Sensory thunderstorm of the Davidoff Puro Dominicano: when a tasting turned into a big bang

30 members of the Sonne Sissach cigar club had gathered, full of anticipation for an evening centred around the new Davidoff Puro Dominicano. But just a few minutes after arriving, it became clear that this would be no ordinary cigar tasting.

The sensory puzzle pieces are ready: The exclusive presentation table in the historic walls of the Sonne Sissach. In addition to the various formats of the Davidoff Puro Dominicano, the tasting tray with dark chocolate, dried fruit, sponge cake, meringue and cane sugar with all its subtle contrasts is already waiting to be used.

When the first cigar club guests entered the Sonne Sissach on this warm spring evening, they already knew what they could look forward to. The new Davidoff Puro Dominicano had been announced and the event had been sold out for weeks.

The evening was hosted by Enrico Gunde, Senior Key Account & Product Manager at Davidoff, and Vasilij Ratej, publisher of Zigarren.Zone. Together, they took the 30 participants on a journey of pleasure that went far beyond a classic cigar tasting. What the members of the Sonne Sissach cigar club experienced on this sold-out evening was no ordinary event, but a carefully orchestrated composition of culinary delights, knowledge, sensory experience and cigar enjoyment.

No lighter, no smoke - and that's exactly what aroused curiosity

Anyone who regularly attends cigar events knows the familiar rituals. As soon as you sit down at the table, the first cigar is lit. While the aperitif is being served, the first clouds of smoke are already rising, and even before the kitchen serves the first plate, the aroma of tobacco has long since spread throughout the room.

It was precisely this ritual that was deliberately broken on this evening. Instead of pulling out lighters and cutting cigars, the guests were first taken on a journey.

A journey that began not with smoke, but with flavour.

Welcome to the realm of pleasure: a glowing reception in the atmospherically staged vaulted cellar. The Davidoff display puts the evening's leading lady in the right light and shows guests the way to the sensory storm.

How Michele Linsalata and his kitchen team set the stage for the cigar

The foundations for this evening were laid a week in advance. Enrico Gunde and Vasilij Ratej met with Michele Linsalata, owner of Hotel Restaurant Sonne Sissach, to outline the sensory interplay between cuisine and cigar.

Once the flavour nuances of the Davidoff Puro Dominicano had been explained, Enrico suggested a tribute to the brand's origins: A Swiss wine was needed. Michele opted for a red wine from Valais - and hit the bull's eye.

Flawless craftsmanship in focus: an opened box of the Davidoff Puro Dominicano in the majestic Corona Larga format. The shiny wrapper leaves reflect the elegant presentation, while the flavours are already waiting on the tray in the background.

Together with his chef, Michele Linsalata had developed a cuisine that is more familiar from top gastronomy than from a classic cigar event. The food should not dominate the evening, but rather accompany it, because the cigar was the star of the evening.

Every course, every ingredient and even every drink was specially tailored to the Davidoff Puro Dominicano. The kitchen had not simply cooked a menu. It had created a culinary composition, the individual elements of which worked towards the grand entrance of the main actress.

The royal class of the art of rolling: the Davidoff Puro Dominicano Perfecto presents itself in its characteristic, curved shape. A masterpiece made from Dominican tobaccos, which is immediately cut with a masterful diagonal cut.

The first course already made it clear that something special was in store. A fine lemongrass soup was served, light and elegant, with a freshness that literally kissed the palate awake. While the last rays of sunshine bathed the roofs of Sissach in golden light outside, an atmosphere of tense anticipation was created in the dining room. The guests savoured the soup, chatted animatedly and perhaps secretly wondered when the cigars would finally be served.

But that was precisely the subtlety of the evening.

The senses should be prepared.

Compact intensity: The Davidoff Puro Dominicano in Short Robusto format is ready to take aficionados' palates by storm with its deep roasted flavours and dense creaminess. But not this evening. Because today there was the PERFECTO to smoke for pleasure and the Corona Larga to take away.

