Davidoff Verano (English)

Davidoff

Verano

As the sun peeked over the horizon on what was supposed to be a beautiful Indian summer day, the news spread like wildfire. The crowd chanted his name: small batch, small batch...

The Swiss guards are on level 4 alert, halberds have been replaced by Kalashnikovs.

The tension is at its highest; the eyes of the world are riveted on the tunnel entrance at the heart of Basel's highest mountain, next to the headquarters of Oettinger Davidoff AG.

The crowd, gathered near the barriers, spread rumors while waiting for an official statement: small batch #16, price alignment with the Cuban market, buyout of the subsidiary by the illustrious E. Musk ...

The loudspeakers ask for some quiet to hear the speech that will be delivered in a few moments. A religious silence is quickly established because the fans want to listen carefully to the news.

In a three-piece suit worthy of the greatest fashion houses, the guardian of the temple makes his appearance and speaks in front of the people and millions of viewers who have their eyes riveted on their screen.

Dear Aficionados, early this morning we proceeded to the opening of the best kept safe in the world (worse than Fort Knox), our experts had to take a sample. After a careful search, they decided on a 2016 cigar; although it will be distributed in very small quantities (only 7010 cigars worldwide), it will not fit in the Small Batch range since it is a vintage cigar with the sweet name of Verano, in homage to the Dominican summer period which is a moment out of time. The safe has been closed and sealed; the area is secure until it is opened again.

I see a pallet with paper bags carefully stacked on top of each other; I sneak like a Palmchat between the palms to find out more. I'm close enough to make out the package on top, it says: that they were indeed made in 2016, that it is indeed a Small Batch, that the package has a capacity of 10 cigars, that they are DAV (Davidoof) SB (Small Batch) Verano cigars, that they are Gordo. The initials of the roller and the number of the package complete the label. 

But let's close the scene to focus on the cigar! First of all for a good understanding, you must know that the filler is made only of visus tobacco: Davidoff is still the only producer to use this type of visus leaf level.

I have a fairly raw cape with veins that are a visual treat; it is quite oily and highlighted by two gold and white colored rings. The first one would be a brand traditional if the module name wasn't replaced by Limited Edition; the next one has the Verano line name.

I practice a straight cut; I grab my Davidoff lighter and begin my personal lighting ritual. I recommend having yours when you smoke a quality cigar and/or when you take time out of the world of necessity.

I thank the plant that gave its life for my pleasure. I thank the many people who worked for this special moment out of time, and I move the foot of the cigar towards the flame, turning it gradually so that the lighting is smooth and uniform.

When my foot is well set on fire, the first puff scotches me on my chair! If I were a movie, I'd be hesitating between Marverick, who just took a 9G, or the Big Blue, who lives the intoxication of the depths. I feel like a Swiss guard emptied a magazine down my throat. A little flashback: nothing but visus in the tripe, cigars from 2016, when we know that the tobaccos at Davidoff are often 5 years old, so we have tobaccos from 2011, which have been kept in the best conditions and under supervision. So, from the first aspiration, I have a good dose of nicotine accompanied by a sensation of old tobacco almost disturbing; in fact, it is pleasant but we are so unaccustomed to this taste that it becomes destabilizing. Obviously, no sensation of aggressiveness as on some younger cigars.

 Fortunately, this powerful dose fades away after a few aspirations.

Once my palate gets used to this new challenge, I can explore other flavors such as oak, strong coffee, black pepper.

The combustion and the draft are perfect; the ash is compact and as if welded to the cigar.

I launch into the retro-olfaction: it is pungent but bearable.

I have a slight salt fuzz settling on my lips as my tasting releases a rush of oak, lesser density cedar, barnyard and espresso coffee.

I continue quietly not quickly my discovery: the dry and greasy ground reminds me that I am well in a dry summer with just the right amount of humidity and warm, not in the summer of St Martin.

I think to myself that some cigars make me take off, make me travel; this one has the opposite effect, it anchors me in the ground, makes me return to Mother Earth. It makes me relive the tradition, the old-fashioned methods, when we had time and not the time.

The House of Davidoff, and in their time perhaps even more so Zino & Henke, really understood the meaning of the sacred plant offered by the gods.

The heat, which begins to be felt at the level of the moustache, gives the sign of the slow ascent to the world of necessity; and for sure again, a butt that will not end up in the trash can but will return to the Earth.

To finish, I had a nicotine-laden tasting, where astringency and bitterness have no place. A cigar that has a power that remains in the medium-strong, but with an intensity of strong.

The tastings were carried out on two Gordo of 15.2 cm for a cepo of 60. 

Wrapper : Ecuador

Binder : Hybrid 238 seco (Rep. Dom. )

Filler: San Vicente visus, Piloto visus, Yamasa visus (Rep. Dom.)

In conclusion: I am not going to explain again and again the why and how of the price of this cigar; you know now that the whole process is expensive, that the state which wants to protect our health is royally sucking on the way, and that the system of sale in Belgium makes that the finished product increases of 80% before it arrives at the consumer's... but well, it is the crisis, and yes, it has a price of 39 euros. But ± 75 min out of time, with an incomparable moment, will be more beneficial than a meditation session, a shrink or a guru.

This tasting made on a cigar with almost 100% Davidoff tobacco, composed of leaves long aged and then further rested in the form of cigar for 6 years, will bring you joy, happiness and a most pleasant moment in the middle of the sunny nature.

Now, considering the small quantity put on the market worldwide (7000 since with some buddies, we already bought 10) I strongly advise you to trace the road to your dealer and make your own tasting. Don't forget to leave me your opinion and your impressions under this article.