The Davidoff Grand Cru has long been one of my favorite lines from Davidoff however, it was only available in thinner ring gauges until recently. While I love a 41 and 43 ring cigar, sometimes I want a more traditional vitola and the Grand Cru didn’t off that until now as the company has added a Robusto and Toro to the line.
The Davidoff website states, “Finally, the Grand Cru blend arrives in a Robusto format. It starts spicy, inviting your taste buds to welcome the typical Grand Cru flavours to develop. Peppery notes and light chili flavours on the tongue, mix with wooden notes in the aftertaste. Together with the sweetness, this cigar provides the aficionado an intense but well balanced smoke.”
Cigar: Davidoff Grand Cru
Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
Wrapper: Ecuador Connecticut
Binder: Dominican Republic
Filler: Dominican Republic
Length: 5.25″
Ring Gauge” 52
Power: 4/10
The Look: Packaged in wooden cabinet boxes, you can look at the new subtle redesigned Davidoff boxes and see the company is gearing up for warning labels that will soon be a part of the landscape. The logo of Davidoff has been relocated further north along with the line and size of the cigar. Inside 25 cigars are packaged featuring the classic Davidoff white band with gold text. There is a secondary band denoting Grand Cru. The blonde looking wrapper is as flawless as they come with a thin network of veins and seamless roll. The cigar is balanced in the hand, with no soft spots and a well packed foot.
The Notes: The cold draw of the Davidoff Grand Cru and the aroma off the foot are pretty much the same which were creamy and buttery. I was surprised that it took a couple of pulls to pick up that Henke trademark of barnyard notes, but it was there although not the focal point of the cigar.
Once the cigar is lit one doesn’t have to search far for the notes of earth and hay that are synonymous with Henke Kelner and Davidoff Cigars. Additionally, less than a half-inch to the experience known as Grand Cru some subtle cayenne spice begins to develop with the earthy components sliding into the background. The aroma of the cigar has a touch of licorice and cedar.
Moving into the second third of the cigar, some subtle spices stay with hints of butter and cream. As the cigar progresses past the half way point some wood begins to develop on the palate as well as the aroma. The cigar remains incredibly creamy and smooth with an enticing aromas and moderate finish.
The last third sees the wood notes move front and center, with some hints of earth and hay in the background. There are some subtle spices in the background which keeps things interesting. The retrohale of the cigar offers some strong cedar notes that are especially noticeable on the aroma and finish.
The Finish: Smoking the Davidoff Grand Cru I was reflecting on how much my palate has changed. When I really got into cigars, I was much like Derek who writes here at The Cigar Authority. I wanted strong maduro cigars and I poked fun at my friend Joe who would smoke Davidoff almost all the time. Now being 47 years old, I enjoy cigars more than even but I prefer the finesse of cigars today’s review the Grand Cru. It’s not a cheap date, but it is a memorable time beautifully filled.
