Brand evangelist, digital marketer, cigar and spirits expert specializing in consumer tasting and educational events. Matthias made the long trek from his hometown of Portland, Oregon to New York City in 2007, and in nine years has hosted more than 120 events and helped promote and launch dozens of cigar and whiskey brands in the U.S. In 2016, he joined the Cigar Journal Tasting Panel, blind-reviewing pre and new release cigars.
Up for review today is the Davidoff Puro d’Oro (“of Pure Gold”) Deliciosos. The Puro d’Oro line debuted in 2010 and was discontinued in 2016. To me, this is a shame, because the Puro D’Oro is one of my favorite cigars from Davidoff. I should qualify that by saying that I’ve only had this cigar in smaller formats (the Deliciosos and Sublimes). Larger sizes of this cigar received a tepid response from other bloggers, so that’s something to keep in mind. One major complaint in years gone by was that even small sizes retailed for $12 – $14.
To me, the two sizes I’ve smoked are well worth the price. I’ll TLDR this review and just say, if you find some remaining stock and haven’t had this cigar before, do yourself a favor and snatch a few up.
Product Specifics
Cigar reviewed: Davidoff Puro d’Oro Deliciosos
Wrapper: Yamasa (Dominican Republic)
Binder: Dominican Republic
Filler: Dominican Republic
Size: Petite Corona (4 7/8 x 43)
Appearance & Construction
The Davidoff Puro d’Oro Deliciosos comes presented in dual golden bands. To me, the gold is a bit overkill, and one of the few examples of Davidoff branding gone wrong. The outer Yamasa wrapper is a rich chocolate brown and is leathery to the touch. The filler tobaccos don’t seem packed tightly, but they are packed consistently the length of the cigar.
After cutting with a straight cut, I test the draw and it’s fairly loose, probably 5/10 in terms of restrictiveness. The aroma off of the foot of the cigar is surprisingly sweet, with chocolate, bread, and a gentle woodiness.
Flavor & Smoke Characteristics
The first few puffs of the Davidoff Puro d’Oro Deliciosos release plumes of rich, complex smoke. Flavors of sweet milk chocolate, cinnamon, vegetal/mushroom, and oak intermingle and create a delicious experience. Spice plays nicely on the retrohale. It’s the kind of flavor complementary I run into only rarely in the cigar world. From a strength standpoint, the smoke is medium bodied / medium strength.
As the cigar burns into the second third, the flavor ramps up, easily entering “full” territory. Sweet, creamy chocolate dominates the flavor profile, with notes of oak and spice making up the rest. The retrohale is another story, with a distinct vegetal/mushroom note. The only problem that’s surfaced more than once is that this cigar can be difficult to keep lit. I had to relight twice during the cigar smoked for this review.
The last third is mostly more of the same, though the spice takes on a somewhat savory character that’s really enjoyable.
Conclusion
The Davidoff Puro d’Oro fills a nice gap in the Davidoff portfolio of cigars, which is why I’m a bit heartbroken that they discontinued the line. It delivers a deep and complex flavor experience that, minus any construction issues, puts this cigar in my all time top 25 favorite cigars. Still, I’m hopeful that Davidoff may bring the line back in the future given the difficulty the new FDA rules are creating for any company wanting to release new lines.
Up for review today is the Flamboyân Full Brass from Moore & Bode Cigars. Moore & Bode is a small cigar company based out of Florida that has been in operation since 1990. I’ve had an opportunity to smoke a number of cigars from this company and it’s clear to me that they know their stuff. The Moore & Bode Adelante blend scored a huge 93 point rating, and the Candela scored a 91. Both are cigars I wholeheartedly recommend.
For the Flamboyân Full Brass, I’m tempering my expectations a bit. It is a monster of a cigar and way outside my typical size, measuring in at 7 1/4″ x 82 ring gauge. My ideal cigar doesn’t have a ring gauge much beyond 54, so I’m curious to see how this cigar performs in terms of flavor and construction.
Product Specifics
Cigar reviewed: Moore & Bode Flamboyân Full Brass
Wrapper: U.S. Connecticut Shade
Binder: Asia
Filler: Europe / India / China
Size: Pyramid (7 1/4 x 82)
Appearance & Construction
The Moore & Bode Flamboyân is, well… really big. Its shape gives it an almost feminine quality (strikingly similar to an A-line dress silhouette). There’s no band on the cigar save a tiny circular sticker glued to the outter wrapper which states “Moore” on the top, “Bode” on the bottom, and Flamboyân in the middle. The Connecticut Shade wrapper is light brown, with minimal veins and barely noticeable seams.
