The Escurio is Davidoff‘s latest release and appears to be a follow up to the successful Nicaragua line. This release has its ties to Brazil. It has an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper, Brazilian Cubra binder and a filler combination of cubra and mata fina from Brazil, along with Dominican San Vicente.
This format is a little different from our normal Quick Cigar Review as Aaron and I both smoked one and gave our thoughts to compare. Aaron smoked the Robusto and Emmett smoked the Gran Toro.
Initial Impressions
Aaron
A leathery looking wrapper that is a reddish brown. There are a couple of prominent veins that run the length of the wrapper along with a few smaller veins that branch out from the larger ones. The seams are easily visible but are wrapped tight. There are three caps visible and they are applied well. The aroma from the wrapper is a mix of leather and barnyard. The aroma at the foot is very sweet and is a mixture of tobacco and raisin.
Emmett
Like all Davidoff‘s, this is a beautiful cigar to look at. The wrapper is just about flawless and the construction is great. There is only one vein and the seams a quite clean. The wrapper has a combination of plum and leather, quite unique. The foot is a bit sweeter.
First Third
Aaron
The pre-light draw brings some spiciness to the lips and tip of my tongue. I am also getting spiciness in the flavor which I liken to cayenne along with some raisin sweetness that carries over from the aroma at the foot. After lighting, the flavors begin with a slightly dry, but spicy cedar. The draws are producing quite of bit of smoke which allows for a long, slow exhale in which to map out the flavors. The retrohale provides a musty, damp wood characteristic. At about the half inch mark, the cedar backs off a little and some baking spices come in to take the forefront. There is a dull pepper that sits in the middle of my tongue and resides in my sinuses as part of a very long finish. Near the end of the third, the baking spices had faded away and a bit of sweetness chimed in.
Emmett
The first puffs are quite mild, which is to be expected from a Davidoff. The flavors are some of the most unique I have ever experienced in a cigar, and I’ve smoked a lot of cigars. It is very sweet, but with a hint of spice, like Mexican hot chocolate. The sweetness is almost fruity, not citrus, but more like raisin. The bolder flavors are coffee and red pepper. The third finishes out with more spice and a great mild long finish.
Second Third
Aaron
Into the second third, the cedar returns and is a bit dry. There is an earthy component that also has joined in. The earthiness translates to the retrohale to go along with the mustiness. About halfway into the third, the cigar went out and required a re-light. After the re-light, the earthiness continues. The third finishes with some baking spices and the continued mustiness on the retrohale. Both the strength and body have dropped to a medium.
Emmett
In this third, I have noticed a slight change in the spice, it has gone from red pepper to more like a spearmint, something I rarely taste. Further in, the spices shift back a little more towards the traditional pepper, but there is still the mint flavor in the background and the finish.
Final Third
Aaron
The final third continues with earthiness and a bit of cedar. The cedar moved in an out as the third went along. The mustiness remained on the retrohale throughout the third and was always a reliable component. The strength and body remained at a medium.
Emmett
In the final third, the mint flavor turns a little metallic and takes over the profile, not as pleasant as the previous thirds and it gets a little hot. I’m willing to chalk this up to it being young and not resting in the humidor very long. The raisin sweetness is still around along with some coffee still making for a great third.
Overall
Aaron
The draw was about as perfect as I’ve ever experienced in a cigar. The burn was all over the place from the start. I never touched it up, so it never ran off too far before catching up, but it did go off in random directions. The construction was pretty good overall save for the random burn and one re-light required. The flavors were pretty good. There were a few slight transitions, but the core flavors stayed pretty true throughout the experience. The mustiness on the retrohale was very nice and I’m glad that it remained throughout. The performance of the cigar left a bit to be desired, but didn’t cause any major issues. I would recommend this cigar as an evening smoke just due to the strength and body levels along with the flavors that I just think lend themselves to an end of the day experience.
Aaron’s Score – 89 – Good
Emmett
This was a very unique and very good cigar. I was expecting more of a traditional cigar like the Davidoff Nicaragua, but I was totally wrong. I may even like this more, but time will have to tell after I let the next one sit for a while longer. I know the price is going to be a bit steep on these, but I think they are totally worth a box purchase. I’m really curious how these age, I think time will smooth out the final third of the Gran Toro because Aaron‘s robusto didn’t suffer the same.