Davidoff Millennium Blend Short Robusto Review

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Davidoff Millennium Short Robusto Review

Up for review today is an unusual size of the legendary Davidoff Millennium Blend. Although the Millennium Blend was originally released in its current form in 2001, the Short Robusto wasn’t released until later in 2006.

Here’s what the Davidoff website has to say about the Millennium Blend Short Robusto:

Shorter and slightly fatter than the Robusto, this cigar is the ideal companion for briefer, more intense journeys. Affectionately known as ‘shorty’, it delivers a full hit of flavours with a refined combination of roasted coffee, chocolate and caramel notes and a spicy aftertaste.

Anyone who knows me knows I love Davidoff cigars for their consistency, complexity, and elegance. Let’s find out if this vitola lives up to the incredible experience of its more standard sizes.

Product Specs

  • Cigar Reviewed: Davidoff Millennium Blend
  • Size: Short Robusto (4 1/2 x 52)
  • Wrapper: Ecuador
  • Binder: Dominican Republic
  • Filler: Dominican Republic

Appearance & Construction

The Davidoff Millennium Short Robusto is an attractive cigar, with its traditional Davidoff top band along with a secondary band bearing the blend’s name. The Ecuadorian wrapper is a dark oak color, which smells faintly of spice, earth, and cedar. The cigar has a bit of give when squeezed, and seems to have been packed consistently.

The aroma off of the foot of the cigar is earthy, cool, and sweet, along with a good dose of spiciness. The pre light draw is much stronger, with tastes of raisins, cocoa powder, and spice. This gets me excited to light up.

Davidoff Millennium Short Robusto Review Closeup

Flavor & Smoke Characteristics

The Short Robusto kicks off with a very aromatic profile, meaning most of the character is sensed in the smell of the smoke. The first few puffs are quite mild and contain a balance of sweet grass, oak, touches of pepper, and a bit of vanilla.

That mildness doesn’t last long, though. About a quarter inch in, black pepper begins asserting itself on the retrohale and the tip of the tongue. In addition, that round oak flavor from the beginning sharpens into a drier cedar note. The texture of the smoke is unique in that it is at once spicy but also very fine and smooth.

By half an inch in, this cigar has already demonstrated more complexity and movement than many cigars in the $10 range.  Very impressive. The power builds up to the end of the first third, and the original ash (a smooth salt and pepper color) is holds strong.

In the second third, the smoke is so rich and complex it’s hard to know where to begin describing it. On the sweeter side, there are flavors of chocolate powder and earth while the bitter end has notes of leather, peppercorn, cedar, and spice. The retrohale, on the other hand, moves from hot spice to a much milder, finely ground white pepper. Strength at halfway is medium full.

The final third ramps up flavor and body even more, with a rich, steak like vibe. More savory than bitter, with the sweetness still calling from the back seat. The texture of the smoke is still smooth, with a bit of roughness around the edges, complementing the woodiness that still asserts itself.

Simply marvelous.

Conclusion

What can I say? The Millennium blend is a powerhouse full of flavor and finesse. Every time is smoke it I am transported into an epic tale of flavor and movement. It’s an experience that feels a bit like my most memorable scotch experiences.

It’s true, just like every other Davidoff cigar, the Millennium Blend is at the upper tier of the price range. It is absolutely worth the price. Buy one, buy five, buy a box if you can afford it. You won’t regret it.

Final Score: 94

AVO 30 Years Review

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Avo 30th Review Closeup

Up for review today is the AVO Improvisation 30 Years, a cigar celebrating the 30th birthday of AVO cigars as a company. It’s a bit of an intimidating cigar to approach, mainly because it’s 7.5 inches long – quite a time commitment.  The limited edition release is based on one of AVO‘s classic cigars, the AVO No. 3, which is the same size and shape, but features an Ecuadorian marron wrapper instead of the No. 3’s Connecticut shade wrapper.

With all that said, let’s get on with the review.

