Back in April 2017, Davidoff announced a series of limited production 6 x 60 line extensions to its “Discovery Pillar” (i.e. Black Label) cigars. This set of new line extensions would encompass the Davidoff Escurio, Davidoff Yamasá, Davidoff Nicaragua, and Davidoff Nicaragua Box Pressed lines. These cigars marked the first 6 x 60 Davidoff branded cigars since the Davidoff Year of the Horse was released late in 2013. For Davidoff Nicaragua, this would be the first new vitola since the Diadema Fina. Recently, I’ve smoked the Davidoff Nicaragua 6 x 60. While this might surprise many, I found the Davidoff Nicaragua 6 x 60 to be one of the best sizes of the line.

Since Davidoff CEO Hans-Kristian Hoejsgaard came on board in 2011, he has implemented product innovation as a part of its corporate strategy. Davidoff Master Blender Henke Kelner was challenged to blend an all-Nicaraguan tobacco – something he had not done up until that time. This resulted in the release of Davidoff Nicaragua in 2013. This cigar would become a huge success for the company – and ultimately became a springboard for the Escurio, Nicaragua Box Pressed, and Yamasá lines.

Without further ado, let’s break down the Davidoff Nicaragua 6 x 60 and see what this cigar brings to the table.

Blend Profile

The  Davidoff Nicaragua 6 x 60 shares the same blend components as the rest of the Davidoff Nicaragua line.

Wrapper: Habano Seed Nicaragua Rosado
Binder: Habano Jalapa
Filler: Estelí Viso, Condegas Ligero, Ometepe Viso and Estelí Ligero
Country of Origin: Dominican Republic (TABADOM)

Vitolas Available

The Davidoff Nicaragua has been produced in seven sizes. The 6 x 60 comes packaged in 12-count boxes.

6 x 60: 6 x 60
Short Corona: 3 3/4 x 46
Robusto: 5 x 50 (Tube packaging)
Toro: 5 1/2 x 54
Belicoso: 5 1/4 x 52 (Limited Production)
Diadema Fina: 6 1/2 x 50
Culebra: 6 1/2 x 33

Appearance

The Habano Rosado wrapper of the Davidoff Nicaragua Diadema Fina has the line’s signature dark cinnamon color.  Upon closer examination, some darker mottling can be seen on the surface.  The surface of the wrapper has some oil on it.  The wrapper itself was slightly bumpy with some thin visible veins and thin wrapper seams.

The primary band uses the same design as the rest of the Davidoff Discovery Pillar cigars. This is a black and silver-colored version of the Davidoff White Label design. The background is black with the font text and surrounding trim in silver. The Davidoff scripted logo is on the front. To the left of the logo is the text “6 x 60”. To the right is the text “GENEVE” (on all of the vitolas).

There is a secondary band just below the primary black and silver Davidoff Nicaragua band. It is orange-rust colored with black font and black trim. On the band, it says “NICARAGUA” in black font. To the left and right is an image of three mountains (that actually look more like pyramids). These represent mountains of Nicaragua, but they can also represent the original theme that Davidoff had launched around this line called “EXPLORE, ADVENTURE, DISCOVER”.

Preparation for the Cigar Experience

Prior to lighting up the Davidoff Nicaragua 6 x 60, I went with my usual choice of a straight cut to remove the cap. After the cap was clipped, I moved on to the pre-light draw experience. The dry draw delivered a mix of caramel and cedar. While this wasn’t the most complex pre-light draw, it still was quite satisfying. At this point, I was ready to light up the Davidoff Nicaragua 6 x 60 and see what the smoking experience would have in store.

Flavor Profile

Once lit, the Davidoff Nicaragua 6 x 60 produced a mix of caramel, natural tobacco, fruit, and earth. There was definitely more in the way of sweetness early on. Normally I don’t prefer too much sweetness, but it was working for me with this cigar. As the Davidoff Nicaragua 6 x 60 moved through the first third, the caramel and natural tobacco notes became primary. The earth notes were a close secondary note and the cedar was slightly further back. Meanwhile, there was a layer of mixed pepper present on the retro-hale.

Around the 1/3 point, the earth notes joined the natural tobacco in the forefront, while the caramel became a secondary note. There also was a slight increase in the cedar. It was also around this point where a hay note surfaced in the background. As the Davidoff Nicaragua 6 x 60 moved through the second third, a black pepper note surfaced. It was during the second third where the sweetness diminished and the spice increased.

By the last third of the Davidoff Nicaragua 6 x 60, the black pepper had increased and had closed in on the earth notes. The hay notes were a close secondary note while the cedar, caramel, and natural tobacco some subtle sweetness from the background. This is the way the Davidoff Nicaragua 6 x 60 came to a close. The resulting nub was firm to the touch and cool in temperature.

Burn and Draw

The burn of the Davidoff Nicaragua 6 x 60 performed very well – especially for a 60 ring gauge. The cigar had no problem maintaining a straight burn, either. While there was a slight amount of jaggedness on the burn line, this really didn’t warrant any additional touch-ups. The resulting ash was tight and firm with a salt and pepper color. The burn rate and burn temperature were both ideal.

Draw-wise, the Davidoff Nicaragua 6 x 60 also performed quite well. This draw was ideal for a 60 ring as it was not too loose nor was it too tight.

Strength and Body

In terms of both strength and body I found the Davidoff Nicaragua 6 x 60 to be medium. This was slightly dialed back compared to the other vitolas in the Davidoff Nicaragua line. I didn’t find there was much variance in the intensity. In addition, I didn’t find the strength and body overshadowed one another during the smoking experience.

Final Thoughts

The Davidoff Nicaragua is a blend that really delivers a unique smoking experience depending on the size and shape of the cigar. When Davidoff released its first 60 ring gauge, the Davidoff Year of the Horse 2014, it showed me the team knew how to blend a 60 ring gauge. This was confirmed with the Davidoff Nicaragua Box Pressed 6 x 60 and now the Davidoff Nicaragua 6 x 60. While this one may be slightly dialed back from the other vitolas, it still was quite satisfying. This is easily a cigar I would recommend to a novice or experienced cigar enthusiast. As for myself, this might be my favorite size of the line – and it’s one I’d smoke again and pick up a box of.

Summary

Key Flavors: Natural Tobacco, Caramel, Cedar, Earth, Black Pepper, Hay
Burn: Excellent
Draw: Excellent
Complexity: Medium+
Strength: Medium
Body: Medium
Finish: Excellent

Rating

Assessment: 4.0-Box Worthy
Score: 93

References

News: Davidoff Adds 60 x 6 Line Extensions to Discovery Pillar Series
Price: $19.20
Source: Davidoff
Brand Reference: Davidoff

Photo Credits: Cigar Coop, except where noted.