Each: $56.00
Capa: Ecuador
Capote: Dominican Republic
Tripa: Dominican Republic & Peru
La Fuerza: Medium
Forma: 7 1/2 x 50

First Half:
I am a firm believer in dry boxing cigars. If you are fortunate to live in a state with low humidity, you have it made in the shade. Florida can be a miserable place when the ever present humidity turns your cigars into a sea sponge. Therefore, dry boxing is the scheme of the century in which the smoker can get ahead of mother nature.

The cold draw takes only seconds. I retrohale the unlit cigar. Microscopic nodules of tobacco rest near my sinuses. The floral aroma is a delight.

I take my time as I torch the foot. It is ritualistic and calmative. A bright cherry is inviting and sociable. Within the first minute, the relaxation is put on hold as there is pungent sourness, strong black pepper, and rotten wood. I push the cigar away from my mouth as if it might want the chance to explain itself, and I observe a crack near the foot. If you arrive disheveled for roll call, you will find yourself on an unlevel playing field. Therefore, you arrive rakish and snappy. The Zino is docked for disorderly conduct.

The first two inches are self-defeating. The cigar requires several attempts to keep the ember front and center. You expect a protocol of refinement from a Davidoff cigar. The poor construction was given a questionable safe harbor as expectations were high for the manufacturer’s stated flavor menu. There is no hint of dark chocolate. What might be described as cinnamon is merely sharp unpleasantness.

Early Summary: In a herf environment where I might be asked how I was enjoying this cigar there would be a flurry of epithets.

2 1/2 inches and the slightest complex notes are set in motion to offset the disagreeable initial welcome. The black pepper relaxes and the unrelenting sourness becomes even more noticeable. This is my third Zino over a 5 day period. Unfortunately, I am having the same reaction provided by cigar #1 and cigar #2. I had the same construction issues with the prior cigars.

The retrohale doesn’t help. It provides a bland accent to a failing cigar.

We must admit that as smokers, we find self-control is something for the other guy to observe. We get new cigars. We lovingly unbox the treasure chest. Our eyes are like saucers. We sniff. We fondle. We tell ourselves we will wait and let them age. A couple days later, we are lighting one up just to see. At the halfway point, we begin to curse and wail to the heavens what idiots we are. I’ve never pulled the trigger in this haphazard manner with a $50 cigar. It is the $11 sticks that bare witness to a premature demise.

The cigar needs a boost of creaminess to offset the intense spiciness. But Davidoff declares this is a woody smoke. It’s a cover up. At the 3 1/2 inch mark, the acidity is overwhelming. Any cigar at this price point must strike immediately with positive notes. Its solitary attempt for immortality might be with the redemption of serious aging. I have one cigar left and it will not be touched before astronauts set foot on the moon.

First Half Summary: Despite this cigar being given several months of aging, it clearly had no upbeat impact. Please note that I’m being generous while giving Davidoff the benefit of serious doubt.

While I’m not willing to indict this cigar as an unfunny joke, the first half comes and goes and doesn’t leverage my palate in a flattering way,

Second Half Summary: Leaves preserved in the form of an expensive fungible token need to inform the palate rather than deceive it. The cigar is motionless. If the esteemed reviewers who blind taste test cigars were to appraise this blend, they would discover utter disappointment. No sightless smoker could possibly guess this is a $56 Davidoff.
During the last 3 inches of the cigar, its tartness scatters to the four winds. This writer is relieved. Yet the lack of terribleness does not make for an enjoyable cigar. It merely allows me to polish off this tour de force without a disturbing facial manifestation.

Few smokers want to take the chance that a $56.00 cigar will find a gilded outcome at some point in the future. I can afford this cigar, but I wouldn’t dare recommend it to my friends who see the world as their oyster.

Scoring System 1-100 averaged and rounded up as follows:
Appearance: 85
Construction: 88
Aroma, Draw, & Burn: 85
Complexity: 60
Balance: 50
Final Score: 74

An Introduction:
I first met the Katman in 2006. I was visiting relatives in Chicago. Phil had not yet become the cigar bon vivant we’ve all come to love, but we shared a passion for good cigars. We became fast friends over these last 18 years. He joyfully shared his wealth of knowledge with me. I will try to follow his lead in providing entertaining cigar reviews.

I’ve been a cigar smoker for 19 years. I reside in Florida. I am descended from immigrants from Cuba. I am married with three children. I enjoy playing golf. I am an avid fitness trainer. I am a great cook. I am a Big Brother. I have opinions about good cigars and bad cigars. I will offer up both in this and future reports. Like my predecessor’s creed, I believe that brutal honesty is vital in winning a reader’s trust.
All hail the Katman. Call me Kittenman. Daniel Pérez for short.

Categories: CIGAR REVIEWS