Davidoff Royal Robusto Review

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Davidoff Royal Robusto Review

A few weeks ago I was in Palm Springs, California on business at the JW Marriott. It’s a special resort, with breathtaking views of the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains, an incredible golf course, and if that isn’t enough, a handful tropical birds that inhabit the massive hotel lobby. So it was clear to me that I needed to pack a few special cigars. One of those is the Davidoff Royal Robusto, which I had wanted to smoke on just such an occasion.

At $40 per cigar, the Royal Robusto is an investment. But is it worth it? Let’s find out.

Product Specifics

  • Cigar Reviewed: Davidoff Royal Robusto
  • Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano
  • Binder: Dominican Republic
  • Filler: Piloto Ligero (10 years), San Vicente Ligero (11 years), Piloto Seco (10 years), Hybrid Olor/Piloto Ligero (11 years) and San Vicente Ligero (15 years)
  • Size: Royal Robusto (5 x 55)

Davidoff Royal Robusto Closeup

Appearance and Construction

The Davidoff Royal Robusto’s outer wrapper is golden brown with a few visible veins. The cigar is springy when squeezed and is packed consistently the length of the cigar. The cigar features a double band (white and gold), with Royal italicized.

The draw is a comfortable, with only a little restrictiveness. The pre-light draw reveals earth, nuts, spices, and wood. The aroma off of the foot is a different story: it’s very strong, with cedar, coffee, savory saltiness, spice, and floral notes.

Davidoff Royal Robusto Review Closeup

Flavor & Smoke Characteristics

Once lit, the Davidoff Royal Robusto opens smooth and complex. I pick up a subtle white pepper, sweet cedar, and a very enjoyable vanilla cream-like note. The body and strength are both solid mediums. I think it’s an absolutely delicious way to open. I cant say smoke production is voluminous, but it is very good.

An inch in, the white pepper has ramped up on the palate and on the retrohale, and the creamy notes have taken back seat to a drier cedar profile. The salt and pepper ash is still holding, but has frayed a bit (a feature which remains consistent the length of the cigar). The burn is a bit wavy too, but that owes more to my original light which was not a full ember.

Nearing the end of the first third, I’m surprised to find I’m already feeling the nicotine in this cigar. A bit unique for me, particularly because I don’t often feel the nicotine in the entire span of many cigars.

No real change occurs until about halfway, where the strength and body decrease to just below medium. The smoke at this point is soft, almost pillowy, with a bit of the cream from the first third returning. The retrohale as well has calmed a lot. The burn has mostly corrected itself, but the ash continues to be quite flaky, prompting me to ash a bit more often than I’d like.

The final third is mostly the same, and may have even mellowed a bit more. My main observation is that the profile has very little white pepper and spiciness. A nice conclusion to the cigar, but I can’t help feeling I would have enjoyed a bit fuller of an ending.

Conclusion

The Davidoff Royal Robusto is a great cigar. It opens with a truly remarkable bouquet of flavors that are perfectly balanced. Still, I would have liked to have a bit more to the story the cigar tells in the second half, and in particular in the final third. For that reason, this cigar doesn’t compare to other Davidoff cigars like the Millennium Blend which offer deeper complexity and nuances throughout the smoke.

All that said, even at $40 a cigar, it’s well worth taking it for a spin.

Final Score: 90

Ardbeg Corryvreckan Review

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Ardbeg Corryvreckan Review

I’m not always excited to review cigars and whisky.

I might be a jerk for saying that, but the simple truth is, I sample a lot of “meh” product, and not many deserve 500 words of description.  So it’s always a treat when I’m sitting down to review a product that I know will challenge my palate, patience and mindfulness. And so it is with Ardbeg Corryvreckan, which took me a number of sittings just to start putting my initial notes together.

