Cigar News: Davidoff Yamasá Announced

After tackling Nicaragua and Brazil, Davidoff returns home for its third installment of its “Discovery” (Black Label) brand. This week the company unveiled Davidoff Yamasa. The name Yamasa is for a region in the Dominican Republic, the country where many Davidoffs are produced. Plans are for the Davidoff Yamasa to be launched at the 2016 IPCPR Trade Show and then ship to retailers in late July.

For the Davidoff Yamasa, it features both a wrapper and binder grown in the Yamasa region. The fillers are a combination of Nicaraguan and Dominican tobaccos. The line is being launched in four sizes.

Yamasa region tobacco has been seen on several Davidoff releases. This is not an exhaustive list, but some of the premium releases seen by Davidoff over the past few years. While most of these are limited releases, it is worth noting that the recently discontinued regular production Puro d’Oro incorporated a Yamasa wrapper.

The Black Label has almost become an incubator for Davidoff’s Innovation strategy. In 2013, the company launched the Davidoff Nicaragua line – a line that became the company’s first all Nicaraguan puro. In 2015, the company launched Davidoff Escurio, an effort that incorporated Brazilian tobacco. With the Davidoff Yamasa, the company is challenging itself in its home country.

It is perhaps the efforts of what it took to bring this tobacco to the cigar that have made the Yamasa wrapper a signature in the Davidoff portfolio. The Yamasa region of the Dominican Republic has been described by Davidoff has a “harsh and unforgiving swampland” where others have failed to grow tobacco. Davidoff’s success of being able to grow tobacco where others failed are attributed what is efforts of Master Blender Henke Kelner over a two decade effort.

Kelner and his team had to raise the pH levels of the soil from 5.5 to 6.5. This was done by adding calcium carbonate, agricultural lime and slaked lime/dolomitic lime at intervals of every two months, by hand and to each and every single tobacco plant, then once a month, before transplanting. While Davidoff’s site covers 100 hectares of land, only 21 are used at a time for each harvest in a rotating fashion.

From a group of 30 seeds, three were selected to grow. A shade grown process was used to protect the tobacco from the harmful effects of the sun. As for curing, new climate controlled processes were constructed for this tobacco.

“The essence of Davidoff Yamasa cannot be better expressed than through the words of Bernard Shaw who said: ‘Some men see things as they are and wonder why, I dream things as they should be and say, why not?’ The Davidoff Yamasa cigar came to light because of men like Henke Kelner and his team who challenged the impossible and who through their deep expertise, difficult bets and incredible perseverance managed to realise their dreams. A Yamasa cigar burns with the same pioneering sense of purpose as the aficionado who enjoys it, with a flame that ignites as yet undiscovered dreams. Taste buds are roused and exhilaration is felt thanks to this blend that mixes the earthiness of Yamasa with the spice and sweetness of Nicaraguan Esteli and Condega tobaccos,” commented Charles Awad, Senior Vice President of Global Marketing & Innovation at Oettinger Davidoff AG in a press release.

Blend Profile

Wrapper: Yamasa (Dominican Republic)
Binder: San Vincente from Yamasa (Dominican Republic)
Filler: Nicaragua (Condesa, Esteli), Dominican (Piloto, Mejorado)
Country of Origin: Dominican Republic

Vitolas Available

The Petit Churchill comes in 14 count boxes while the other 3 sizes come in 12 count boxes. All four sizes are available in four packs.

Petit Churchill: 4 x 48 (SRP $12.90)
Robusto: 5 x 50 (SRP $19.70)
Toro: 6 x 52 (SRP $22.70)
Piramides: 6 1/8 x 52 (SRP $23.00)

Photo Credits: Oettinger Davidoff