The Master Selection 2011 is one of six cigars which are part of the Davidoff’s Master Selection Series. The Master Selection series is an extension off the Davidoff White Label brand created by Davidoff Master Blender Eladio Diaz. There are six unique and distinct blends in the series. Each of the blends commemorates a specific birthday of Diaz.  The Master Series started rolling out in mid-2017 with the staggered release schedule of the six blends for both Davidoff Appointed Merchants and company-owned Davidoff Flagship stores. The Davidoff Master Selection 2011 is the third blend I have smoked in the series and today, I take a closer look at this cigar.

In the series, Davidoff split the releases between its Appointed Merchants and Flagship stores with three blends going to each. Each cigar has a particular year in the name – and it’s a reference to the year when Diaz celebrated a particular birthday. The cigars in the series are:

• Davidoff Master Selection 2007 (Diaz’s 54th birthday, Appointed Merchant Release – September 2017)
• Davidoff Master Selection 2008 (Diaz’s 55th birthday, Flagship Release – September 2017)
• Davidoff Master Selection 2010 (Diaz’s 57th birthday, Appointed Merchant Release – June 2017)
• Davidoff Master Selection 2011 (Diaz’s 58th birthday, Flagship Release – August 2017)
• Davidoff Master Selection 2013 (Diaz’s 60th birthday, Appointed Merchant Release – June 2017)
• Davidoff Master Selection 2016 (Diaz’s 63rd birthday, Flagship Release – June 2017)

Without further ado, let’s break down the Davidoff Master Selection 2011 and see what this cigar brings to the table.

Blend Profile and Vitolas Available

Each cigar in the series is a 6 x 52 Toro, but each cigar in the series has a separate and distinct blend.  The six offerings are available in ten-count cabinet style boxes.

Davidoff Master Selection 2011 (Flagship)

Wrapper: Habano Ecuador
Binder: Mexican Negro San Andrés
Filler: Nicaraguan Estelí Ligero, Semilla A Visus, San Vicente Ligero and San Vicente Mejorado Visus, and Piloto Volado.
Country of origin: Dominican Republic (Cigars Davidoff)
Toro: 6 x 52

For completeness, we list the five other Master Selection blends:

Davidoff Master Selection 2016 (Flagship)

Wrapper: Dominican
Binder: San Vicente Mejorado
Filler: Estelí and Condega Visus, Piloto Visus, San Vicente Mejorado Visus and Piloto Mejorado Visus
Country of origin: Dominican Republic (Cigars Davidoff)
Toro: 6 x 52

Davidoff Master Selection 2013 (Appointed Merchant)

Wrapper: Habano Ecuador
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Estelí and Condega Visus, Piloto Visus, Piloto Seco and San Vicente Mejorado Visus
Country of origin: Dominican Republic (Cigars Davidoff)
Toro: 6 x 52

Davidoff Master Selection 2010 (Appointed Merchant)

Wrapper: Dominican
Binder: Mexican Negro San Andrés
Filler: Ten-year-old Dominican filler tobaccos Piloto Ligero, San Vicente Ligero and San Vicente Visus, combined with a Semilla A Seco and Estelí Visus from Nicaragua.
Country of origin: Dominican Republic (Cigars Davidoff)
Toro: 6 x 52

Davidoff Master Selection 2008 (Flagship)

Wrapper: Habano Ecuador
Binder: Mexican Negro San Andrés
Filler: A-Estelí Visus, Piloto Mejorado Ligero, SV Mejorado Ligero, Piloto Mejorado Visus and Piloto Visus
Country of origin: Dominican Republic (Cigars Davidoff)
Toro: 6 x 52

Davidoff Master Selection 2007 (Appointed Merchant)

Wrapper: Habano Ecuador
Binder: Hybrid Olor/Piloto
Filler Dominican: San Vicente Ligero, Piloto Seco, Hybrid Corojo/Olor Ligero and San Vicente Mejorado Visus
Country of origin: Dominican Republic (Cigars Davidoff)
Toro: 6 x 52

Appearance

The Habano Ecuador wrapper of the Davidoff Master Selection 2013 had a medium brown color with a slight Colorado tint. On the surface of the wrapper, some subtle mottling could be seen. The wrapper also had a light coating of oil on the surface. I also found the surface to be slightly bumpy. The visible veins and visible wrapper seams were on the thin side.