The smell off the foot is very aromatic, with strong notes of fresh cut grass, wood, and some baking spices. After using a straight cut, I test the draw which is a bit more restrictive than I’d typically like. We’ll see if and how that affects smoke production. The cold draw is understated with some earth and wood.
Flavor & Smoke Characteristic
Friendly tip: light this cigar with a torch. I used probably 10 – 12 regular sized matches to get the foot toasted and fully lit. Once it’s fully lit, it produces a moderate amount of mild-bodied smoke. Flavors include sweet grass, salted peanuts, and understated floral notes. Pleasant, but not exactly enchanting.
At an inch and a half in, the burn is mostly straight. Flavor wise, it’s lost a bit of its edge, with some generic breadiness, semi-sweet cream, and wood. This turns around a bit in the second third after I decide to cut a touch more off of the cap to free up the draw and improve smoke production. It does the trick, increasing the smoke output and producing mild-medium bodied smoke that’s got flavors of almonds, salt, dry grass, and light white pepper.
At this point, I’m enjoying the cigar more as the ring gauge declines, but I’d prefer to be in the moment each step of the way and not waiting for the ring gauge to narrow even more.
As the cigar burns past the halfway mark, the flavor and balance of the cigar shifts considerably. Body and strength are now just below medium, and the profile is dominated by dry wood, peanuts, salt, and finely ground black pepper.
In the final third, the cigar hits its stride. The ring gauge is at this point probably in the territory of something like 60 (compared to 82!), and as a result the flavor has concentrated and clarified. Smoke production has also climbed considerably as well, which makes the cigar require less work to smoke. As far as flavors go, it’s a nice balance between grass, dry wood, floral/herbal notes, and a slightly sweet peanut.
Conclusion
The Moore & Bode Flamboyân Full Brass is an ambitious project. Judging by the aromas off of the foot, I was expecting a lot more flavor than the first two thirds of the cigar provided. While a step in the right direction, the final third doesn’t justify the smoking experience as a whole.
I’d be curious to try a similar blend in a drastically reduced format. Besides that, this isn’t a cigar I’ll be returning to.
If you’re on this page, you’ve likely decided that you want cigars at your next corporate event but aren’t sure which cigars to choose. You’ve got a budget, and you want to make sure that whatever cigars you choose will impress attendees, offer real quality, and not push you over budget. Most of all, you don’t want attendees seeing the cigars and whispering quietly to each other, “who picked these horrible cigars?”
If this describes your situation, you’ve come to the right place.
I’ll start off below by recommending some cigars that are budget-friendly ($5 – $7/cigar), good quality, and have the name recognition that will ensure your attendees have a great experience. Below that you’ll find more expensive cigars that will make an even greater statement of luxury and prestige. For each cigar recommendation, I’ve linked out to where you can purchase the cigars on Famous Smoke Shop, which we regard as the best website to buy cigars online (read more about that here).
Finally, I’ll list the types of cigars to stay away from if you are purchasing for corporate events, and list a few critical rules to follow to ensure your cigars aren’t ruined before the event (lighters, cutters, humidification).
Cigars for Corporate Events: Budget Cigars
In the budget category are cigars in the range of $5 to $8 per cigar. I’ve hand picked three cigars that will appeal to the broadest number of people, carry brand recognition, and be genuinely enjoyable to anyone smoking.
Oliva Connecticut Reserve – ~$6/cigar
~$6/cigar
The Oliva Connecticut Reserve is extremely flavorful while remaining mild and very smooth. For the price, it’s hard to beat.
Darker and richer than the Oliva Connecticut Reserve, the Fuente Chateau Fuente is a true classic in the cigar world and carries great name recognition. Any cigar smokers at your event will recognize the Fuente band immediately (a good thing as Fuente is associated with quality).
The Camacho Connecticut isn’t exactly a classic, but it is a high quality cigar that comes in somewhat flashier packaging. It’s a regular in my lineup and, for the price, is a great value.
Below are three additional recommendations for cigars that make a bold statement of luxury. These are the kind of cigars that true cigar aficionados will appreciate and immediately recognize. They aren’t cheap, but if you are looking to leave an impression, these cigars will do it.
Davidoff Aniversario No. 3 – ~$23/cigar
There is perhaps no greater name in cigars than that of Davidoff. The company produces some the world’s most elegant, flavorful, and smooth cigars. The Davidoff Aniversario No. 3 is one of the company’s milder blends and will appeal to any cigar smoker’s palate.
The 1964 Anniversario is a classic from Padron. This cigar is dark, rich, and bold, with notes of espresso, cedar, and dark chocolate. This would be a good cigar if your cigar event is taking place after dinner.
