Davidoff Aniversario ~ #2

[badwhale]

Smoke: Davidoff Aniversario ~ #2
Drink: Yard’s Brawler & Founders RyePA
Tunes: Oscar D’Leon ~ Assorted
Date Smoked: 03/01/2012

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut
Binder: Dominican
Filler: Dominican
Draw: Medium
Burn: Excellent
Misc: n/a

Pre-light: Beautiful construction of a Colorado – claro shade wrapper. Smooth with few veins. Nice faint tobacco musty scent. Nice prelight cut sweet tobacco flavor.



Light: Used a cedar splint. Lit easy. Medium draw.

1st 3rd: Oily and slight bitter. Smooth and has a creamy texture. Some woodsy and cedar notes. Light to medium body. Perfect burn. Light sweet tobacco.



Ash: Uniform layers. Tight, yet seems fragile. Medium gray. Holds on for 1 ½”



2nd 3rd: Smooth, woodsy dominant and the oil / bitter has died down. Still a light to medium body cigar. Kinda dry profile. Not spicy yet. Refined, but lacking depth in profile.



3rd 3rd: Woodsy dominant. Slight bitter twinge. Maybe has advanced into a medium body now. One dimensional. If I sense a spice, it’s a residual cinnamon, but not pronounced. Again, smooth and refined, but lacks complexity.



Overall impression: For the price, I would not seek them.

Thank you for this opportunity.

Will

[heftysmokes]

For the price, I would not seek them.

Will

Co-sign. I've had probably a half dozen Aniversario in a few different vitola, and while they were nice, they never--to me--justified the price tag. Maybe my palate just isn't refined enough.

[ggiese]

One of my absolute favorite "go to" cigars (when I want to celebrate something) is the Anniversario #1. Yeah it's overpriced and a splurge, but I've never yet been disappointed.

I'm not sure I've smoked the #2. Interesting review. So - do you think it's "overrated"?

I'll have to pick on up and give it a shot to compare/contrast.

Thanks Will.

[badwhale]

One of my absolute favorite "go to" cigars (when I want to celebrate something) is the Anniversario #1. Yeah it's overpriced and a splurge, but I've never yet been disappointed.

I'm not sure I've smoked the #2. Interesting review. So - do you think it's "overrated"?

I'll have to pick on up and give it a shot to compare/contrast.

Thanks Will.

"overrated"

Ah, I'm not sure what was going on. I really wanted to love it, but just ended up with "this is just ok." Definitely nothing harsh or offensive about it at all, however I couldn't recommend these to anyone when I know a PAM or PAN is probably half the price, and much more complex (to me at least.)

Will

ETA: Comparison by price alone, I'd recommend a Casa Fuente...everytime.

[MoeCizlak]

Nice review. The first couple of Davi's I had I just didn't get. I was used to smoking Tat Browns, Padrons and LFDs and I just couldn't pick out a single thing in the Davi's. I don't know what changed, but the next couple I smoked I really enjoyed. I started to dig that Kelner mustiness that is so pervasive in his cigars. When I had time to really focus on the cigar, I enjoyed the muted flavors much more. Kind of like a girl playing hard to get, you really have to want to find them. I think they are, for the most part, overpriced cigars. But like George said, for a splurge cigar they are great.

[ggiese]

Nice review. The first couple of Davi's I had I just didn't get. I was used to smoking Tat Browns, Padrons and LFDs and I just couldn't pick out a single thing in the Davi's. I don't know what changed, but the next couple I smoked I really enjoyed. I started to dig that Kelner mustiness that is so pervasive in his cigars. When I had time to really focus on the cigar, I enjoyed the muted flavors much more. Kind of like a girl playing hard to get, you really have to want to find them. I think they are, for the most part, overpriced cigars. But like George said, for a splurge cigar they are great.

That's a spot on description of my attraction to Davidoff's. I can never quite put my finger on what I'm tasting, but it seems to be very well blended to the point that I think I really couldn't put my finger on it. I assume it has to do with much of the cigar originating from DR where the tobaccos are not as "spicy" as other locales (Nicaragua, etc.), and Kelner's use of a "neutral" Connecticut shade wrapper.

Regardless - the one thing I'm really struck with is the consistency - consistently every time I smoke one it very much reminds me of the last time I smoked one. And - they are very much consistently well constructed. I have never been disappointed.

But - in a word, I would describe the experience as "elegant".

