Vitola: Belicoso Supremo- 5.5” x 52 ring gauge
- $27.49
- Purchased at Burns Tobacconist
Background
In recent years, Davidoff has seemingly flooded the market with Limited Edition cigars. Year-specific LEs, Chinese Zodiac LEs, LE versions of specific blends. Now with the advent of the Davidoff Vault program (and the FDA regulations, too, I suspect), old Limited Editions are starting to “new again.” Luckily, the store where I work is part of the Davidoff Vault program, so I am able to fairly easily get my hands on some of these sticks. The latest to arrive is the 2011 “White Edition.”
This cigar uses a Dominican Criollo wrapper over a Peruvian Corojo binder and several fillers from the Dominican Republic: San Vicente Ligero, Piloto Ligero, and San Vicente Visus. It’s worth noting that the Davidoff website states that this cigar uses some tobacco that is no longer available, although it does not specify what leaf it is.
I bought several at Burns Tobacconist and I’ve smoked two before I got around to this review sample.
Prelight
As with pretty much every Davidoff ever made, the look is immaculate. Perfect roll, perfect wrapper, a band that conveys simple elegance. The Dominican wrapper leaf was in between the color of peanut butter and milk chocolate, with just the slightest tinge of red under certain lighting. It was smooth and moderately oily under my fingertips with a aroma that combined barnyard and cedar. The foot of the cigar had a clean hay aroma that really belied the complexity I knew was about to be unleashed once I fired up the cigar.
I clipped the head thinking of how much I dislike Belicosos or any other torpedo-tipped cigar…but then I remembered that this is a Davidoff. If anyone can be trusted to have great construction on any size they produce, it is Davidoff. Sure enough, the cold draw was easy and flavorful, with a large dose of the Davidoff funk along with notes of hay and cedar.
Flavor
The Davidoff White Edition 2011 opens up with a dry cedar note up front, followed up by the funk mustiness some people seek out Davidoffs to get, as well as a slight citrus note, hay and earth. The retrohale had roasted nuts and cedar, along with a brief peppery hit. After a few minutes, I noticed that I was getting that slightly numbing feeling from the smoke, something I’ve only previously experienced on Cuban cigars and an occasional stick that was heavy with Piloto Cubano leaf. There is Piloto Ligero in this mix, so I assumed that was the reason. I really added a nice “Cuban-esque” note to the proceedings, though with much more complexity than your typical Cuban.
As I got into the second third, I noted that the body was a tick north of the medium line. I was getting plenty of funk and cedar in the mix, along with a touch of citrus sweetness and the continuation of the numbing sensation that I loved so much.
The last third of the White Edition 2011 had the first notable appearance of earthiness along with an increase in citrus and the continuation of the funk and numbing notes.
Construction
I had a perfect draw, very even burn line and solid ash.
Value
Expensive cigar, but worth every penny on every puff.
Conclusions
The Davidoff White Edition 2011 (or Limited Edition 2011, if you like) is still a truly spectacular cigar, with tons of the signature Davidoff funk along with fantastic complexity the entire length of the cigar. While it is expensive, it is worth picking up a few to have around for special occasions…a remarkable way to finish off a productive day…or to lift your spirits when the day didn’t go quite as you had hoped.
As of the time of this writing, Small Batch Cigar had some 5-packs of this cigar left.
By-The-Numbers
Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 2/2
Flavor: 4.5/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 9.5/10
