Vitola: Toro- 6” x 50 ring gauge
- $22.00
- Acquired in product trade
Background
Today I’m following up two previous reviews…Keith reviewed the Davidoff Maxamar 15th Anniversary Exclusive back in April and I reviewed the Davidoff Tampa Exclusive Series (2017) just a week or so ago. Both of these cigars have a similar, if not identical, blend, which is a little confusing.
From what I have gathered, Davidoff made available to any Appointed Merchant celebrating a significant anniversary, as well as to all “Davidoff of Geneva 1911” flagship stores, the opportunity to have a cigar from the Exclusive Series. They presented 5 (or 6) cigars that all share the same basic components, but tweaked percentages of filler leaves. They all use Dominican and Nicaraguan fillers, Mexican San Andres Negro binder, and Ecuadorian Habano wrapper, and they are all 6 x 50 Toro. Since there are at minimum a dozen stores that have received Exclusive Series entries, there are undoubtedly shops that have opted for the exact same blend…though I wouldn’t expect anyone at Davidoff to tell you which is which.
Maxamar Ultimate Cigars is celebrating 15 years in business…which is roughly the same amount of time I have been smoking, as it happens. They were one of the first shops I regularly patronized and they are still my “go to” stores when I visit Southern California. Their online arm is Small Batch Cigar, which is our most regular and faithful sponsor on this site. You can purchase this exclusive Davidoff from them. I traded some Davidoff Tampa Exclusive Series sticks to Keith for some Maxamar 15th Anniversary Exclusives. This review stick is my 3rd one.
Prelight
I’d just about refer you to the prelight section of the Tampa Exclusive…the band is the normal simple, elegant luxury of Davidoff white label, along with a secondary band that reads “Anniversary 2016.” The Exclusive Series for the flagship stores has an image of each city’s skyline on the box, but on this one it just has “Maxamar Cigars” in the center, with “Exclusive 15th Anniversary” under that.
The wrapper leaf appearance is pretty much identical to the previous review, too…milk chocolate brown in color…a slight rasp of toothiness when you look closely. The aroma on this one hit me as more earthy and with a fair amount of manure note in it and just a little woodiness. The foot had a pretty similar aroma as the Tamp…mostly rich earthiness, along with minor notes of sweet hay and coffee…and a faint wood note here.
The cold draw was perfect and tasted of Davidoff funk, earth, and cedar, while leaving a slight pepper burn on my lips.
Flavor
The Davidoff Maxamar 15th Anniversary came to life with flavors of earth and cedar, layered over a more floral note and a good bit of the Olor funk that the company is known for. At the finish, there was a little bit of bread on the palate, as well as a slight peppery heat. The retrohale had a more intense pepper, though still not seriously hot. There was also a pronounced mix of cedar and roasted nuts on the nose. As the first third progressed Dominican notes of hay came to the fore, along with a slight molasses sweetness, all backed up with the funky mushroom note.
The last third of the Davidoff Maxamar 15th Anniversary showed more Nicaraguan earthiness with the Dominican sweet hay and mushroom notes coming in as supporting notes. The pepper spice ramped up on the palate, though was mostly absent on the retrohale which continued mostly nutty.
Construction
Typical Davidoff construction…in other words, perfect.
Value
This Toro is the same size as a Davidoff Aniversario No. 3, and about $3 to $5 a stick less. If you’re okay with the price the company commands, you’ll find this cigar to be a bargain.
Conclusions
To me, the Maxamar 15th Anniversary smoked a little stronger and more full bodied than the Tampa Exclusive, though the difference was marginal most of the way and only really showed up during the final third. Which is better? I can’t decide. Both are exceptional and give slightly different takes on the same blend. I’m rating them both as “Perfect 10s” and advise you to get your hands on any of the Exclusive Series by Davidoff in whatever way you feel appropriate. This is truly a remarkable blend that deserves to be smoked as often as you can afford.
By-The-Numbers
Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 2/2
Flavor: 5/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 10/10
