Vitola: Belicosos- 6” x 52 ring gauge
- MSRP $29.95
- Purchased at Burns Tobacconist
Background
Most people had their first experience with “Florida Sun Grown” tobacco when Drew Estate took the FSG brand nationwide. They originally made it just for Corona Cigar Company in Florida (Orlando and Tampa locations), but the farm the FSG tobacco came from (also owned by the Jeff Borysiewicz, the owner of Corona) soon produced enough leaf to take the blend national. And enough to provide Davidoff with some leaf to experiment with, as they soon created Corona 20th Anniversary LEs using FSG and Tampa FSG cigars. I had the first of those two when I was down there a year and a half ago, but I haven’t smoked the Davidoff Tampa FSG yet…though a friend brought one back for me on a recent trip.
Out of all that springs forth another nationwide FSG release: the Davidoff Florida Selection. The size is the exact same 6 x 52 belicoso used for the Tampa FSG and the blend sounds the same, too—at least as much information as they released about the Tampa FSG. For the Tampa cigar they stated: Nicaraguan and Dominican fillers alongside the FSG filler, a Nicaraguan Jalapa Habano binder, and an Ecuadorian Habano 2000 wrapper. For the black-label Davidoff Florida Selection, the official release notes indicate: Florida Sun Grown Seco, Dominican Yamasá Ligero, Piloto Visus, San Vicente Seco, Nicaraguan Estelí Visus; a Nicaraguan Jalapa Habano binder; and an Ecuadorian Habano 2000 wrapper. So much can be changed in simply primings—not to mention curing and fermentation times and techniques—that we can’t simply assume this is the exact same blend…but it might be.
I have smoked one Florida Selection prior to this review stick. I bought both at the shop I work at, Burns Tobacconist in Chattanooga. Leaf Enthusiast sponsor, Small Batch Cigar, has them available at the time of this writing.
Prelight
The Davidoff Florida Selection uses the black band of Davidoff’s Discovery Pillar, making it the first Limited Edition cigar to do so (it is a little unclear on if this is a true “one and done” LE or if it’s a “regular, but limited” cigar…I’ve heard both). The secondary band here is a gold and black band with a lighter yellow sunshine logo to denote that this is from Florida.
The wrapper leaf was a darkish milk chocolate brown with a nice oiliness to the touch and to the eyes. It smelled of molasses, earth, and leather. The foot had elements of Davidoff funk, hay, earth, and cedar.
If there’s a brand where a torpedo-tip doesn’t concern me, it’s Davidoff. I clipped the tip of this one and found a fantastic draw that tasted of dried fruit, hay and wood.
Flavor
The first few puffs of the Davidoff Florida Selection were complex and almost chaotic. But one of the outstanding flavors I got was a definite dry woodiness that I recall mostly from the Yamasa release. Delving further, I picked up some orange peel as well as sweeter citrus notes from time to time, earth, leather, and a brown pepper on the palate. The retrohale brought notes of hazelnuts and red pepper. As the first third continued on, there was an increase the sweetness, moving from citrus to something else harder to define. It’s the same sweetness I get in the Drew Estate FSG, so I have to assume it’s the influence of that leaf in the mix.
The second third was characterized by an increase in cedar notes along with a corresponding decrease in sweetness. Pepper held steady while some Davidoff funk started to come into the mix.
The last third of the Davidoff Florida Selection had notes of earth and leather along with an increasing red pepper spice. There was a faint sweetness underlying everything.
Construction
I experienced a great draw, fairly even burn line and solid ash.
Value
The price on these is high, but it is a Davidoff so you kind of have to grade this on a curve. Is it as good as other Davidoff releases in the same price range? Yes. Is it better than most other cigars in this price range. Absolutely.
Conclusions
The Florida Selection is definitely a great addition to the Davidoff Discovery Pillar regardless of whether it’s a true Limited Edition or a cigar that will show up again from time to time. It had a great sweetness and spice mix underscored with plenty of earth, cedar and leather and punctuated by Davidoff’s unique funkiness, providing an excellent hour and a half of smoking enjoyment.
By-The-Numbers
Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 2/2
Flavor: 4/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 9/10
