Davidoff Nicaragua Toro (5.5x54)

One of the cigars that made a big splash at IPCPR was this new release from Davidoff.  The name Davidoff does nothing for me at all, I usually think boring and mild blends with a ridiculously high price tag that screams look at me I like no flavor and I am a douchebag!  I kid of course, you know I am an advocate of smoking whatever you want to smoke (unless it is crack, or meth or dope of any kind because then you really are a douchebag), but the Davidoff name has become synonymous with mild profiles and high price tags.  I can't recall the last time I went out of my to smoke a Davidoff and usually will only smoke one if it is offered to me by someone else.  It just really isn't my thing.

What caught my attention about this cigar was the word Nicaragua.  The implication of a quality cigar manufacturer like Davidoff expanding their boundaries into Nicaraguan tobacco was just too huge to ignore.  Here is what you should know.  Davidoff has big bucks, they pay attention to making high quality cigars (they have to at super premium prices you only get super premium smokers that are picky) and they only grow and buy the best tobaccos in the world to wear their name.  This is a combination that makes for a very interesting proposition, a Nicaraguan version of the timeless and revered Davidoff brand.  They now had my interest!

The cigar itself is impeccable looking.  They have given the band work and cigar a more full bodied look.  Darker wrapper, darker band work and all the visuals add up to this not being the typical rich man's Davidoff in the white, with all the white, surrounded by white.  The wrapper is beautiful and has very few veins and a silky appearance that looks like lightly creamed coffee.  The bunch and roll look very nice, as I expected, Kelner and his boys have an eye for quality and I can't find an issue.  The pre light draw smacks of earth and pepper.  The pre light aroma has dark wood and lighter spice notes that linger slightly.

The cigar opens with a profile that is everything I would expect from a Davidoff product, even the Nicaraguan tobacco can't change what they do.  The core profile is mild/medium, but it does have some very nice flavors.  There are hints of earth and pepper, but most of the core at this point is a warm and light wood note that does not offer much depth or complexity.  Through the nose and at the back of the palate there are some worthy ideas of spice and pepper, but they are too muted at this point to be anything beyond barely noticeable.  The draw is a real dream to this point, performing perfectly.  The burn is ok, but the wrapper loses some cohesion early on and I have to take some off as it unspools.  Upon removal of the unruly piece of wrapper the cigar evens back out fairly quickly.

The first half of the cigar actually picks up some steam.  The core profile takes on a decidedly robust wood flavor and has some interesting anise and spice flavors that lend some sweetness to off set the smoky wood portion.  While not particularly complex or deep, these flavors are nice and play favorably with one another.  The back of the palate begins to show some earthy tones, but I am looking for something more here as it is fairly mundane.  The draw is still spot on.  The burn is a little sloppy in some spots, but it is working itself out.

The final half of the cigar becomes truly Nicaraguan.  The core profile becomes a solid array of pepper and wood, with some notes of spice.  There is depth here and the profile becomes more complex.  The back of the palate and the nose show some fantastic earth flavors and there is some nice spice here as well.  All in all this is rounding into quite something in the last third of the smoke.  The draw stays solid all the way through the smoke.  The burn evened out nicely in the last half.

The finish was a touch short, but had some earth and spice notes that were satisfying.

This is by far the best Davidoff I have smoked.

Appearance- 93 a very nice looking smoke

Taste- 89 very strong in the last third, but the first half left something to be desired

Construction- 88 nice draw throughout, but the burn was wonky in the front half

Strength- 89 a nice mild early and a nice medium late, for Davidoff devotees this would be full

Overall- 89.25 a very nice score, for a good smoke

Davidoff Maduro T (6x48)

So I bought two of these at the ultra super premium price of $25 per and let them simmer in the humi for a couple of weeks before I got around to smoking them.  I will start this off by saying that I have seldom smoked any cigar that is worth $25, but I am always willing to part with some hard earned green to see if there is one out there that will be truly worth the asking price.  Very few come immediately to mind.  The Fuente Ashton ESG at $30, the Pepin Garcia LE from 2010 at $20 and some assorted Cubans that I have bought over the years.

The excitement about these cigars was the introduction of the maduro wrapper, Davidoff has always been known for mild premiums and these babies were supposed to have stepped it up a notch.  I remove cello and begin the ritual.  The wrapper is dark and bold looking with some veining, but nothing that is concerning to me at this point.  The construction seems tight, but there is enough give so I think it will perform well from a burn and draw perspective.  The pre light aroma is pungent and bordering on foul with a sour milk like odor on the nose.  The pre light draw is horrific as acidic notes sear the lips and tongue and burn the throat.

The cigar opens with a profile that can only be described as something akin to licking a 9 volt battery several times.  The twang in the profile can't be isolated, but 9 volt is as close as I can come.  At the back of the palate there are some thoughts of wood and maduro sweetness, but I am grimacing whilst trying to find redeeming character.  The draw is fluid enough and the burn is a touch lopsided in the early moments.

The first half of the cigar shows little improvement.  The profile eases somewhat, but the flavors are not complex or deep.  There are some hints of spice and sugar cane, but they are cloaked by the continuing acidic notes that assail the front of the palate.  At the back of the palate there are still some fleeting wood and sweet notes, but the front of the palate is getting raked over the coals so discerning anything this deep in the smoke is nearly futile.  The draw stays acceptable, but the burn is going to require some touch ups.

The final half of the smoke is barely smokable.  The profile is a horrific blend of acid and burning detritus, and I am considering chucking the whole shooting match at this point.  At the back of the palate there are still some wood notes, but the experience is now a lost cause.  The draw is still fine, but the burn requires several touch ups down the stretch.

Sadly, both cigars I smoked showed the same attributes.  Save your shekels and buy something smokable, like a Garcia y Vega....I kid of course

Appearance- 87 a nice looking smoke, but nothing too special
Taste- 70 one of the worst I have ever...yes, ever smoked!
Construction- 83 some burn issues, but the draw was acceptable
Strength- 85 not sure so I will cause it average
Overall- 79.75 very, very poor and I am flummoxed as to why I thought it would be something other than bad