Blind Review: Davidoff Grand Cru Robusto
I’m no stranger to Davidoff cigars as I’ve been fortunate enough to smoke nearly all of their lines including the old Cuban vitolas. With Henke Kelner at the helm of blending after Davidoff ceased making cigars in Havana, the tobaccos seem to have distinct tastes in some of the blends. A mustiness, earth, wood, forest floor and mushroom make them unique smokes. Davidoff cigars are extremely well crafted with outstanding quality control and the Davidoff Grand Cru series is no exception. With an Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper and Dominican fillers these cigars can be a real treat albeit with a price tag to match.
Blend Specifics
- Cigar Reviewed: Davidoff Grand Cru Robusto
- Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut
- Binder: Dominican
- Filler: Dominican
- Size: 5 1/4 x 52 Robusto
Appearance & Construction
The Davidoff Grand Cru robusto has a smooth claro wrapper that’s silky to the touch. When given a squeeze it is firmly packed with tobacco and extremely well rolled. I noticed a unique nipple on the cap which is a skillful addition to implement on a cigar. There are minimal veins and the roll is perfect in hand.
Flavor and Smoke Characteristics
Using my V-cutter, I clip the cigar and proceed to take a dry draw that brings mustiness and damp forest floor. I light up and the first few puffs are drying on the palate and portray a medium bodied experience. As the Grand Cru gets going, graham cracker hits the top of my mouth, followed but woody notes and cinnamon. I take a retrohale early on and the mustiness comes through along with slight earthy tones. The wood increases along with secondary notes of mushroom and dampness. The smoke coming from the cigar is ample at this point and the body continues on the medium level.
As the cigar progresses, the Davidoff Grand Cru robusto’s smoke billows and the foot showcases a lovely white ash. There are lots of toast and cedar notes that make their way through. The burn line is razor sharp. I detect a fleeting cherry and wine note which quickly becomes overshadowed by some white pepper, but both flavors leave as quickly as they appear. The cigar smokes rather hurriedly, although it’s not harsh with the tobacco seeming to burn uniformly while I puff at a conservative pace. Then, the Grand Cru picks up a bit more strength, teetering on the medium to full bodied side of the spectrum. At this time I detect some bitterness developing on the finish with celery and vegetal notes alongside.
In the final third, the wood becomes more like graphite and toast followed by a short mineral finish. The Davidoff recedes into the medium bodied range and with that the cedar takes hold resonating with a hearth of tobacco and wood. The burn continues to be excellent, and as the cigar develops orange peel along with floral notes interplay with a bready coating on the palate.
As the Davidoff Grand Cru reaches the last few puffs, it yields damp earth and pencil lead which I wished lastied longer on the mouthfeel. A tasty medium bodied cigar.
Conclusion
I enjoyed the medium bodied experience the Davidoff Grand Cru Robusto portrayed with its earth, wood, toast and mushroom notes. My biggest issue is that I wished the flavors lasted longer and stood firmer on the palate. It seemed the finishes where short and the bitterness midway along with the vegetal notes hurt the score. I would surmise some more aging in the humidor could even things out and help the cigar develop where it lacked. I would suggest picking one up to smoke and perhaps buying a few more to rest to compare over time.