Product Details

  • Cigar Reviewed: AVO Improvisation 30 Years
  • Wrapper: Ecuadorian marron
  • Binder: Dominican
  • Filler: Dominican
  • Size: 7 1/2 x 50 (Churchill)

Avo Classic Covers 30th Review

Appearance and Construction

The AVO 30 Years is a really gorgeous cigar, particularly the branding. The dual band features sharply contrasting colors of white, black, silver, and bright orange. It’s really perfect. It doesn’t end with the band. The outer wrapper has a few noticeable veins but otherwise is very soft and velvety to the touch, with a slight oily sheen.

Off the foot, I pick up bright aromas of cedar, light spiciness and perhaps some cinnamon. The pre light draw on the other hand is round and soft, revealing some earth and sweet natural tobacco notes.

Flavor and Smoke characteristics

The AVO 30th opens with an interesting profile: just below medium in strength and quite salty, with a very finely textured spice mixed in. A quarter of an inch in, the profile expands with some prominent nuttiness, vanilla, and cedar notes. Smoke production up until this point has been moderate (more would be nice), but the long size helps keep the smoke very cool.

By an inch in, the burn is razor sharp. Dominant on the palate and in the aromas is salted peanuts and something like dusty old wood—enjoyable but I’d love some brown sugar or something sweet in the mix to balance out the saltiness.

Heading in to the second third, the body has remained below medium but the strength of the flavors is at or slightly above medium. There’s a very subtle creamy sweetness, but nowhere near enough to balance out the nutty, woods, and slightly dusty primary flavors. The retrohale has ramped up considerably with a decent dose of white pepper.

At this point I’m just not enchanted by this cigar like I am by most of AVOs limited edition offerings.

By halfway, the first major shift comes in the form of the nuttiness and saltiness drawing back while floral and hay edge forward. It’s a good change, but it is ultimately fleeting, with the salty/savory notes continuing to overassert themselves.

The final third is mostly more of the same, but the strength and body are both above medium. The pepper at this point plays nicely other flavors, but it’s too little, too late for this cigar.

Conclusion

I’m a huge fan of AVO cigars, and particularly of their limited release lines. But I can’t help feeling a bit disappointed by the AVO 30th. It had some enjoyable moments, but by and large the profile was overly dominated by the salty, nutty, and peppery notes. For a smaller cigar, it might be more manageable of a smoke. Seven inches is just too long for so little progression in the flavors.

I won’t be returning to this particular line.

Final Score: 84

Ashton Symmetry Belicoso Review

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Ashton Symmetry Belicoso label

I am a big fan of Ashton’s cigar lines from their more mild Cabinet blends, to their fuller Virgin and Estate Sungrown cigars. Their newer Ashton Symmetry line is once again made in collaboration with the Fuente’s and lives up to its moniker of a perfectly balanced smoke.

Product Specifics

  • Cigar Reviewed: Ashton Symmetry Belicoso
  • Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano
  • Binder: Dominican Republic
  • Filler: Nicaraguan, Dominican Republic
  • Size: 52 x 5 ¼” Belicoso

Ashton Symmetry Belicoso closeup

Appearance and Construction

The wrapper of the Ashton Symmetry has a beautiful sheen that’s silky and smooth to the touch with seemingly flawless construction. Pressing the cigar gives the feel of copious amounts of tobacco throughout. The band is elegant with blues, reds and gold all in harmony. The word “Ashton” is in the middle of the band with “Symmetry” in gold balancing out the bottom and a crown hovers atop. A regal cigar to behold.

Flavor and Smoke Characteristics

The Symmetry starts off with a serious amount of cinnamon and graham cracker followed by maple and sandalwood. There’s an underlying creamy element that coats the palate all the while baking spices appear to linger on the finish. Thus far this cigar is revealing complexity and style.

Midway a fuller blast of nicotine is noted with seasoned oak and a touch of leather. There is a bit of ripe plum on the retrohale followed by a vanilla sweetness on the finish. Rich tobacco dominates at this point with some toasted oak and leather coming through. Even with a fuller flavor at this point the Symmetry is careful not to overwhelm the palate but gives you just enough to catch these flavors and then scale back to a medium body.

