Davidoff Classic No. 1 Lancero

With one of my co-workers on vacation this week I’ve become to go to guy in mail order at Two Guys Smoke Shop and for some reason there seems to be a run on Davidoff Cigars today especially the Classic and Thousand Series. So when the mood struck for a Lancero smoke, I opted to smoke, you guessed it, a Davidoff.

According to the website, “Classic No. 1’s Panetela Larga format allows an abundance of Dominican Piloto tobacco, adding plentiful zest to the earthy, woody taste of the Classic series.”

For me my favorite size of a cigar is a Lancero or Corona but in the age of 60, 70 and 80 ring gauges they just don’t sell anymore outside of cigar geeks. And as a whole, we cigar geeks don’t remain loyal to a brand as we jump to what is new 90% of the time. So while we might smoke half a box at a brick & mortar by the time we move on to the next brand the size just sits there. As a result a lot of companies have moved away from the traditional sizes.

Cigar Review: Davidoff Classic
Size: 7.5 x 39 (No. 1 / Lancero)
Wrapper: Ecuador Connecticut
Binder: Dominican Republic
Filler: Dominican Republic
Strength: Mild
Source: Two Guys Smoke Shop

The Look: The No. 1 has a slight pig-tailed cap that makes me wish the cigars were not in cello, because I believe it would make the cigar more attractive. The classic white and gold band denotes No. 1 on the side, and Geneva on the other. Flawlessly rolled the golden hued wrapper has some thin veins and a little bit of tooth. The cigar feels like fine sand paper under the fingers and is well packed with no soft spots and a slight sponginess at the foot.

The Notes: The aroma off the wrapper smells like melting butter in the skillet while the foot of the cigar has a slight hint of that classic barnyard that is synonymous with Henke Kelner and Davidoff. The cold draw of the cigar is earthy with a slightly floral note.

The initial notes when lit has elements of grass and hay. The notes are predominantly earthy with elements of oak. There is a subtle spice that at times wants to break the cigar into the medium range, but the cigar remains mild.

In the second third of the cigar some hints of cinnamon makes an appearance alongside some coffee notes that are slightly bitter. The earthy notes remain the base for the cigar that is definitively Davidoff.

In the last third some gentle hints of cinnamon develop over continued base notes of earth and grass. Through the nose the cigar develops a subtle spice, with some wood on the finish.

The Burn: A lancero that stay lit from start to finish is rare in my opinion but the Davidoff Classic No. 1 did just that. The cigar which had a fluid draw lasted me about 75 minutes and the burn line was even throughout with a light ash that held for about an inch and a half at a time.

The Finish: As we know Davidoff Classic cigars are mild, but the one thing that stood out was the intensity of the notes experienced throughout the cigar. The price of this lancero might be a bit much to small, but it delivers an experience and a profile that goes above and beyond the other sizes in the line and for me that is worth the price of admission

Score: 90
Price: $20.19 / $474.99