Cigar Info
The Davidoff Oro Blanco was announced in 2014 as one of the most expensive cigars in the world. The cigar is comprised of one vintage of tobacco from 2002 and was the first time Eladio Diaz was presented as a the man behind the a Davidoff cigar. While he had been blending Davidoff cigars for years, the main face of the company was Hendrik Kelner.
The name Oro Blano means “white gold” in Spanish, inspiration from Diaz that came after watching a sunset in Mao which also happens to be where the harvest is from. There is only one size of Oro Blano, a toro measuring 6 x 54 in a parejo. Each cigar is rolled under the supervision of Eladio Diaz, and he signs off on the tobacco when ready to be rolled, as well as the finished product. Each cigars is actually signed by Diaz. Each Oro Blanco comes in either its own coffin or in boxes of 10. The cigar retails for $500 each. The company has not said how many cigars were made, but it is a very limited run.
Pre-light
Draped in a rich reddish brown wrapper with some noticeable small and medium sized veins about, the size makes this one hefty robusto. The triple cap is a bit awkwardly applied and uneven. Other than that the construction gives a wonderful firm feeling with a slight amount of spring.
The aroma from the foot and wrapper of the cigar include leather, woodsy cream and a slight hint of milk chocolate; a heavenly combination. Cold draws reveal flavors of more woodsy cream, a slight fruity sweetness and fresh leather.
First Third
Lit from the included cedar, huge amounts of oak, cream and pepper spew forth to provide a full bodied start. Rich and slightly sweet, leather pops its head in this menagerie of heavy hitting flavors half an inch in as the initial profile tones down. One thing worth noting is the draw is flawlessly perfect on this sample as creamy white ash slowly forms.
Second Third
Into the second third, more slightly sweet fresh leather and oak. An effortless retrohale provides a medium black pepper note that enhances the overall experience of the profile. Further in a change takes place with the medium-full bodied profile. A rich and buttery cashew joins the mixture with finesse while a black pepper and tiny bit of peat smoke aroma lingers on the tongue. Towards the back end of this third, raisiny and baking spices come into play for another level of complexity.
Final Third
The final third builds seamlessly upon the last. Sweet sherry oak cask notes is what the start of this third reminds me of. The complexity and easily identifiable flavors continue to amaze me even as the profile appears to mellow in strength and body. Sweetness amplifies as more raisin notes come into play, I feel as if I have just eaten a handful of them. Oak and cedar notes drift in and out of the raisiny sweetness, which only builds in sweetness as I near the end.
Overall Impressions
You get what you pay for here. A unique experience with clean defined flavors that were perfectly well balanced throughout the entirety of the duration of this ultra premium cigar. Complexity is unmatched to any cigar I've ever had making this smoke a dream. Construction and draw were phenomenal however this particular sample had some issues with the burn line until the second half where it caught up. Because of the fullness and richness of this medium to medium full bodied smoke, it is not something you'll reach for (providing you have the available funds) everyday. This cigar is meant for those special occasions when you want something that screams quality in terms of very rich flavor that is defined, unique and unmatched to any other stick. Whilst not my sweet spot for flavor profiles, as it was a tad too sweet for me, this definitely goes into my top echelon of cigars I have ever enjoyed.
-John (John A.)
Author