Blind Review: Davidoff Dominicana Robusto

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The name Davidoff boasts a vision of a life in pursuit of quality and the best life has to offer. Their cigar making is founded on the best tobacco and presentation, all encapsulated in their motto, “Time Beautifully Filled.” While flavor profiles vary across their lines, the cigars seem to define fine living. With the Dominicana, Davidoff gives homage to the culture and essence of the country where they produce so much. Robustos can be wonderful cigars to smoke as the size enables a lot of opportunities to blend various tobaccos into it and the time frame seems to fit most quite well. This vitola made properly can have it all.

Here’s what Edward Simon, chief marketing officer at Oettinger Davidoff AG had to say about the 2021 release:

The Davidoff Dominicana is not only a spirited example of Davidoff’s expertise and excellence in craftsmanship, but is also a statement to our enormous assortment of vintage tobacco stocks. The tobaccos harvested in 2014 have been carefully aged over six years to be eventually blended into the Davidoff Dominicana, making it a bold testimony of our vintage proposition.

It’s a fine statement, but a review should leave marketing lingo behind, and that’s why I reviewed this cigar blind-labeled, prepared by our review team.

Blend Specifics

  • Cigar Reviewed: Davidoff Dominicana Robusto
  • Wrapper: Dominican
  • Binder: Ecuadorian
  • Filler: Dominican
  • Size: Robusto (5” 1/8 x 52)

Appearance & Construction

This robusto has a silky wrapper to the touch with lightly visible veins. The tight pigtail cap is a good indication of the expertise of the roller–finishing a cigars’s head in that style, especially that close on the cap, is not an easy task. As I roll it in my hands the symmetry is perfect. Giving a squeeze there are no soft spots to speak of and it feels well balanced with filler tobaccos.  Smelling the foot gives off big oak and fruit notes with some must.

Flavor & Smoke Characteristics

With my Xikar Mammoth lighter I take a precision cut that clips the pigtail and just a bit of the cap off. The dry draw is just that, drying on the lips with an earthy mushroom quality.  Striking a long match, I gently light the cigar and with my first puff there’s toasted oak and leather in spades. Another long draw and vanilla bean sweetness and dried plum move forward with a graham cracker finish. The rerohale is bringing those oak and toasty notes up as well as some baking spices. The strength is more on the side of full with the flavors well pronounced.

As I reach the midsection of this cigar, I’m admiring the solid white ash and perfect burn line. The construction is a fine example of what a premium cigar should be. The transition from leather and spice has now brought me to earth and chocolate leaving a creamy finish in its wake. While I let the smoke resonate in my mouth, the mouthfeel akin to that last sip of café au lait. In an interesting turn the cocoa notes yield to a cinnamon spice and more dried fruit. These flavors are a bit more subtle, slowly coaxing themselves out as I take a few puffs. The strength remains in the fuller range although never overpowering.

The sweetness returns on the final third which is balanced by leather across the palate. While the cigar is producing a waft of smoke the flavors in mouth are of black pepper with forest floor mid palate and an earth laden finish. I take another retrohale where the fruits take over and as I exhale there’s mushroom and a savory umami quality pushing through. With a few last puffs there’s bakers’ chocolate along with mint and ending in a creamy finish. A deliciously complex cigar.

Conclusion

This smoke was attractive at first glance with its silky wrapper finished with a well-crafted pigtail. It did not disappoint. Upon lighting, it prepped the palate with oak and leather that segued to sweetness and dried fruits. As it developed, the earth, chocolate and creaminess slowly increased. The burn was what you always appreciate in a choice cigar and stayed straight as an arrow. The strength carried itself in the fuller style in a well balanced well that did not distract from the flavors. The last part of this stick was more cocoa and savory notes that brought the cigar to an enjoyable ending.

When I found out this was the Davidoff Dominicana I was not shocked given the craftsmanship and blend. I would recommend a box for sure. Otherwise, grab one from you local shop as you will be in for a treat.

Final Rating: 91

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Ferio Tego Makes Debut With Pair of Limited Release Premium Cigars for 2021.

