Written by Gary Korb
Tuesday, December 29 2009
I hope most of you had a chance to enjoy some special cigars on Christmas. I had to wait until the day after, but it was worth the wait. I received a sample of the
Davidoff L.E. '09 702 Toro earlier this year, when they debuted. I figured there was no use waiting any longer to smoke it, and it did not disappoint. The 6 5/8" x 48
vitola sports a stunning, flawless and dark Ecuadorian
sun-grown wrapper that surrounds a perfectly balanced
blend of
Piloto Cubano,
Olor and San Vicente Dominican tobaccos.
I smoked the cigar on Saturday with the regulars at the
Famous Smoke Shop store: Gary, Mike, Bill W., Tony, Big Dave, Detective Jim, Keith, et. al. It was a pretty lousy day, too, as a relentless curtain of cold rain shrouded the Lehigh Valley. But spirits were high as we chatted, watched college football, and an old Sherlock Holmes movie. I paired my 702 with Sandeman Founders Reserve port.
Pre-light: As per, the
cap clipped off in a perfect circle exposing just the right amount of
head, which offered a smooth, easy
draw. The draw was curiously complex. Sweet on the tongue with a notes of dark wood and very peppery, too.
First Act: The first few puff were smooth, creamy, peppery and medium-bodied with subtle notes of anise in the mix. The pepper and anise flavors quickly gave way to creamy flavors of sweet tobacco and
cedar wood notes. The burn was clean with a semi-firm solid grey ash.
Second A
ct: The cigar remained consistent into the second half. Since the cigar was long, I let it rest a lot between puffs so it wouldn't get to tarry by the last third. The smoke was sweet, ultra-smooth and gained a bit in strength. The burn veered off-line a bit, but not enough to matter. Eventfully, it righted itself. The Port also offered a nice complement to the flavors in the cigar.
Third Act: In the last few inches the smoke had evolved to a full-bodied, complex buffet of sweet, woody flavors with subtle notes of raisins, cocoa and espresso on the
finish. I was sure from the pre-light the smoke would be a lot more peppery overall, but such was not the
case. I savored it down to about an inch-plus when I finally let it go after an hour an a half. (
A couple of bitter puffs convinced me it was time to put it down.)
So are these
cigars worth $26 a shot? As a special occasion cigar,
perhaps, but I'd rather leave the jury out. However, due to its limited edition cigar status, it's probably worth the investment as a collector's item, and will surely age beautifully over time.
If you like the
Davidoff Millennium Series, you'll probably enjoy the cigars in the
Davidoff Limited Edition Series as well, and the 702
Toro in particular. Highly recommended.
ScoresAppearance - 10
Construction - 9
Draw - 9
Burn - 8
Aroma - 9
Flavor - 9
Balance - 9
Total Score: 9.0~ G.K.
