The Davidoff Master Selection is a group of small batch blends released in 2017 to celebrate Master Blender Eladio Diaz’s various birthdays. Each release is set at $35 and comes in boxes of 10. Today we are reviewing the Davidoff | Master Selection 2011.
This cigar was reviewed blind (no bands) by a panel of at least 4 reviewers. They did not know what they were smoking beforehand. The scores are an average of all the reviewers' scores with outliers removed. All of our cigars reviewed are shipped to the panelists with Boveda packs to ensure optimal smoking experience.
The cigar is blended an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper, a Negro San Andrés from Mexico binder and Nicaraguan Estelí Ligero, Semilla A Visus, San Vicente Ligero and San Vicente Mejorado Visus, and Piloto Volado filler. Davidoff gives it a 3.5 out of 5 for strength.
Vital Stats:
Vitola: Toro
Length: 6″
Ring Gauge: 52
Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano
Binder: Negro San Andrés
Filler: Nicaraguan Estelí Ligero, Semilla A Visus, San Vicente Ligero and San Vicente Mejorado Visus, and Piloto Volado
Factory: TABADOM
Blender: Eladio Diaz
Number of reviewers: 5 – Daniel S. (Daniel S.) John I. (John I.) Diana(ArmyRN) Wes (SosaCub4Life) Isaac M.(The Nothing)
Price: $35.00
Age: 9 Months
Release Date: August 2017
Contributed by: Davidoff
Initial Impressions
Appearance: 91
“Very nice looking cigar. Nice lighter milk chocolate brown wrapper. Well constructed.” –Wes (SosaCub4Life)
Aroma: 89
“The cigar had an intriguing aroma of saddle leather with a bit of chili spice at the foot. ” –Isaac M. (The Nothing)
First Third
Flavor: 94
Strength: Medium
Body/Complexity: Medium-Full
“There is a nice amount of spice on the retro and some overall creaminess to the cigar. So far the 1st third is very nice.” –Wes (SosaCub4Life)
“This cigar started off quite interesting. There was a red pepper spice on the nose and a blend of kitchen spices that seemed to vary with each passing puff. Dry grass, cumin, coriander, dried orange peel, the flavors changed frequently and seemed to be a complete raid of my pantry.” –Isaac M. (The Nothing)
“The flavor is definitely picking up in a good way. The earthy notes are increasing and the mix of oak and cedar is great. There is a slight white pepper to it causing an ever so slight tingle on the end of my tongue. I was liking this cigar before this progression but I’m even happier now. A hint of leather is revealed also but it is well mixed with the other flavors.” –Diana (ArmyRN)
“The only real noticeable change in the second third was found with the retrohale, where the red pepper spice was gone and was replaced by a distinct oak aroma. On the palate, my kitchen pantry continued to dance around; sage, cardimom, paprika and more. ” –Isaac M. (The Nothing)
“All the flavors are starting to come together In the last third. The sweet pepperish flavor has transitioned into sweet peppery chocolate. The cigar also has a lot sweetness and creaminess underneath the peppery chocolate flavors. I am really enjoying the suprises this cigar is giving me. Also espresso And little pepper on the retro ” –Daniel S. (Daniel S.)
“The finale is shaping up to be pretty much more of the same. Darker roasted flavors are developing around the nutty/leather core, but it’s been that consistently with some hints of some other flavors. At the finish it’s all rich dark and leathery. Not a bad thing. It’s made me happy throughout. Construction has also been tremendous. ” –John I. (John I.)
Overall Impressions
Draw: 98
“The draw is close to perfect and has the perfect amount of resistance. The easy draw compliments the excellent flavors of this cigar.” –Daniel S. (Daniel S.)
Burn: 95
“The burn on this cigar was perfect. It kept a perfect circle through the entire smoke.” –Wes (SosaCub4Life)
Construction: 94
“This smoke didn’t disappoint. Solid construction with no soft or hard spots during the entire experience. It never became too hot even at the end of the last third. The cap held nicely after a straight cut and mixing with my saliva. The wrapper remained intact and never cracked or burst while smoking. ” –Diana (ArmyRN)
“This was an excellent cigar, full of flavor twists and unique flavors. I was surprised that such a strong peppery cigar at the start, would turn into a sweet peppery chocolate surprise. This cigar had almost everything I look for when smoking a cigar. Which included creating a layer of sweet glaze on my lips and having the flavor linger in my well after the cigar was done.” –Daniel S. (Daniel S.)
“Great smoke. Amazing construction which has definitely contributed to the experience. Deep rich leather and nuttiness on bold display here. It’s a flavor profile that I enjoyed a lot although there wasn’t a lot of transitional stuff going on. I’d be happy to smoke these by the truckload, and I’d nub them every time. ” –John I. (John I.)
“I didn’t get what I thought I was going to get from the initial aroma and dry draw of the cigar but I wasn’t upset by that either. It started out pretty mild but progressed nicely. I liked that it gained flavor and fullness as I went through it. There was enough variation in flavor to keep me interested it. I paired this with some ginger wine and it went perfectly. There is a lot this could pair with that would bring specific flavors out for the smoker. An overall great smoking experience. I would definitely smoke this again.” –Diana (ArmyRN)
“Overall this is a very nice cigar. The construction and burn were just perfect. It had a great balance of spice and cream which is wonderful. It was rather one dimensional throughout the smoke but it was so enjoyable I didn’t care. I really enjoyed this smoke.” –Wes (SosaCub4Life)
“What a cigar. For nearly the first hour I was quite happy and impressed. Every puff seemed to bring along a new different flavor, and it went through my kitchen bringing out pretty much every spice I could imagine. In the end, though, I think it proved to be too much. I really wanted it to settle down a bit. Even the most ADHD kid can find a moment to stop and chill at some point, and that’s exactly what this cigar needed to do. I will smoke one again, no doubt, but likely at a time when I’m a bit more distracted and not so focused on the cigar.” –Isaac M. (The Nothing)
"Great smoke. Amazing construction which has definitely contributed to the experience. Deep rich leather and nuttiness on bold display here. It's a flavor profile that I enjoyed a lot although there wasn't a lot of transitional stuff going on. I'd be happy to smoke these by the truckload, and I'd nub them every time. " -John I. (John I.)