The last third combines leather, wood and cream with a hint of that cinnamon once again. This spice revitalizes the palate and brings the cigar full circle. Some more of that graham cracker is present with a swath of lush dark fruit on the finish. An incredible smoking experience.

Conclusion

I am always impressed with the quality of Ashton cigars and how they take so much time in creating a new brand and blend. Their specificity to each profile is why they remain one of the best cigar producers out there. The Ashton Symmetry is just that, the epitome of balance in a smoke from beginning to end. You would be hard pressed to find a better example of complete flavors in a cigar. I would pick up a box without hesitation.

Carolina Blue Maduro Gran Robusto Review

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Carolina Blue Maduro Review

Up for review today is the Carolina Blue Maduro Gran Robusto, a beautiful cigar in an elegant gran robusto size. Carolina Blue is a relatively new company which was founded in 2016 as a partnership between Francisco De La Cruz and Christopher Moore, who had recently retired from military service.

To get a feel for the company’s ethos, here’s a short selection from their website:

Our goal is to create an amazing cigar experience for all levels of cigar enthusiasts while maintaining exemplary customer service. Pride, care, and strict attention to detail goes into each cigar we make. Our company’s foundation is deeply rooted in the legacy of our families’ subsistence tobacco farming in the community of north Harlowe in eastern North Carolina. We matured from those indelible youthful experiences, and have incorporated the same pride and tradition from our tobacco fields to the Dominican Republic.

So, Carolina Blue is a new company that clearly has a big dose of energy and enthusiasm. Let’s see how the maduro performs.

Product Specifics

  • Cigar Reviewed: Carolina Blue Maduro
  • Wrapper: San Andreas Maduro
  • Binder: Ecuadorian Sumatra
  • Filler: Criollo 98, Piloto Cubano and Nicaraguan
  • Size: Gran Robusto (5 3/4 x 54)

Appearance & Construction

The Carolian Blue Maduro features a rich, chocolate brown Maduro wrapper with a bit of toothiness and a slight oily sheen. The cigar is moderately springy to the touch and feels evenly packed the length of the cigar. I really love the band on this cigar, which you can see plays nicely in the photo off of the copper metal coaster. It’s a look that is unique among the many similar, more traditional bands on the market today.

The pre light draw has just the right amount of restrictiveness and reveals mild notes of caramel, cocoa, and earth.

Carolina Blue Maduro Review 2

Flavor & Smoke Characteristics

The Carolina Blue Maduro opens with rich, smooth smoke that is just under medium in body and strength. Smoke production is excellent and the draw is great. There’s a decent amount going on flavor wise, with some sea salt cocoa, savory spice on the tongue, cedar, and white pepper on the retrohale. It’s a profile that reminds me of some Quesada blends.

At half an inch in, strength increases a bit to medium. The spice begins to take prominence and I pick up an interesting, quite distinct peanut butter note. The finish is long with a good dose of salt and spice. At this point, there’s a decent amount of complexity, but I’m not sure the flavors are totally harmony. Behind all of the flavors mentioned before is a distinct bitter note which cuts through the pleasant notes at times.

Heading in to the second third, some new flavors emerge, including raisins and cinnamon. The strength has drawn back to mild medium, though the retrohale remains strong, with lots of white pepper and charcoal notes. Construction is still perfect, with a razor straight burn, a strong ash, and great smoke production.

The final third is my favorite portion and where I think the flavors come into a good balance and at the perfect medium strength. Raisin, cocoa, cedar, spice, and none of the bitter notes in the second third. As the final inch of the smoke burns, the ash continues to hold and the burn is sharp and straight.

Conclusion

Carolina Blue offers a nice array of flavors, though at times it struggles to find good balance. The bitter note at times distracted from what the cigar has going for it as well. Overall, for the company’s first blend, I think this is a strong showing. It packs a fairly traditional Maduro profile which bears some similarities with the Rockefeller Maduro.