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(Ramsey, NJ August 25, 2021) Ferio Tego is pleased to announce the official launch of the Ferio Tego brand of premium cigars with a pair of 2021 limited releases.  Both blends are offered in a 6” x 50 toro format, packed in custom travel humidors of ten cigars each.  The humidors, hand made by Humidif Group’s Cigar Box Factory in Esteli, come preloaded with the company’s Gelly Humidity Control packs to ensure the cigars are properly maintained after they are acquired.

The 2021 Ferio Tego Elegancia is manufactured in Licey, Dominican Republic with the Quesada family.  The blend features an Ecuadorian wrapper, over a Dominican binder, and fillers from Nicaragua and Dominican Republic. 

The 2021 Ferio Tego Generoso is manufactured in Esteli, Nicaragua with the Plasencia family.  The blend features a Honduran shade-grown wrapper, over a Nicaraguan binder and Nicaraguan fillers.

“Our 2021 Ferio Tego offerings are quite different from one another in style and pedigree, yet both share a commonality of balance and body”, shared Michael Herklots, co-owner of Ferio Tego LLC.  “A mild cigar need not be thin on the palate nor flavor deficient, and a bolder cigar does not need to be ferocious and aggressive.  We worked very hard together with the factories to achieve a full-bodied mouth feel and presence across both blends in order to establish a ‘house style’ so to speak, while still preserving the elegant expression of creamier brighter notes of Elegancia, and the generous presentation of dense savory notes of Generoso.  Both blends stand on their own much the way a winery offers a Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon together.”

The initial offer for 2021 Ferio Tego is currently being sent to retailers.  The cigars are expected to arrive in stores the first week of October.  Due to the extremely limited production of the 2021 inaugural release, inventory will be allocated.  The 2022 release is in pre-production and will have much greater availability, though still limited in production. Exact quantities will not be announced.  Ferio Tego 2021 will be offered at an MSRP of $210 per humidor of ten cigars.

“We have worked very methodically these last several months, carefully considering every decision, ensuring that we are on solid ground before taking another step”, said Brendon Scott, co-owner of Ferio Tego LLC.  “We are excited to finally launch Ferio Tego in the U.S. and bring these wonderful new offerings to market.  And we are equally excited for the relaunch of Timeless and Metropolitan in the coming months.”

Ferio Tego is distributed exclusively by Davidoff of Geneva USA in the United States and its territories. 

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About Ferio Tego

Ferio Tego, LLC is a premium cigar and accessories company launched in 2021 by Michael Herklots, former Vice President of Nat Sherman International, LLC and Brendon Scott, former Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Nat Sherman, LLC.  In addition to their flagship Ferio Tego brand, the company also owns the Metropolitan, Timeless, and Epoca brands of premium cigars as well as the Ancora accessories brand all formerly owned and distributed by Nat Sherman International, LLC.

FERIO TEGO is the Herklots family motto, found on the family’s coat of arms. While there are many interpretations and translations for this phrase, “Ferio Tego” loosely translates to “Strike and Defend.”

For more information:

info@feriotego.com

http://www.feriotego.com 

http://www.facebook.com/feriotego

http://www.instagram.com/feriotego

Aging Room Announces Release of New Rare Collection

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FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The wait is over!  After earning a 96 rating and being awarded Cigar Aficionado’s 2019 #1 Cigar of the Year for its Quattro Nicaragua Maestro, Altadis U.S.A. announces a new Rare Collection release from Aging Room.  This is the first new release from Aging Room in more than a year-and-a-half. 

The Aging Room by Rafael Nodal Rare Collection is a collaboration from two industry giants – Rafael Nodal and AJ Fernandez. The cigars are handmade in Nicaragua and feature specially selected rare tobaccos.

“This is not just an updated cigar; this is the first in what will be several Rare Collection projects,” said Nodal, who is Head of Product Capability for Tabacalera USA.” The Rare Collection series is intended to offer small runs based on the availability of rare and superbly well-aged tobaccos.

