/4 Inches
• Ring Gauge: 52
• Vitola: Belicoso
• MSRP: $12.39 (Box of 20, $247.80)
• Release Date: Sept. 17, 2021
• Number of Cigars Released: Regular Production
• Original Score: 91

Dapper Cigar Co. released the La Madrina line in 2018, and in 2021 it introduced an Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapped version called the La Madrina Shade. While this isn’t Dapper Cigar Co.’s first time on our Top 25 list—having previously placed eighth in 2019 with the Cubo Sumatra Robusto—the La Madrina Shade blend is an excellent addition to the line.

With nutty and creamy notes at the forefront of a complex and well-balanced profile, the only other thing you could ask for in an excellent cigar is good construction—and the La Madrina Shade delivers on that as well. Though it missed out on the Top 10 by a very small margin, that’s not to say this isn’t an excellent cigar. In a year when we have had some wonderful cigars, the latest version of the La Madrina takes a very respectable 11th place on our list. — Brian Burt.