Wrapper: Ecuadorian Rojiza
Binder: Mexican San Andrés
Filler: Dominican (Piloto Mejorado Seco, Piloto Seco, Hybrid Olor Piloto Seco, Nicaraguan Condega Seco, Nicaraguan Estelí
Size: 5.5 x 52 Robusto
Strength: Medium
Price: $22.00
My cigars received 5 months of naked humidor time.
THE WHOLE MEGILLAH:
A beautiful floral aroma. Nothing replaces the wonderful surprise of putting cigar to nose and getting something other than dung. While the floral is the dominating fragrance, there are lighter notes of melting caramel, freshly baked croissants, and a touch of spicy white pepper.
The draw is dead nuts. My PerfecDraw can sleep in.
The Ecuadorian wrapper is ultra delicate. My sticks have been beaten up pretty good over the last half year. It’s not always possible to reach into your humidor wearing white opera gloves when moving your cigars around to see what the hell is going on at the bottom. And thus, dings and rattles are the result.
Anytime I see a regular production cigar with very few online reviews I figure the cigar ain’t so hot. I found merely a couple critiques, and they go back years. The Late Hour version has been reviewed ad nauseum.
As most of us morons do, I smoked a couple too early. The end result was I tossed the cigars before seeing a natural death. But now, there are flakes of gold on the tip of my tongue. Delightful tones of very sweet caramel, cinnamon frosting, perfectly balanced lemon tartness, white pepper, and cream cheese creaminess. Nice.
Strength begins at mild/medium. Which is really not my favorite place to land. But this baby is chock full of flavor. There is an immediate saturation of richness and nuances. The real trick is whether the cigar blend can keep it up. A wifely question.
Without coffee ever touching my lips, there is background noise of mocha java.
Davidoff has always been a complicated brand. Often, we damn ourselves to hell when we overpay for a fiver or a box…because the blend, in the end, does not match the hype generated by this company. The cigar industry has caught up to Davidoff in 2024 by matching its price points. It’s all very confusing for the consumer. And also confusing for Davidoff when they sit in a board meeting to discuss how they can violate their loyal base. And then it dawns…the $50 Davidoff from this point forward. It’s coming.
This is a nice transitional blend. The cigar tells me that I’ve reached the limit on the flavor profile. It’s now up to the dried leaves to speak to something else. It needs serious complexity. And at only 2” burned, The Original begins the trek to impress.
Strength has found grace at medium.
Delicious cigar. I’m pulling for it to succeed. Put your body next to mine and dream on.
Nice burn despite wrapper damage.
The Winston Churchill falls into line with popular choices. Is it worth $22? Nope. It’s a solid $15 cigar. The extra $7 is for padding the board’s pockets. And the other $10 is normal mark up on a cigar. But if you want ‘Oohs and Ahhs’ at your next herf, this stick will suffice. Everyone recognizes the cigar band.
But do I love it. I do. Do I regret spending $88 for a four pack. Sure. This is more of an ‘impressing the boss’ purchase. You show up with a gunny sack of Davidoffs at the company picnic and you’re the hero.
I’ve entered the Cave of Solitude. Transitions falter a bit, but the complexity is where it needs to be to stop me from complaining. So is there a difference between a cigar that meets expectations and one that surprises with guiltless and endless pleasure. Sure. I prefer the latter, but I will gladly enjoy the former. The difference is a few rating points.
Fattest notes are lemony cream cheese, milk chocolate, and white pepper. Layered below are footnotes of caramel, café au lait, and spicy cinnamon. Not a flavor bomb but that’ll do, pig. The balance is dead nuts. Savory v. Sweet is flawless.
Is it a well-kept secret amongst serious cigar smokers. Do we know, but never speak of, that Davidoff is just OK. Are we afraid of being slapped down in a public herf for our opinion. Sure. Does it stop us from purchasing new D blends. Nope. We are total saps.
I loved this cigar. Is it worth $22. Seek out your wife and ask.
In case you were wondering, the longest title of a rock n roll song is ‘Everybody’s Got Something to Hide Except for Me and My Monkey.’ Apropos for purchasing a Davidoff.
This is an absolute nubber.
You can purchase this cigar from sponsor Small Batch Cigar (10% off with promo code ‘katman’).
RATING: 96
Categories: CIGAR REVIEWS
Cigar Reviews by the Katman 
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