“With the Aging Room by Rafael Nodal Rare Collection, we are offering adult consumers a complex, medium-full bodied, Nicaraguan blend containing some of the rarest and most well-aged tobaccos of any cigar we’ve released to date,” Nodal said.

Aging Room by Rafael Nodal Rare Collection:

  • Release date: Aug 28, 2021
  • Featuring oily Nicaraguan wrapper, well-aged, with a pig-tail cap
  • Nicaraguan binder and filler
  • 10-count boxes
  • Three sizes:
    • Festivo (52 x 4 1/2) • MSRP: $15.00
    • Scherzo (55 x 5 1/2) • MSRP: $15.50
    • Vivase (60 x 6) • MSRP: $15.95

About Altadis U.S.A.

Altadis U.S.A. has been crafting fine premium cigars since 1918 and is responsible for many of the world’s most renowned brands, including Henry Clay, Montecristo, Romeo y Julieta, H. Upmann and Trinidad. If you have ever enjoyed a premium cigar, there’s a good chance you’ve enjoyed a cigar crafted by Altadis U.S.A. Visit www.altadisusa.com for more information.

Blind Review: VegaFina 1998 VF52

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Once a European exclusive brand under the umbrella of Altadis USA, the VegaFina 1998 made its debut in the U.S market back in fall of 2020. To commemorate the birth year of the brand, VegaFina 1998 is a blend containing tobacco from 5 different countries each with a minimum of 3 years of age. Once rolled, they are then aged for another 4 years before releasing it to the consumers.

The VegaFina 1998 comes in 3 different vitola: VF50 (4.5x 50), VF52 (5×52), and VF54 (6.12x 54).

Blend Specifics

  • Cigar Reviewed: VegaFina 1998 VF 52
  • Wrapper: Ecuador HVA
  • Binder: Java Indonesia
  • Filler: Colombia, Dominican Republic, and Nicaragua
  • Size: Robusto (5” x 52)
  • Release year: 2020

Appearance & Construction

Staring at the veiny yet smooth milk chocolate wrapper gives gives me nostalgic feelings, as if I just returned home from trick or treat on Halloween night. I can feel the sturdiness of the build when I pick up the cigar. The wrapper itself is thin, thinner than what I’m used. The jagged imprint of the filler leaves is very visible to the naked eye. However, there is no sign of fragility. Lastly, there is a small empty pocket near the head of the cigar, which I hope won’t affect my smoking experience.

Flavor and Smoke Characteristics

The wrapper gives off a very appetizing scent of vanilla and sunflower seeds. The foot of the cigar enhances the scent with honey and a lingering white pepper spice. After slicing off the cap, I take a cold draw and get dark leather, star anise, and a hint of honey. The draw restrictiveness is around 8/10, which is a little too tight for me. I hope the draw will loosen up once I light the cigar.

When I introduce some fire to the foot, a sweet and herbaceous scent carried within the stream of silky smoke twirl itself around my nose. I take my first puff shortly after and can taste roasted coffee, tree bark, tea leaves, raw sugar, and savory mineral. The retrohale highlights an even darker tone: herbaceous bitter tea leaves and tree bark. Overall, I’m feeling a bit let down by my initial experience. The flavors seem very muddled together and muted on both my palate and the retrohale.

Almost as if there is an invisible line drawn on the cigar marking the beginning of the second third, the smoke becomes extra smooth and creamy. The flavors transform into a more pronounce form of dark leather, tree bark, and vanilla in the front. They’re supported by bitter tea leaves and raw sugar in the back end as the smoke dissipates. Unfortunately, all this creaminess in the smoke backfires as it coats my tongue with a bitter sweet taste that lingers even after I drink some unflavored seltzer. By the half way point of this cigar, black pepper spice finally finds its way to the scene on the retrohale.

In the final third, I taste toasted almonds in addition to the aforementioned flavors. The retrohale becomes more enjoyable as it shifts from black pepper spice to baking spice. Regrettably, this doesn’t not help the fact that my tastebuds are still overwhelmed by the sweet and bitter taste from the awkward flavor combination in the smoke.