The second course revealed that everything here followed a larger plan

The second course took this idea a step further. Pasta with tender strips of beef fillet and a deliberately subtle sauce impressively demonstrated how much restraint can sometimes be effective. Nothing dominated. Nothing pushed itself to the fore. Everything was designed to keep the palate open and attentive. As knives and forks glided over the plates, the feeling slowly emerged that every decision here was part of a larger plan.

Only now did the Davidoff Puro Dominicano slowly take centre stage.

Ready for the grand entrance: the elegantly laid, long table in the illuminated vaulted cellar of the Sonne Sissach. Everything has been prepared like clockwork to allow culinary delights and cigar enjoyment to merge.

Six terroirs, one vision and the story behind the world first

Enrico Gunde spoke with visible enthusiasm about the creation of this extraordinary cigar, about the idea of a puro composed exclusively of Dominican tobaccos and about the six terroirs of the Dominican Republic, whose different characters come together in this blend.

As he talked, images of red soil, rolling hills, tropical sunshine and tobacco plants swaying in the breeze came to mind. Suddenly it became clear that this cigar was far more than just a new launch. It was the result of years of work, experience and a deep understanding of origin and craftsmanship. He explained how Davidoff's Black Band Collection came about and which cigars have been making cigar lovers' hearts beat faster since 2013.

Intermezzo, especially for you

I created an eBook with Sam Reuter about the fascinating history of the Davidoff Black Band Collection. You can read it for free in your browser or download it.

Even before the first cigar was cut, each participant was given a small plate with three seemingly simple components: a piece of dark chocolate, a dried fruit and some whipped cream. The guests tasted curiously and exchanged initial thoughts. Only then did Enrico Gunde explain the background.

The exclusive menu card in detail: the elegant, golden amber design promises guests nothing less than a profound journey of pleasure, where every bite and every sip is unconditionally matched to the cigar.

These flavour images were intended to help the participants recognise certain nuances in the cigar later on. The dark chocolate stood for depth and roasted flavours, the dried fruit for subtle sweetness and the whipped cream for the creaminess that many aficionados appreciate so much in great cigars.

Then finally came the moment everyone had been waiting for.

The sensory map of the pleasure trip: A glance at the accompanying booklet reveals the secrets of the tobacco composition. Leather, dark chocolate, dried fruit and brown sugar - the flavour anatomy of the Davidoff Puro Dominicano is available in black and white. This was available to take home or to smoke here.

When the Davidoff Puro Dominicano finally made its grand entrance

Perfection right down to the last row: the second event room, the Sonne Chäller, is also masterfully decorated. In the background, the large screen provides a seamless live broadcast of Enrico Gunde and Vasilij Ratej's explanations from the room next door.

The Davidoff Puro Dominicano Perfecto lay on the table in front of each participant. The light reflected on the immaculately finished wrapper leaves as the guests picked up the cigars and scrutinised them carefully. However, before the lighters were used, Vasilij Ratej demonstrated a special feature of this vitola.

The Perfecto is intuitively cut straight by many aficionados. However, with this shape, a slight diagonal cut can help to bring out the full flavour potential. Numerous participants immediately picked up their cutters and followed the explanations attentively.

Test run for the sensory thunderstorm: Enrico Gunde and Vasilij Ratej check the live connection from the first to the second room on the large screen. Their verdict? The technology works perfectly.

Shortly afterwards, the first flames flickered out. The feet of the cigars began to glow evenly and the first plumes of smoke slowly rose to the ceiling. It became noticeably quieter in the room. Conversations fell silent. The Davidoff Puro Dominicano was now the centre of attention.

What happened next was fascinating to watch.

So that no moment is lost: Michele Linsalata adjusts the lens in the first room for a seamless transmission of the evening.