Before we get to the review, some quick background on Ardbeg. Located on the south coast of the isle of Islay, the distillery’s first drops of whisky were produced in 1798. The distillery’s water source is Loch Uigeadail (yep, just like the famous Ardbeg Uigeadail), and it uses barley from the maltings in Port Ellen. Like many other distilleries, its product was mostly sold for use in blended whiskies. The company itself changed hands multiple times in the twentieth century, and today is owned by Moët Hennessy.

Let’s talk Corryvreckan.

Product Specifics

  • Whisky Reviewed: Ardbeg Corryvreckan
  • Distiller: Ardbeg Distillery
  • Age: No Age Statement (NAS)
  • ABV 57.1 (114.2 proof)
  • Bottled at cask strength, non-chill filtered

Ardbeg Corryvreckan glass

Appearance

Corryvreckan comes bottled in a dark, brooding bottle. The whirlpool on the label (and for which the whisky is named) references Corryvreckan, the world’s third largest whirlpool. The whirlpool itself has a kind of mythical ethos, and not only as a wonder of the natural world. George Orwell, for example, nearly drowned in the Corryvreckan whirlpool. The story goes that he had traveled to Jura to focus on completing 1984, and after misreading the tides on a boating day trip, his boat was pushed near the whirlpool, which promptly pulled the engine clean off. Orwell and his friends were only saved from a watery (and noteworthy) demise when the whirlpool receded, allowing them to paddle out of its grip.

Where was I again? Ah, right. The review.

The whisky itself is an old gold bordering on amber.

Nose

No need to put your nose to the glass on this one. In fact, you can probably pick up half of the following notes from across the room. Tobacco, leather, charcoal, old oak, sea spray, sherry, and rhubarb pie (yeah it’s left field for me too, but close your eyes, hold that image, and take a whiff).

Palate

For a split second, Corryvreckan starts out a bit sandy and nondescript. Then, a flame of flavor, which expands quickly into a fire and from there,  a bomb. Medicinal notes, charcoal, peat, heavy black pepper, salt, stone fruits,  and sherry. I’m most certainly missing a few descriptors, if only because at each sitting with Corryvreckan, you’re liable to experience it just a bit differently.

One other note here: have a glass of water on hand. The extreme amount of peatiness in this whisky will dry your palate out, so stay hydrated or you’ll end up drinking glass after glass of water for an hour or so after a glass of Corryvreckan.

Finish

Long (thirty seconds!) and palate-numbing! Lots of peat and charcoal, along with hints of sweetness and maltiness.

Conclusion

Corryvreckan is a hell of a whisky. From nose and palate through the finish, the flavors come rushing forward like gale force winds… and yet somehow remain in balance.

I recently reviewed Uigeadail, which is seen by many as the quintessential Ardbeg. In that review, I questioned whether Corryvreckan might offer some additional flavor while still remaining balanced. In the course of writing this review, I think I can answer (for myself) in the affirmative. Uigeadail is great, but I prefer Corryvreckan.

Final Score: 94

Davidoff Colorado Claro Short Perfecto Review

2 0 5.1k

Davidoff Colorado Claro Short Perfecto Review

Back on the reviewing table today is the Davidoff Colorado Claro Short Perfecto. This blend was originally released in 2002 and then re-released in 2009. I purchased this cigar without realizing that this is in fact a limited blend, with only a few hundred boxes of each size made. This could explain why the Colorado Claro isn’t mentioned anywhere on the Davidoff website.

If I had known the cigar was limited in quantity, I would have bought more, particularly given the experience I had with this cigar during the review.

Product Specifics

  • Cigar Reviewed: Davidoff Colorado Claro Short Perfecto
  • Wrapper: Ecuador Connecticut Sun Grown
  • Binder: Ecuador
  • Filler: Dominican Republic
  • Size: Short Perfecto (4.88 x 52)

Appearance and Construction

Simply put, this is a gorgeous cigar. The Ecuardorian Connecticut wrappper is seamless and has a slightly oily. The double band features the traditional Davidoff white and gold, along with a dark maroon/brown color that nearly matches the wrapper. The wrapper itself smells sweet, with a bit of leather and chocolate.

