Initial Thoughts
Continuing on with the Davidoff Robusto collection that I received for my birthday. I decided to light up the Davidoff Puro Robusto Dominicano. Apparently, this is Davidoff’s first Dominican Puro, before the Puro D’Oro came out back in 2008. This cigar was a special release in 2007 & 2008 and it’s hard to find it anywhere else with the special pigtail cap that came on it. The version I’m smoking didn’t have the pigtail cap, so I guess it’s not as special. Nonetheless, I’m still gonna smoke it! So let’s dive right into it!
Looks
The bands for all these Davidoff cigars look identical. Their nothing if not consistent I’ll tell you that. Luckily, this band had a second band on it that helps me to identify it moving forward. The main band is the traditional Davidoff oval with gold trimming. The second band isn’t much of a departure. It’s a white band with a simple gold serif font that says Puro Dominicano. Pretty simple and straight forward.
The band on this Davidoff Puro Robusto Dominicano is gorgeous. A rich chocolate brown leather that is reminiscent of a treated leather that you might see on a saddlebag. It’s difficult to see the veins on this Dominican wrapper, unlike the 6000 series that I smoked earlier. I can barely see the seams on it either. There are a few darker spots on the wrapper but nothing that really worries me right now. Overall, very aesthetically pleasing.
Function
Taking a look at the foot it appears to be well packed. I’m not sure what particular leaves are in here. They’re fairly thin so I’m going to guess that it’s a lot of seco and a little bit of ligero for the added kick. The barrel is nice and firm, no soft spots were dedicated as I rolled the cigar between my fingers. The cap is placed nicely. When looking at it up close it appears to be a nice triple cap placed on the head. Just a flawless-looking cigar.
I cut the cap off with my trusty double-bladed guillotine cutter. The dry draw on this Davidoff Puro Robusto Dominicano is flawless. Just a good amount of air coming through with a slight resistance to it as well. Magnificent. From the first two Davidoffs that I’ve smoked, they’ve been absolutely incredible when it comes to construction. I’m a huge fan of consistency in construction. I get over some odd flavors in the cigar as long as it’s not difficult to smoke. These first two have been pristine when it comes to that factor.
Smoking
The first third of this Davidoff Puro Robusto Dominicano burns perfectly. I’m able to hold over an inch-long ash on it. It doesn’t have those thick lip curls that I like to see and expect to see from a Dominican wrapper, but boy it’s burning straight and strong. So I’m happy. The second third continues to be the exact same. The ash would have held on for way over an inch during the second third, but when I was setting up to take a picture I lost the ash. Oh well, as you see it’s burning razor straight. So I’m not going to complain about that. I never had a draw issue with this cigar either. It burned perfectly down toward the nub. I ended up having to cut this cigar just a little short. It was getting late and I was exhausted from the day. So I let it go out with about an inch and a half left on the smoke. It was great all the way through though.
Flavor
On the pre-light draw of this Davidoff Puro Robusto Dominicano, I picked up a lot of hay and spice. It’s very similar to the 6000 series in that respect. However, there is also a good dose of spice and toasted nuts on the barrel. That hay and grass note really comes through on the dry draw as well. During the first third, I picked up on a lot of the nutty flavors. Roasted almonds are the dominant note followed by a nice kick of pepper on the retrohale. During the 2nd and final third, this cigar has stayed relatively the same. I’m still getting that nutty overtone throughout and the pepper on the retrohale. Nothing overly complex just consistently delicious. The cigar built up towards a medium-full in strength. Never really pushed all the way to the full strength though. Adding the Dominican wrapper definitely stepped it up a notch in terms of strength though.
Would I Buy It Again?
I might buy the Robusto collection again, but I doubt I’d buy this one individually.
Is It an Every Day Smoke?
At $18 a stick, definitely not.
Would I Buy a Box?
Possibly, I would look at getting a box of the 2007 release and seeing how they aged. Of course, they’re probably very difficult to come by nowadays.
Conclusion
I’m a big fan of this Davidoff Puro Robusto Dominicano, it’s just the price tag I’m not a fan of. If you’re looking for flawless construction and a fairly special cigar then this is a great choice. It’s not one that you can smoke every day, but it’s a nice change of pace. I would love to see how this pairs with a nice mellow Speyside Scotch. I have a feeling they would play off of each other very well.