The Davidoff Nicaragua is one of the newest additions to the Davidoff core offerings. Unlike the Aniversario No. 3, the Nicaragua is a bit stronger and falls somewhere in between what you’d experience with the Aniversario No. 3 and the Padron 1964.
Here are a few types of cigars to avoid for corporate events:
Cheap cigar samplers: the cigar world is full of sampler packs that seem to promise everything at a low cost. Most are terrible. Samplers also don’t make sense for corporate events because you want everyone smoking the same thing (that way it can be an easy conversation starter).
Machine-made cigars: cheap and extremely unpleasant to smoke, you won’t be doing yourself any favors by cutting costs in this way.
Additional Tips for Purchasing Cigars for Events
One last note. If you’re making a big cigar purchase for corporate events, there are some critical tips/rules that you absolutely must follow.
Cutters: don’t forget to buy cutters, otherwise your guests won’t be able to cut their cigars and you’ll have wasted hundreds of dollars! Here’s a cutter from Vertigo that will get the job done for just a few dollars per cutter. I’d recommend purchasing one cutter for every ten attendees at the event.
Lighters: lighters are important as well, especially since your event is likely to be outside. Trying to light a cigar with matches with even minimal wind can be very frustrating. So I recommend picking up a few Vertigo Cyclone torch lighters. Recommend one lighter for every five attendees at the event because, unlike cutters, your guests will likely need to light their cigars multiple times if they go out while they are networking.
Humidification: this part is critical. If you buy boxes of cigars online and they are delivered to you, do not remove the outer plastic wrap until the day of the event. The plastic wrap covering the outside of the box serves specifically to keep the humidity inside of the cigar box. In general, it is best to order cigars for your event sometime within a two week period before your event. Don’t order cigars further out than that unless you have a way of keeping your cigars humidified.
Temperature: simple rule, but if you’ve purchased a few boxes of cigars and are storing them for any length of time (a few days to a couple of weeks), do not store the boxes of cigars anywhere where the temperature exceeds room temperature (72°f).
And that’s it. If you buy one of the cigars recommended above, get your cutters and lighters, and make sure your cigars are only opened on the day of the event, you’ll be set for a great event! You can also find an additional list of cigars on Famous Smoke here.
If you have any questions, leave a comment and we’ll reply within 24 hours. Alternatively, you can email me using our contact form here.
Up for review today is the Oliva Serie V Melanio Figurado. You probably know this as the cigar that won Cigar Aficionado’s #1 Cigar of 2014 with a rating of 96 and some very high praise. The cigar is familiar to me for this reason, but also because Oliva was one of the first brands I took to as a new cigar smoker without a big budget for cigars. In particular, the Oliva Serie G was a big favorite of mine, and later the Serie V robusto.
All that to say, the cigars I smoked for this review certainly weren’t the first Serie V Melanio Figurados I’ve ever had. And that raises an important question:
How does the flavor, complexity, and construction of the cigars I’ll smoke for the review compare to my experiences in years past?
The question of consistency is an important one. It isn’t hard to commission a blender to put together a good tasting cigar. What is hard is to put together an award winning blend and then replicate it perfectly year after year. After all, tobacco is delicate and can change significantly. So the mark of a true great in the cigar world is whether or not a company can keep the same quality over time.
With that said, I’m excited to revisit this cigar and see how it fares.
Product Specifics
Cigar Reviewed: Oliva Serie V Melanio Figurado
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sumatra
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Size: Figuardo (6 x 52)
Appearance and Construction
The Oliva Serie V Melanie figurado really does strike me at first glance as a celebratory cigar. The shape itself is obviously a unique one, with the tapering all but guaranteeing a lot of flavor change throughout the smoke. The Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper that drapes over the cigar is just about flawless, with barely visible veins and seams. On top of the that is the gold, red, and tobacco colored double banding.
The draw has just the right amount of restrictiveness, and the cold draw reveals a twinge of spice, earth, and cedar notes.
Flavor and Smoke Characteristics
The Oliva Serie V Melanio Figurado opens with medium bodied smoke loaded with coffee, almonds, cedar, and touches of white pepper. Augmenting all of this is a really delicious vanilla floral note on the finish. It’s the same vanilla/floral note I’ve enjoyed in years past, and tasting it again is a bit like seeing and recognizing an old friend. Smoke production starts a bit lower than I’d like, but once the tapered end has burned and the ember widened, the cigar produces ample smoke. On the body side, I’d place the opening in the mild-medium range, though the strength of flavor is considerably higher.
