Tuesday, June 08 2010
About a month ago I was sent a very nice present from Davidoff Cigars. It was a sampler of their new Puro d'Oro cigars series. The all-new line is comprised of four shapes, each meticulously handcrafted with a hearty, all-Dominican-grown blend. The Dominican Yamasa™ wrapper is a proprietary leaf (note the trademark) that's finished with a neat little pigtail cap.
I smoked all four cigars over the course of the month. Each was full-bodied, relatively complex, and spicy. However, the only one I took notes on was the Notables (no pun intended), a 5 5/8" x 46 Corona Gorda.
Now, when you sample a Davidoff cigar you tend to have very high expectations; at least I do. That's the price you pay for having a stellar reputation, especially when your cigars cost $368 for a box of 25. So here goes…
As I touched on above, the cigar was seamlessly wrapped in a dark-hued Yamasa™ leaf with an attractive, oily sheen. The cigar itself, well packed and firm, and as always, the cap clipped cleanly. (I haven't had a Davidoff of Avo yet that didn't.)
The cold draw air flow was perfect and tasted of leather with some grassiness. Once lit, the first few puffs very earthy and creamy.
Into the first half-inch I picked up somewhat of a grassy/floral character with flavors of sweet tobacco in the mix. Once solidly into the first act, the smoke became more peppery while remaining smooth on the palate. It was also at this point I noticed that the cigar was giving off a very pleasing sweet/spicy aroma. Aroma is a big factor with me, and having smoked a decent amount of Davidoff cigars over the years, I noticed that this is something they also pay very close attention to when blending their cigars.
The cigar remained consistently strong in body right through the final act; plenty of spice and pepper flavors with an underlying band of sweetness. Definitely one of the most full-bodied cigars from Davidoff, on par with their Millennium selections.
The closest other cigars I could compare the Puro d'Oros to with regard to blend, strength and cost, would be the Fuente Fuente OpusX cigars. Therefore, I would only recommend this cigar to those who really enjoy full-bodied, spicy cigars like the Joya De Nicaragua Dark Corojo, Don Pepin Garcia Black Label, etc.
For what it's worth, you don't have to spend a fortune on a box. You can pick up a Puro d'Oro Notables 4-pack for $58.99. It might make a nice Father's Day gift to yourself, or leave a hint for your significant other.
~ Gary Korb
