Davidoff has once again released a cigar that celebrates the Chinese New Year. It might still be 2020, but lets face it we all can’t wait for the year to be over and for 2021 to begin. 2021 is the Year of the Ox and it is said that people born under the Ox are strong, reliable, fair and conscientious, inspiring confidence in others. They are also calm, patient, methodical and can be trusted. Although they say little they can be very opinionated. Ox Years are 1901, 1913, 1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009, 2021.
Cigar Review: Davidoff Year of the Ox
Wrapper: Dominican Republic
Binder: Ecuador Sumatra
Fillers: Nicaragua (Condega and Esteli), Dominican Republic (Piloto, Mejorado, Yamasa and San Vicente)
Length: 6″
Ring Gauge: 60
Size: Gordo
The Look: As usual the packaging is simply stunning with a red lacquer box and accents of wood. Inside sits 10 cigars in a single row with a dual band. The first band is the classic Davidoff White Label band with gold and the secondary band uses red and gold to denote the Year of the Ox. For a $40 cigar I expected the wrapper to be more aesthetically pleasing than it is. There are some significant veins visible with a minimal amount of oils. In the hand the cigar is slight coarse with a foot that appears slightly under-filled.
The Notes: Once the cigar is clipped the cold draw is classic Davidoff with notes of earth, wheat, a subtle cedar. The foot offers up a similar musky barnyard aroma which is all part of the Davidoff charm. Once the Year of the Ox is lit there are subtle notes of cream that envelope the palate.
Moving on to the first third of the Davidoff Year of the Ox notes of vanilla cream are joined by warm honey and a very subtle clove. The finish of the cigar offers notes of wood and leather while the retrohale serves up a creamy sweetness that lingers for a comfortable duration.
The second third sees the creaminess from the retrohale make its way on the palate, but the focal point in the second third is toasty cedar with a nuttiness that lingers on the finish that grows in length. The retrohale offers a touch of brown cigar and an abundance of cedar which creates a long finish.
The last third sees the cedar notes remain where they are joined by hits of coffee beans and a touch of dark chocolate. The retrohale sees some pepper notes intensify over the last couple of puffs of this outstanding cigar that has a fairly long finish.
The Finish: Over the last 5 years or so, a 60 ring gauge cigar seemed bigger than it does today. However, I still dread smoking a 60 and need to talk myself into smoking one. What bothers me even more is when I like one of them. The Davidoff Year of the Ox is one of those cigars. It’s bold and loaded with complexity to the point where I was able to overlook the size of the cigar. It’s an outstanding release and definitely worthy of a box purchase.
Score: 94
Price: $40.00 / $$399.99
Davidoff Year of the Ox
Davidoff Year of the Ox Foot
Davidoff Year of the Ox Burn