At an inch and a half in, I’m well past the tapered end and the flavor profile is changing markedly, moving in the direction of a more salty/savory profile, though thankfully still balanced out by a nice vanilla note. Dominant notes on the palate are fresh bread, almonds, and bitter dark chocolate. It’s a surprising profile mainly because of its delicacy. It doesn’t pack an up-front punch like the regular Serie V, but you feel the strength on the back of your palate throughout.
At this point, it’s evident that the Oliva Serie V Melanio figurado is still the same cigar that I remember from smokes long past. It’s a good feeling.
When the cigar hits the second third, the body kicks up a bit, bringing with it a lot more of the vanilla and floral notes that I enjoyed in the beginning of the smoke. The profile is still complex and elegant, but I’m happy for the additional strength. The wood note has also morphed a bit into something akin to sugared popcorn, which is extremely enjoyable. I should also say that, up to this point, the burn has been totally straight and the ash has held on average for an inch to an inch and a half.
Moving in to the final third, body and strength both increase to medium full. The flavor balance shifts as well, with wood, white pepper, and floral notes at the helm. The last couple of inches pick up considerably along with the heat of the smoke, providing a good opportunity to set the cigar down.
Conclusion
I’m a bit late to the party with this review but I can wholeheartedly concur with Cigar Aficionado’s rating on this cigar. The Oliva Serie V Melanio Figurado delivers a complex, balanced, and elegant flavor profile that tells a long, delicious story throughout the course of the smoke. This is a cigar that should easily dominate the $12 – $15 price range. It provides a smoking experience that easily rivals that of much pricier smokes.
Up for review today is Debonaire House Daybreak. Daybreak is the third line in Debonaire House’s portfolio after the Habano and Maduro lines. Apparently, the idea behind the three lines is for the cigar smoker to have a Debonaire for each part of the day: morning, afternoon, and evening.
As you’ll read in this review, I think Debonaire absolutely nailed this release. Here’s why…
Blend Specifics
Cigar Reviewed: Debonaire Daybreak Toro
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut
Binder: Dominican Republic
Filler: Dominican Republic & Nicaragua
Size: Toro (6 x 54)
Appearance & Construction
The Debonaire Toro is an impressive looking cigar. The outer wrapper is seamless and extremely smooth. The band, a mix of gold, black, and white, does a great job of getting my attention with the brand name. Below the name, the band states “Ultra Premium.” I’m curious to find out just how much this cigar lives up to that statement.
After applying a straight cut, I test the draw. It’s a touch more restrictive than I would normally like, but brings nice flavors of earth, light cocoa, and a touch of spice with it. The smell off of the foot is very strong and quite good, with strong spiciness, cedar, vanilla, and most of all, almonds. I’m excited to light up.
Flavor & Smoke Characteristics
The opening of the Debonaire Toro is not at all what I expect. After smelling the foot, I had anticipated a strong, spicy blast on opening. Instead, the cigar kicks off with lush, mild bodied, medium strength smoke. It’s really, really good. The flavor profile hangs together incredibly well, with loads of cream, almonds, freshly baked bread, and some peanuts on the nose. The smoke is so light, I can retrohale a full draw out my nose with no discernible heat or pepper. The finish as well is extremely clean.
For a mid-afternoon cigar, this is heaven.
At an inch in, the cigar is producing incredible amounts of smoke, has a perfect burn, and no detectable flaws in the construction.
At this point, I’m impressed, but now I’m looking for a bit more flavor and strength. As the second third starts, the strength increases just a bit, bringing the body up to just above mild and the strength to below medium. The flavor profile itself hasn’t changed much, adding a nice oak note. Still, it’s remarkable how balanced the sweet, salty, and creamy flavors are. At no point during the smoke up to this point has any one element of the profile dominated the rest. Note: that’s not the same as saying all of the flavors just blended together. They remain distinct, but without one dominating the rest. That’s quite a feat, and not something I encounter with most cigars.
In the final third, seemingly at my request, the flavor profile shifts considerably and in a great way. The bread notes sweeten into something like vanilla cake dough, with a really nice pepper added on the retrohale. In terms of complexity and flavor development, it’s exactly what I would have liked to see in the final twenty or so minutes of this cigar.
Conclusion
If Debonaire House set out to create the perfect morning smoke, they aren’t far off the mark with Daybreak. It performs wonderfully from a construction standpoint, requiring just one minor touchup and delivering loads of rich smoke. Throughout the course of the cigar, it remains squarely in the mild spectrum of strength and body, but delivers great flavors that harmonize well with each other. All this does raise the question in my mind of whether other vitolas of this blend would fare as well, but in my opinion the Toro size is one I can wholeheartedly recommend and will absolutely be in my regular lineup.