When chocolate, fruit and creaminess suddenly appear in the smoke

The anatomy of flavour arranged in a circle: A fascinating ensemble of tobacco and sensory components. The Davidoff Puro Dominicano surrounds the centrepiece of the pairing - perfectly portioned meringue, dark chocolate, cane sugar and dried fruit, embedded in wood chips.

The participants did not simply smoke. They compared. They searched for the impressions they had previously savoured. Their eyes kept wandering to the small plate. Wasn't there really a hint of dark chocolate? Wasn't the creaminess that had previously been visualised by the whipped cream? And didn't a fine, elegant fruity sweetness actually develop in the smoke?

The moment when the embers awaken: the first jet flames flare up. The cigar is lit to officially start the sensory storm.

The further the cigar progressed, the more the concept of the evening began to work. Then came the next highlight.

Talking shop in a thick blue haze: lively discussions and in-depth dialogue at the festive table. While the aromas of the Davidoff Puro Dominicano fill the historic room, every flavour nuance is experienced together.

The amber-Sünneli cocktail and the surprising harmony of the pairing

When the cigars were about halfway through, the Sonne Sissach team served the specially created Bernstein-Sünneli cocktail. The mixture of ginger ale beer, a shot of rum, lime, a little salt and ice cubes sounded surprisingly simple at first.

But even after the first few sips, it became clear why Michele Linsalata had invested so much time in harmonising the flavours. The freshness of the lime, the subtle spiciness of the ginger and the soft rum notes combined with the flavours of the Davidoff Puro Dominicano to create a harmony that visibly surprised many guests. Glasses were raised again at numerous tables to experience the combination once more.

An amber-coloured accent in focus: the specially created amber-Sünneli cocktail stands out in bright contrast. With its fine balance of sweetness, acidity and a hint of salt, it forms a surprising and perfect harmony with the second half of the cigar.

It was precisely at this moment that it became clear why this evening was so different from the club's previous events. The cigar wasn't just standing next to the food. It was the centre of attention. The menu was not an accompaniment, but a reinforcement. Each course had the task of sharpening our perception of the next part of the cigar. Everything interlocked like the gears of a precise clockwork.

An evening that will be talked about for a long time to come

Concentrated enjoyment in close-up: the Davidoff Puro Dominicano burns evenly and reveals its white, stable ash. In the background, the deep red Valais wine is waiting to accompany the chocolate and roasted flavours of the cigar on the tongue.

As the evening slowly drew to a close and the last few centimetres of the Davidoff Puro Dominicano burnt out, the faces were full of satisfaction. There was laughter, discussion and talk about personal flavour impressions. Many participants had already attended numerous tastings. But the same sentence was heard again and again that evening:

“I've never experienced anything like it.”

And that is probably the best way to describe this evening. The guests came to Sissach to get to know a new Davidoff cigar. They left Sonne Sissach with far more than just a memory of an exceptional cigar.

They took home the experience of a perfectly staged interplay of culinary delights, knowledge, craftsmanship and enjoyment - realised by Michele Linsalata and his kitchen team and subtly conceived behind the scenes by Enrico Gunde and myself. An evening that impressively demonstrated how much depth there can be in a cigar if you give it the stage it deserves.

A big thank you to Enrico Gunde and Oettinger Davidoff

When architecture breathes tobacco: The picture shows the Maison Davidoff in Basel, the headquarters of Oettinger Davidoff. If you look closely, you will recognise the ingenious detail: the supporting pillars imitate the curved shape of Perfecto cigars. A spectacular fusion of brand and design that couldn't say louder: „We love cigars.“

Such an extraordinary evening depends not only on the perfect staging on site, but above all on strong partners in the background. Special thanks therefore go to Enrico Gunde and the entire Oettinger Davidoff team.

Thank you very much for the trust, the generous provision of these outstanding cigars and the great commitment to the entire event. You have given the members of the Sonne Sissach cigar club a sensory thunderstorm that will live long in the memory.

Resources on the topic

The story of the Davidoff Puro Dominicano

Hotel Restaurant Sonne Sissach

Cigar Club Sonne Sissach