Two months ago, Davidoff announced that they were bringing back the Robusto Real Especiales 7. It was originally released in 2004 and was the first cigar to use 7 different tobaccos in the blend. The tobaccos in the blend are the same that comprise Davidoff‘s other blends such as Signature, Grand Cru, Aniversario and Millennium. It uses an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper and fillers and binder come from the Dominican Republic. The cigar costs $28.50 per cigar and 4,000 boxes were rolled this time.
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 Robusto Real Especiales 7 comes in 10-count boxes and boxes of 10 and also 4-packs that are available only at Global Travel Retail.
Vital Stats:
Vitola: Robusto Length: 5 1/2″ Ring Gauge: 48 Country of Origin: Dominican Republic Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano Binder: Dominican Olor Filler: Olor Seco, Piloto Seco, Piloto Viso, San Vicente Ligero, San Vicente Viso Factory: TABADOM Blender: Henke Kelner Number of reviewers: 4 – Mickey T.(irratebass) John A.(Bostoneo) Alan(Eulogy) Jeff(ExpendableYouth) Price: $28.50 Age: 2 Months Release Date: April 2019
Initial Impressions
Appearance: 94
“Nice chocolate brown wrapper that has tight seams, minimal veins, and one of the largest triple caps I’ve ever seen. ” –Alan (Eulogy)
Aroma: 88
“The foot gives off an aroma of dry cedar and a light white pepper. ” –Jeff (ExpendableYouth)
Flavor: 92 Strength: Medium Body/Complexity: Medium
“An easy light up reveals immediate flavors of great Dominican tobaccos. Leather and floral notes with a dash of spice makes for a fantastic start. As I near the end of this third, sweet flakey pastry becomes apparent. The ash is quite remarkably ribbed looking as well. ” –John A. (Bostoneo)
“The first-third has a lot of cedar, pepper and dry walnuts. The pepper isn’t overly aggressive but it coats the mouth and tongue. The smoke has a really nice mouth feel with just the right amount of resistance on the draw. There is a slight sweetness and woodiness on the retrohale that rounds out the profile quite nicely. ” –Jeff (ExpendableYouth)
Second Third
Flavor: 90 Strength: Medium Body/Complexity: Medium
“It’s still very similar from the first third. Spanish cedar is still the dominate flavor with notes of leather, heavy, and a slight nuttiness. The white pepper from the beginning has developed into more of a cracked black pepper. The smoke output is very good though with a nice creaminess to it. Just at the end a black coffee flavor develops. ” –Alan (Eulogy)
“Really no transition in flavors, mostly just earthy/woodsy notes. Strength has stayed consistent at medium. ” –Mickey T. (irratebass)
“Spanish cedar has been the star since the beginning and nothing has changed in that respect. There’s an occasional sweetness that has developed at the end joining dry leather, black coffee, heavy cream, and black pepper. ” –Alan (Eulogy)
“The final-third has quite a bit more black pepper and an almost charred cedar note. There is a light sweetness left on the pallet with rich leather and a burned espresso finish. The amount of nicotine has this cigar has really snuck up on me and I am starting to get a bit of a head high. I would suggest having this cigar after a meal or maybe with a coke. The draw, construction, and burn have been perfect throughout. ” –Jeff (ExpendableYouth)
“This was a good cigar, but not one I would reach for regularly. If I wasn’t reviewing the cigar I may have enjoyed it more. Meaning if I just lit this up and smoked it in a lounge or on my back deck and didn’t have to pay attention to it I may enjoy it more. It was kind of one dimensional with all the earthy tones. I did get some cherries, but the flavor didn’t last long enough to hold my attention……so i’m kind of at a loss with this one. I liked it, but didn’t wow me I guess. ” –Mickey T. (irratebass)
“Overall the first half of this stick was pretty good but it lacked much variation from start to finish. Smoked well, burned well, just was a bit boring for me as I wanted to move on to something else. Maybe this will improve with time, but I wouldn’t rush out to try one anytime soon. ” –John A. (Bostoneo)
“If the price is right this is a great cigar. It kinda reminds me of a hard worker. Someone that goes in everyday, gets the job done well, but isn’t necessarily the star. ” –Alan (Eulogy)
“In terms of transitions or flavor profile changes this cigar really didn’t have any. That’s not to say it wasn’t an enjoyable smoke though. The core flavors of pepper, cedar, sweetness, leather, and espresso worked really well together. I couldn’t say that this cigar wowed me but it was a really nice cigar with just enough going on to keep my interest. Depending on price I would say you should definitely give this cigar a try. ” –Jeff (ExpendableYouth)
Blind Cigar Review: Davidoff | Robusto Real Especiales 7
Summary
"In terms of transitions or flavor profile changes this cigar really didn't have any. That's not to say it wasn't an enjoyable smoke though. The core flavors of pepper, cedar, sweetness, leather, and espresso worked really well together. I couldn't say that this cigar wowed me but it was a really nice cigar with just enough going on to keep my interest. Depending on price I would say you should definitely give this cigar a try. " -Jeff (ExpendableYouth)