Final Score: 86

You can learn more about and purchase Carolina Blue Cigars on their website.  If you want to learn more about Christopher Moore and the story behind Carolina Blue Cigars, check out this interview he did with Taste the Dram.

p.s. shout out to Gene Kizhnerman over at Taste the Dram for gifting this cigar for review.

Basil Hayden’s Dark Rye Review

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Basil Haydens Dark Rye Review

Up for review today is Basil Hayden’s Dark Rye (2017 Release), which is the first permanent addition to the Basil Hayden’s family ever. To any Bourbon or Rye enthusiast, this is exciting news. But the release had some scratching their heads when it was announced that the new Rye blend would include the addition of Port – not as a barrel finish but simply… added in.

Basil Hayden’s isn’t the first company to try adding wine directly into the core product, but I can tell you that in the past, it hasn’t gone well.

Here’s some more background on Dark Rye, courtesy of the company:

“Bringing Basil Hayden’s Dark Rye to life as the first-ever permanent addition to the Basil Hayden’s family is an exciting moment for the brand and our growing fan base,” said Rob Mason, Vice President of North American Whiskey at Beam Suntory. “Basil Hayden’s Dark Rye offers an unparalleled complexity and rich flavor, while staying true to the unique approachability and style that has made our bourbon a long-time favorite.”

Product Specifics

  • Distillery: Jim Beam
  • Mashbill: blend of Kentucky Rye, Canadian Rye, and Port
  • ABV: 40% (80 proof)

Basil Haydens Dark Rye in glass

Appearance

Give whoever branded the bottle that Dark Rye comes in a raise. It really is a beautiful thing to behold, with the traditional label delivered in a port-like color. The whiskey itself is extremely dark, almost a dried-blood red. The influence of the port is unmistakable here.

Nose

The nose is very inviting. It’s assertive without much burn. Aromas include rye spice, dark berries, and apples. Judging by the nose alone, I’m very excited to try this whiskey.

Palate

If you’re reading this review, you’re probably wondering how influential the port is on this rye. The answer comes the second the whiskey hits my tongue. The port influence is heavy and significantly alters the shape of the Kentuckian and Canadian rye underneath. Instead of a typical bright, dry rye mouthfeel, expect a much more full bodied, juicy texture. Flavors include very round notes of oak, plum, port wine, cinnamon and vanilla. Does it taste like a traditional rye? Nope, not at all. Is it enjoyable? I’ll respond with a hesitant yes.

Finish

The finish is fairly short, with a bit of the port and cinnamon notes and a rye breadiness.

Conclusion

If you’re expecting Basil Hayden’s Dark Rye to sip like a port-finished whisky, do yourself a favor and let that expectation go. To me it’s clear that Basil Hayden’s is trying to do something new in an effort to stand out (the original press release states as much, saying, “Basil Hayden’s Dark Rye is designed to stand out in the ever-expanding crowd of American whiskies”).

The fact is, this is a decent whiskey, and some might really enjoy sipping it on their own. It certainly isn’t the trainwreck that other whiskies with wine added have been in the past. For that reason, I’ve given it an 85 rating.  That said, I think this whiskey is more suited to cocktails, and I’ve left a little recipe below for a Dark Rye Manhattan that I enjoy.

Final Score: 85

dark rye manhattan

Basil Hayden’s Dark Rye Manhattan

  • 2 oz Basil Hayden’s Dark Rye
  • .75 oz Ransom Sweet Vermouth
  • 4 drops Peychaud’s Aromatic Bitters
  • Woodford Reserve Bourbon Cherries

Combine rye, vermouth, and bitters. Shake well with three ice cubes. Strain into rocks glass with ice ball, and throw in a Woodford Reserve Bourbon Cherry.

Garnish the entire experience with a Davidoff Millennium Blend Toro, just for the hell of it.

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