By Vasilij Ratej
Davidoff Small Batch Exclusive No. 2 was eagerly awaited. The tobacco was produced in 2018. 570 bundles of 10 cigars were produced worldwide. There were 50 bundles for Switzerland. Here is my test report.
A cigar test is subjective
Note: How the cigar tastes is influenced by personal taste preferences, taste memories, the shape of the day, what you have eaten or drunk before. Even the lighting mood in the room has an influence on the experienced taste. The notes described here therefore do not have to match your own impressions.
Fact Sheet
- Format: Robusto (length: 140 mm / ring size: 50)
- Tobacco:
- Wrapper: Ecuador
- Binder: Mexico
- Fountain pen: Dom. Republic
- Price: Status December 2021
- CHF 35.00 / bundle of 10 CHF 350.00
- EUR unknown
- Find the cigar on Google
Personal impressions of pleasure
Recommended acclimatization: 10 days with cellophane in the humidor.
First half
- Tongue, palate: slightly woody / slightly leathery / slightly tart / cocoa
- Retronasalslightly peppery / burning wood
- R+ ZiZo vacuum technology: Coffee beans, fantastic
- Umami: Slightly astringent and juicy at the same time. Exceptionally interesting.
- Strength 2/5
Second half
- Strength 3/5
- More wood / More leather / More cocoa / Pepper (not too much)
- A very nice development of the Smoke
Conclusion Davidoff Small Batch Exclusive No. 2
The Davidoff Small Batch Exclusive No. 2 is a cigar for discerning aficionados. The tobacco blend is subtle and does not tolerate a strong drink. The cigar is completely uncomplicated. It glows very well and for a long time. I have tested three examples. I noticed that all three burned unevenly. Over long passages, the cigar burns down faster at 2/3 of the diameter. If this also happens with your cigars: Carefully relight soon so that the intended tobacco flavor can fully develop. However, I didn't notice a displaced ash cone when I ashed it, because it was in the middle. Interesting.
I love wrapper leaves from Ecuador. Especially the Connecticut, the light-colored wrapper leaves. I don't like these wrapper leaves from other countries; they are too bitter and too acidic for me. But the ones from Ecuador are different. They have a typical cocoa note (i.e. bittersweet) mixed with roasted aromas of wood. I love these things!
As for the price: CHF 35.00 for a Robusto is an announcement. However, we must understand here that the tobacco is from 2018, so to speak "dead" capital (or rather invested capital). Furthermore, there are only 570 bundles of 10 cigars = 5,700 cigars for sale worldwide. In purely mathematical terms, the price is justified.
But what is the price for the cigar connoisseur? Is it justified? In my personal opinion, yes, with certain conditions: It needs an experienced and discerning aficionado with a good dose of sensory skills. A beginner is welcome to take on this cigar: But don't be surprised if the sensory skills are not yet developed.
This cigar is enormously rich in aromas. The aromas are sometimes subtle and blend into one another. Over the course of the smoke, the cigar continues to develop and these subtle aromas become more pronounced. A fantastic balance!
I was able to secure a bundle and am really looking forward to enjoying this cigar again and again over the next few months. They are sold exclusively in the Davidoff flagship stores and at Davidoff of Geneva since 1911 with Urs Portmann in St. Gallen.
My recommendation: Get yourself a bundle.
Resources on the topic
- Helpful Cigar Tips: From "retronasal", to "umami" to the difference in cigar storage between Non Cuba and Cuba.
