Vitola: Robusto- 5.5” x 48 ring gauge
- MSRP $30
- Purchased at Burns Tobacconist
Background
The Davidoff Vault series began a couple years back, showcasing special releases—either re-releases of special cigars gone by, or very limited releases of blends from the Master Blender’s archives. One of the latest releases is the Kizuna, originally released for Japan in 2011, “this cigar was created for a charity event to commemorate the strength and bond of friendship upon the aftermath of an earthquake that struck the country. Davidoff Master Blenders used 3 Ligero, and 2 Seco tobaccos from the Dominican Republic, and a beautiful oily Habano seed Ecuadorian wrapper, all providing a specific stimulation to the palate that once blended, combine to create an exquisite balance, much like a strong friendship.”
The Kizuna uses Dominican fillers and binder (specifically San Vicente Ligero, Piloto Seco, Piloto Ligero, and Olor Ligero leaf for the filler and San Vicente Seco for the binder), along with an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper.
400 bundles of 10 cigars were released in the U.S. for the Vault program, of which Burns Tobacconist where I work is a member store. I purchased two sticks, but this review sample is my first time smoking the blend. For those that discount single-stick reviews, I will counter that at this price point, there should be zero notable variation from cigar to cigar…and I would bet that is Davidoff’s stance, as well. They are pretty proud of their blending, quality control and consistency.
Leaf Enthusiast sponsor, Small Batch Cigar, has (at the time of this writing) a sampler of 2 original 2011 Kizuna, along with 2 2019 Vault Kizuna available.
Prelight
The bands were pretty much the same as you see on other Davidoff releases. Simple. Elegant. Rich. The wrapper leaf was a peanut butter brown color with a bit of oiliness under my fingertips and a mixture of rich earth and hay on the nose. The foot of the stick had a light aroma, mostly hay and a little natural tobacco smell, with a bit of cedar coming in at the end.
After clipping the head, he cold draw was easy and featured flavors of caramel, hay and a touch of Davidoff funk.
Flavor
Lighting up the Kizuna, I got hay, bell pepper and spicy cedar notes at first. There were secondary notes that had a sweeter presence, although not very defined at this point. The retrohale had roasted nuttiness and a strong, biting pepper spice. I was frankly surprised at how much smoke there was coming off this cigar and how thick it was, making it a medium-plus body right off the bat. Continued puffing got more cedar and more spice on the palate. The first third continued with more hay and cedar, along with cinnamon and pepper spice, until almost the exact time the second third started, when it really changed.
The second third started with the introduction of a much sweeter note, almost a caramel and chocolate mix that came out to the front and pushed the wood and pepper aside where they took up positions as secondary and tertiary notes. The retrohale got smoother and sweeter, as well, with some roasted nuts and slight pepper hanging on with sweet hay. A friend had told me about the sudden change, but it’s hard to believe until you experience it for yourself. Before the third was over, I was getting an overt cinnamon note that mixed in with the sweetness very well.
With all that, it’s hard to believe the Kizuna could get better in the last third…but it did. I got a more pronounced chocolate sweetness, along with orange, Davidoff funk, and hazelnut on the palate, while the retrohale continued to have roasted peanuts and black pepper, along with just a touch of cinnamon.
Construction
Typical of Davidoff, construction was perfect.
Value
When a cigar costs $30 or more, there needs to be a reason. A virtual exclamation point visible in front of you while you smoke it. Kizuna has that.
Conclusions
Where have you been all my life? The Davidoff Kizuna was easily the best cigar I’ve smoked this year and one of the best I can remember smoking in 18 years of being a leaf enthusiast. Remember how Davidoff was touting the 100 rating for the Especiales 7 release that came out earlier this year? This cigar is better. Flat out better. Complex, rich, perfectly constructed, and just a sensory delight from end to end. It’s really too bad these cost so much and that they are a very limited release, because this blend deserves a permanent place in the Davidoff catalog.
By-The-Numbers
Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 2/2
Flavor: 5/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 10/10