I’ve lived in different climates over the course of my life and being back home in the northeast means it is time for a cigar that many refer to as a dog walker. While in warm weather the cigar might actually be used when taking your beloved pet for a walk, here in New Hampshire it takes on a whole new meaning for those of us who can’t light up indoors. These cigars are usually smaller and thinner than what we would normally smoke and with the temperatures in the single digits at night and in the morning we decided to review one of our favorite dog walking cigars.
Launched in 2010, the Davidoff Puro d’Oro is the culmination of the longest cigar development in the history of Davidoff. The reason was the 10 years time it took to grow the perfect Davidoff Yamasa wrapper that is used exclusively in this series.
Cigar Review: Davidoff Puro d’Oro
Size: 4.5 x 38 (Sublimes / Petit Panetala
Wrapper: Yamasa (Dominican Republic)
Binder: Dominican Republic
Filler: Dominican Republic
Strength: Medium
The Look: The Yamasa wrapper that adorns the Davidoff Puro d’Oro won’t win any beauty contests with its brindle like coloring. However, there is a nice amount of oils present and the cigar is exquisitely rolled. When it was originally released the cigar only had a foot band which denoted the size. Today, the cigar also has gold band with embossing denoting the Davidoff brand name. The cap of the cigar has a small flush pig tail and the stick a nice weight for the size.
The Burn: The cold draw of the cigar serves up some lemon zest with a touch of earth and subtle spice, while the wrapper and foot is toasty and earthy. Once the cigar is lit there is some of that classic Kelner barnyard like taste of earth and hay. As the Kelner signature fades the notes take on a floral and citrus like component.
As the cigar moves into the second half the smoke becomes buttery rich and smooth. The citrus note has faded away and cedar has developed that is also evident on the aroma which is reminiscent of a wood burning stove. As the cigar closes out some pepper notes develop on the retrohale.
The Burn: One would expect a cigar of this stature to burn a little bit hot, but that was never the case with the Davidoff Puro d’Oro. The ash was dark, and the combustion line slightly thicker than one would expect from Davidoff it burned even and remained lit throughout. As for the draw, it was perfect.
The Finish: Paying the price for a Sublimes is more than some are willing to part with for a cigar that has a more traditional size. However, the quality of the cigar is spot on and enjoyable for its duration. When time is short, you want the experience to be enjoyable and fulfilling and the Davidoff Puro d’Oro does just that and then some.
Score: 90
Price: $10.99 ea / $40.99 4 pack / $258.99 Box
Cigar Notes
- In 2010 I attended the Davidoff Puro d’Oro launch at the Davidoff Store on Madison Avenue along with brand ambassadors Wayne Nish (Chef) and Christian McBride (Musician).
- Michael Herklots was Manager back then, and the event catered by Rothman’s Steakhouse which was run by Pat Felitti. Both would wind up working together for Nat Sherman.
- Pat Felitti retired in 2015.
- When the original cigar came out I was quite opinionated that the cigar should have a primary band denoting Davidoff. It’s nice to see that eventually did that.
- Smoking Time was 55 minutes
- I paired the cigar with regular coffee.
Davidoff Puro d’Oro Sublimes
Davidoff Puro d’Oro Sublimes Foot
Davidoff Puro d’Oro Sublimes Burn