The pre light draw is unsurprisingly restrictive, which I suspect will change once an inch or so of the tapered bend has burnt.

Davidoff Colorado Claro Short Perfecto Review Closeup

Flavor and Smoke Characteristics

The Colorado Claro begins with a surprising amount of smoke production for such a small initial ember. The smoke is medium bodied, smooth, and oily, with Oak, charcoal, white pepper, and semisweet dark chocolate coming through on the palate. Within a few minutes, the tapered end has burned about a quarter inch and the ember has widened substantially. As a result, I can sense the flavors becoming smoother, rounder, and creamier. The draw has also loosened and is much more comfortable than when I first lit the cigar.

At an inch in, the tapered end has burned through, with the white ash holding strong and with a perfect burn. The smoke is now creamy, extremely smooth, with a nice white pepper on the retrohale.

At this point, I’m really enjoying this cigar. It’s less of a powerhouse than my other favorites from Davidoff (Millennium blend, for example), but the smoke has an elegance and balance that is really enjoyable. 

The second third begins and the smoke is somewhere between mild and  medium bodied. Flavors include milk chocolate, light black pepper, touches of salt, cedar, a traditional Davidoff mustiness, and a slight floral note. Just two minutes into the second third, the strength begins to pick up, now a solid medium, with the flavors becoming much richer and more defined.

In the final third, all of the flavors are in near perfect harmony. Cream, chocolate, salt and pepper, Oak, and touches of floral and caramel. It’s quite delicious, but in no way surprising. This is, after all, what has made Davidoff a legendary cigar company.

This short cigar has one more trick up its sleeve. In the final ten minutes of the cigar, body and strength kick up to medium/full. All flavors present. A parting gift.

Conclusion

I probably sound like a broken record when I review Davidoff cigars, but dangit they know how to create flavorful cigars with finesse. The Colorado Claro brings a lot of flavors to the table and weaves them together seamlessly. As a result, the cigar has an ebb and flow of aromas and flavors that can’t help but be enjoyed.

If you find them, buy them.

Final Score: 92

Nat Sherman Panamericana Secretos Review

5 0 3.7k

Nat Sherman Panamerican Secretos Review

Nat Sherman has been putting out some wonderful premium cigars for some time now (see Metropolitan Habano, Timeless, Bench). The Panamericana brand is an exclusive only available to shops that are members of the Tobacconists’ Association of America. The Secretos is the smallest vitola in the line, but one not to be underestimated. This was my first time smoking this cigar and it truly impressed.

Blend Specifics

  • Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sumatra
  • Binder: Nicaraguan
  • Filler: Costa Rica and Nicaragua
  • Size: 4” x 40 Secretos

Appearance & Construction

This diminutive smoke is oily with minimal veins and a chocolate colored wrapper. The cigar is expertly rolled with no soft spots and packed with tobacco. The understated red and gold band reads “Nat Sherman New York” with a gold crest in the middle.

Flavor & Smoke Characteristics

The cigar starts off with leather and a chewy smoke that envelopes the palate. A bit of white pepper comes into play with the leather dominating every puff. This is not a morning cigar for sure. Midway the Secretos develops a creamy texture with roasted nuts. The cigar once again smacks you with leather and the smoke is rich and savory on the finish. The final third delivers black and white pepper with a long sweet and toasty finish. I smoked this cigar until it burned my fingers.

Conclusion

Do not let the size full you, this is not your morning coffee cigar. The Secretos is a full bodied smoke full of complex flavors. In my experience cigars of this size seem to comprise more of a quick taste of what a larger cigar might offer and the size is more of a convenience for those short on time. The Nat Sherman Panamericana Secretos offers all the complexity and smoking enjoyment of a larger format to someone who is absent on time. I applaud the company for getting all these flavors into this vitola. I recommend picking up a box if you enjoy getting the most out of your cigar and maximizing what time you have.