[ggiese]

Freakin' engineers...


el·e·gant   /ˈɛlɪgənt/ [el-i-guhnt]

adjective

1. tastefully fine or luxurious in dress, style, design, etc.: elegant furnishings.
2. gracefully refined and dignified, as in tastes, habits, or literary style: an elegant young gentleman; an elegant prosodist.
3. graceful in form or movement: an elegant wave of the hand.
4. appropriate to refined taste: a man devoted to elegant pursuits.
5. excellent; fine; superior: an absolutely elegant wine.



...but not like the stuff you buy at Ikea...

[Mizicke5273]

The Milleniums are where it's at! I too have had several Davidoffs that just didn't do anything for me. Then I tried a Millenium. They are now one of my favorite sticks, up there with the Padron 80ths! The Lonsdale vitola is my favorite.

[buzz]

The Milleniums are where it's at! I too have had several Davidoffs that just didn't do anything for me. Then I tried a Millenium. They are now one of my favorite sticks, up there with the Padron 80ths! The Lonsdale vitola is my favorite.

From MR4, the Millenium Robusto's ($16.91/stick) had an average price guess from the 14 participants of $6.32.

[Mizicke5273]

From MR4, the Millenium Robusto's ($16.91/stick) had an average price guess from the 14 participants of $6.32.

Yeah, I believe I was on the lower end of that!

[Paddy]

I've been a Davidoff fan for many years. But there still needs to be a time and place for me to smoke one.
It's not a cigar I reach for after a big meal or with a heavy drink.More like a late evening cigar with a light & sweet cocktail ( Woodpecker ) comes to mind. It does not take much to overpower the cigars.
I do indeed love them and try to purchase by the box to lower the hefty price tag.

[CoventryCat86]

The Milleniums are where it's at! I too have had several Davidoffs that just didn't do anything for me. Then I tried a Millenium. They are now one of my favorite sticks, up there with the Padron 80ths! The Lonsdale vitola is my favorite.

I started with those because I like stronger cigars but as I started getting into Davidoffs, I've come to love all of them and over the years. Nowadays, I'm liking milder cigars more than I used to and I've also found other cigar smokers who have been smoking cigars for a long time also share this view.

So, if I'm in the mood for a stronger cigar, I'll grab a Millennium or a Gran Cru. To me, the next step down are the Special Series (Double R is my favorite), or the Puro D' Oro, and a step down below that are the Anniversary which if I'm in the mood for a milder cigar, fit the bill perfectly. The thousand series are the mildest and I've never been a big fan but I will smoke those on occasion.

Yes, they're all expensive but to me, they're worth every penny. Life is too short to smoke cheap cigars.

[CoventryCat86]

Smoke: Davidoff Aniversario ~ #2
Drink: Yard’s Brawler & Founders RyePA

NICE! I'm slowly becoming a Rye fan. I use Old Overcoat (Old Overholt) for mixing (Ward 8s) and Rittenhouse for sipping along with Tuthilltown Manhattan Rye (New York) which is also fantastic.

EDIT: Wait a minute, is your drink a beer or a Rye whiskey? If it's a beer then never mind my comments about Rye. I'm a dumbass....

[badwhale]

NICE! I'm slowly becoming a Rye fan. I use Old Overcoat (Old Overholt) for mixing (Ward 8s) and Rittenhouse for sipping along with Tuthilltown Manhattan Rye (New York) which is also fantastic.

EDIT: Wait a minute, is your drink a beer or a Rye whiskey? If it's a beer then never mind my comments about Rye. I'm a dumbass....

s'okay. Those are both beer. I've had several beers that are brewed with rye, or they add a dash at the end of the process, or whatever. You can definitely taste it more in some than others. I like the ones where the rye isn't quite as pronounced.

Will

[Mizicke5273]

I started with those because I like stronger cigars but as I started getting into Davidoffs, I've come to love all of them and over the years. Nowadays, I'm liking milder cigars more than I used to and I've also found other cigar smokers who have been smoking cigars for a long time also share this view.

So, if I'm in the mood for a stronger cigar, I'll grab a Millennium or a Gran Cru. To me, the next step down are the Special Series (Double R is my favorite), or the Puro D' Oro, and a step down below that are the Anniversary which if I'm in the mood for a milder cigar, fit the bill perfectly. The thousand series are the mildest and I've never been a big fan but I will smoke those on occasion.

Yes, they're all expensive but to me, they're worth every penny. Life is too short to smoke cheap cigars.

I'm pretty positive it was a few of the Thousand series that I had and really did not enjoy. I mean they smoked great, just wasn't my taste.