Conclusion

This might be one of most unique experience I’ve had in a cigar. However, it felt like there was a constant battle between the flavors. With each puff I took, the cigar highlighted a different flavor note which resulted in imbalanced flavor combinations. The only consistency I observed was the sweet and bitter taste that lingered on my tongue, and without any brighter flavor notes or spice to alleviate that, it ultimately ruined the whole smoking experience.

Final Rating: 76

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Blind Review: Perla Del Mar Corojo Corona Gorda

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Perla del Mar (translating to “Pearl of the Sea”) was a discontinued Cuban brand cigar rolled by the Perfecto Garcia Brothers in the early 1900’s. Due to its growing popularity and growth, they built a large factory next to the J.C Newman’s El Reloj factory in Ybor City in 1905. Unfortunately, the glory days of Perfecto Garcia Brothers didn’t last. In October of 1960, the U.S placed an embargo on Cuba cutting off their supply of Cuban tobacco, and eventually sold their factory like many other cigar companies in Ybor City.

In 2012, J.C Newman resurrected the brand, paying homage to the Perfecto Garcia Brothers. The revived brand came in 2 different blends: Ecuadorian Connecticut shade wrapper and a Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro. In late 2020, J.C Newman introduced a third line of Perla del Mar featuring a Corojo wrapper. This is the cigar I blind reviewed today.

Blend Specifics

  • Cigar Reviewed: Perla del Mar Corojo
  • Wrapper: Ecuador (Corojo)
  • Binder: Nicaraguan
  • Filler: Nicaraguan
  • Size: Corona Gorda (5”1/2 x 46)

Appearance & Construction

The café au lait brown wrapper gives the cigar a very inviting presence. The surface is smooth and soft. Visually the corojo wrapper seems dry, but I can feel the oil being collected between my fingers after holding onto the cigar for more than half a minute. There is one visible vein that has been flattened by the Tampa-Style box press (more of a rectangular shape than square). Lastly, I feel a soft spot an inch from the foot as I softly squeeze my fingers down the cigar.

Flavor and Smoke Characteristics

While still studying the wrapper, I trace it across my nose and am greeted by a very floral scent. On the foot, I smell sour dry plum and a hint of pepper. After shaving off the cap, I go in for a cold draw and get dry plum and light tan leather. There is also a savory aftertaste that travels from the tip of my tongue to the back of my cheeks, which is a very unique experience from a cigar.

I decide to smolder the foot with matches instead of using my lighter. Once the foot resembles a brick, I take my first puff and am greeted with cedar, raw peanuts, light leather and red pepper spice. There is a sweet and acidy citrus aftertaste which cleans my palate. However, unlike my clean palate, red pepper spice begins a cannonade on the retrohale. Once accustomed to the pepper, flavors such as stone fruits and light leather became clearer while the red pepper continuously sizzles throughout my nasal cavity. This cigar contains a lot of nicotine.

Once I arrive at the second-third of the cigar—like clockwork—the smoke from the draw becomes even more full and silky. There is a slight burnt cedar hidden within the smoke itself which gives off a pleasant sweet and bitter profile. It isn’t until the half way point that the pepper spice loosens its grasp and I became more focused on other flavors such as cedar, tan leather, and roasted peanut. Retrohaling also becomes more bearable, mimicking the sweet and savory notes on the palate.

In the final third, the Perla del Mar is finally conveying its true intention with notes of sweet cedar, caramel, roasted peanut shells, and a small amount of red pepper spice, all cooled off by the creamy texture in the smoke. Regrettably, just when I begin to fully enjoy the experience, I find myself performing the final retrohale.

Conclusion

The Perla del Mar Corojo had its ups and downs. I recommend to have it as an end of the day cigar, especially with the high nicotine content and the overwhelming pepper bomb through the retrohale. With that being said, the sweet and acidy citrus note are very unique and kept my palate clean, which is something I rarely experience in a cigar.

Ultimately though, the downfall for this cigar is the lack of complexity and imbalance throughout the whole smoking experience. However, if you appreciate a pepper bomb cigar, then you may want to give this blend a try.

Final Rating: 87

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