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Archetype Initiation Corona Review

4 0 3.6k

Ventura Archetype Initiation Review 2

It’s always a treat to review a cigar you’ve never heard of before from a producer you might not know as well (in this instance, Drew Estate’s La Gran Fabrica factory). It’s an opportunity to go outside your comfort zone; to potentially get a fresh perspective, and maybe even find a new go-to cigar. That’s why this article features the Archetype Initiation Corona, a cigar produced by Ventura Cigar Co. This is also a nice change of pace for yours truly by virtue of it being the first time in a long time reviewing a corona size.

Product Specifics

  • Cigar Reviewed: Archetype Initiation
  • Vitola: Corona
  • Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano
  • Binder: Nicaraguan Habano
  • Filler: Nicaraguan Habano
  • Length: 5 Inches
  • Ring Gauge: 46

Aesthetics Construction, & Feel

The Archetype makes a memorable first impression by way of being rather unusual. The cold odor is an interesting mixture of bread and earth. The stogie itself is incredibly tightly packed. On the bright side, this also means that this robusto is guaranteed to be soft-spot free, making a fully even burn all the more likely. Additionally, the wrapper is quite smooth in texture and is rolled together absolutely flawlessly, from the foot right up to the cap. With this kind of initial impression, I’m quite curious.

Ventura Archetype Initiation Review

Flavor & Smoke Characteristics

First Third

Given its especially tight packing, the Archetype Initiation predictably starts off with a draw that’s a bit too tight for comfort. In fact, the draw seems to be so tightly put together that the filler constricts the cigar’s own flavor profile; a barely discernible and slightly under-matured combination of salt and cedar. Another consequence of the tight packing is that the draw has no texture to it, leaving little to no sense-based indication of whether or not the cigar is being smoked in the first place. Additionally, the entire first half of the body becomes heated up quickly, and the burn has a tendency of fizzling out quickly as well. However, the smoke clouds are surprisingly mildly thick for such a tight draw, and the evenness of the burn is absolutely flawless from the get-go. And in spite of the incredibly tight draw, the retrohale has a robust element of spice to it.

Second Third

This is where things begin to improve. The flavor profile takes on a nice hint of coffee in the background to compliment the salt and cedar in the foreground. Additionally, the draw begins to develop a smooth, creamy texture that helps to make the flavor profile a bit more prominent. And what’s best of all is the cigar begins to emit that immensely satisfying crackling sound at the foot that I know and love so much. The Archetype Initiation suffers two major setbacks on the second third, however; the wrapper unexpectedly begins to unravel slightly near the foot, and the burn eventually begins to canoe, albeit only slightly. The second third fortunately ends on a slightly more positive note, as the robust spice that had been absent from the retrohale near the end of the first third makes its way back and advances onto the palette.

Point of Convergence

The cedar wood that had dominated the flavor profile since the very beginning now begins to intensify and expand beyond the flavor profile, marking the palette with a strong wood aftertaste. The burn finally evens itself out in time for the flavors to converge, but the wrapper sadly continues its streak of mild unraveling right up until the end. What’s more, the convergence of the flavor profile’s various notes are sadly obstructed by a draw that, in a move I thought impossible, becomes even tighter than before. Yet, this tightening is followed by thicker smoke clouds than before, which offers a certain degree of consolation.

The Final Verdict

From a draw tight enough to constrict the flavor profile to a wrapper that boasted less structural integrity than the wrapper’s appearance suggested and everything in between, the Archetype Initiation was riddled with problems from the get-go. Yet, there is a silver lining to this tale. The positive elements of this cigar were not only satisfying, but unique; the burn was remarkably even throughout, and when it canoed, it was barely noticeable before it corrected itself. The way the spice was able to weave its way into every area of the smoke was also a first, and the creamy coffee texture on the draw was to die for. In short, the Initiation has a very long way to go, but its got a great start on the path to perfection.

Time: 51 minutes

Final Grade: 82

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