Review: Davidoff Puro d’Oro
After spending the better part of Tuesday putting The Cigar Authority through a redesign, it was time to kick back with a good cigar for review here on the site. We opted for the Davidoff Puro D’oro and invite you to leave a comment below as to your thoughts about the change.
According to the Davidoff website, “Puro d’Oro, launched in 2010, is the culmination of the longest cigar development in the history of Davidoff. Hendrik “Henke” Kelner, our Master Blender, spent more than 10 years growing and perfecting the outstanding Davidoff Yamasa wrapper exclusively for this series.” The Davidoff Puro d’Oro is available 8 sizes and is available at Davidoff appointed merchants.
Cigar: Davidoff Puro d’Oro
Size: 5 5/8 x 46 (Notables)
Wrapper: Dominican Yamasa
Binder: Dominican Republic
Filler: Dominican Republic
Distributed By: Davidoff USA
The Look: When the Davidoff Puro d’Oro came out, it originally only had a foot band which was a fail because once the cigar was purchased no one could tell what was being smoked. Thankfully in time they wised up and added a primary band, a take on the white label done in embossed gold. The Yamasa wrapper feels like velvet under the fingers with minimal veins and a nice amount of oils. The cigar is firm to the touch and there are no soft spots with a nice weight to it. The cap has a small pig tailed cap that is easily overlooked.
The Taste: The cold draw of the Puro d’Oro is earthy as are most Davidoff cigars, however there is a faint hit of barley as well. The foot though is straight-forward notes of earth and hay. Once the cigar is lit, the cigar is salty and has a strong cedar note. There is some continued notes of barley present that is more noticeable than on the cold draw.
The second third of the Davidoff Puro d’Oro has a change in the wood notes as the cedar transitions into more of a hickory note with the slightest of spice present as well. The cigar remains a little salty but not overly so, which helps offset the strong wood notes.
The last third of the Puro d’Oro builds up a little in strength further making this a cigar that is not your typical Davidoff smoke. There is continued notes of wood, and earth with the slightest of coffee on the short finish.
The Burn: The burn of the Davidoff Puro d’Oro never needed to be touched up although the burn line did become a bit jagged at times. The ash was extremely firm with no flake to it as it held on for a third at a time. The draw of the cigar had a slight resistance to it which is perfect as you don’t want a cigar of this price to burn to fast.
The Finish: Davidoff, some may argue you pay for the name, while other may argue you pay for a great cigar. In this case, the Puro d’Oro is a great cigar with a distinct flavor profile from the Yamasa wrapper which is very different then the white label Davidoff you may be accustom to. I first smoked this cigar in 2010 at Davidoff on Madison Ave when it was released, and I can say I enjoy it even more so now due to the change of pace it offers from a lot of other cigars currently not the market. .
Price: $16.99
Score: 90
Davidoff Puro d’Oro
Davidoff Puro d’Oro
Davidoff Puro d’Oro
good review. i haven’t smoked Puro D’Oros since they added a band near the shoulder, just when they first came out and i actually won a sampler from TCA. from what i remember, there was 1 particular size that was way too strong and the rest were pretty strong as well.
cigarsonist I think that is why I personally like these so much. They are stronger then the white label line which is a huge plus for me. I kind of grew out of mild cigars, but I still can appreciate them.
Enjoy your reviews, Barry, and have followed you here and both tours of duty at a cigar smoker. you seem to be a more generous grader since your return to reviews. are you more selective with the cigars you review now, or did you learn things at Miami Cigar that made you appreciate aspects you were unaware of before? or just the luck of the draw? this isn’t a criticism, just a question. Thanks.
I think the answer to that is I’ve smoke so much for review over the years I’ve learned what is in my wheelhouse. As I build content here there will be some low scores as I visit the cigars I’ve rated in the past to build the content. For instance intend to stay away from certain companies because I know I don’t like their product. But I assure you there was some poor rating down the road.
I am smoking a Delicioso as I read this excellent review. I love (and appreciate) how you identified the barley (I can taste it but could never identify it) along with all your other descriptions , opinions. I thank you sir . your knowledgeable review added so much pleasure to an already pleasurable experience !
Had to come back to say “This cigar is incredible! !!!” Davidoff is not just a name. Everything I smoke is top shelf , but the Davidoffs just seem to be on another level. They just ooze quality (in my very humble uneducated opinion) my only qualification is that I buy only the most expensive cigars (dumb I know but when your trying to find your own way and you want to experience the best it seems like a logical method ) Naturally the more expensive the higher my expectations so of course there are many disappointments. Never with Davidoff , it’s getting to where they’re all I desire. ….This baby is still going strong. For a 4.9×43 cigar it’s lasting like a Toro . Like with most Davidoffs I’m able to inhale it and become totally immersed