There are two bands on the Davidoff Master Selection 2011 cigar. The first band is similar to the classic Davidoff White label. It features the name “Davidoff” in classic cursive gold-colored font on an oval field of white. There are small gold circles going around the perimeter of the oval. The word “GENEVE” (in gold font) flanks to the right of the oval field. To the left of the oval, is the text “LIMITED EDITION” in gold font.

The secondary band is also white in color. There is a black pinstripe near the top of the band, as well as one toward the bottom of the band. On the center of the band is the text “THE MASTER SELECTION 2011” – also in white font. On the right side of the band what appears to be Eladio Diaz’s signature.

Preparation for the Cigar Experience

Prior to lighting up the Davidoff Master Selection 2011, I used a straight cut to remove the cap. It was then on to the pre-light draw. The dry draw delivered mostly earthy notes – along with subtle nuances of chocolate malt and fruit. Overall I considered this to be a satisfactory pre-light draw. At this point, I was ready to light up the Davidoff Master Selection 2011 and move into the smoking phase.

Flavor Profile

The Davidoff Master Selection 2011 started out with a mix of creamy earth, herbal spice, and a slight straw note. It didn’t take long for the creamy earth notes to move into the forefront. The earth notes had a slight chocolate malt component that provided a little extra sweetness. Meanwhile, the retro-hale produced a layer of black pepper that did not overpower the palate.

Later in the first third, some of the black pepper notes surfaced on the tongue. As the Davidoff Master Selection 2011 moved through the second third, the creamy earth notes remained. There was still a touch of chocolate malt to these notes. Meanwhile, both the herbal spice and the black pepper notes gradually built up. By this point, I found the straw notes had pretty much dissipated.

As the Davidoff Master Selection 2011 moved through the last third, the creamy earth notes remained – along with the touch of chocolate malt sweetness. The black pepper notes increased a little more, but never really became a primary note. There still were some herbal spice notes in the background. This is the way the flavor profile of the Davidoff Master Selection 2011 finished up. The resulting nub was firm to the touch and cool in temperature.

Burn and Draw

From a construction standpoint, the Davidoff Master Selection 2011 is excellent – and this was reflected in the scores when it comes to burn and draw. The Davidoff Master Selection 2011 had no problem maintaining a straight burn path. For the most part, this cigar also maintained a straight burn line. I did not find there to be an excessive amount of touch-ups required on this cigar. The resulting ash was light gray in color. This was not an overly firm ash, but it was far from a loose/flaky ash. Meanwhile, the burn rate and burn temperature were ideal.

As for the draw of the Davidoff Master Selection 2011, I would describe it as open, but not loose. This was a low maintenance cigar to derive flavor from.

Strength and Body

Overall the Davidoff Master Selection 2011 is not going to be an overpowering smoke. This was a cigar that came in on the low side of medium for both strength and body. Throughout the smoking experience, I did not find much variance in the intensity levels of these two attributes. When it came to strength versus body, I found both attributes balanced each other very nicely with neither one overshadowing the other.

Final Thoughts

Of the three Davidoff Master Selection cigars I have smoked so far (2011, 2013, and 2016), I found this one to have the smoothest profile. When I put these three cigars all next to each other, the 2011 is probably the one I would reach for last (with the 2016 my first choice as of now). At the same time, that shouldn’t be constituted as a negative as on its own, the Davidoff Master Selection 2011 is still is a very good cigar – and one that I’d consider smoking again. The Master Selection 2011 is a pricey cigar – coming in at $35.00 (like all of the Master Selection blends). This is definitely a cigar I could recommend to either a novice or experienced cigar enthusiast. It’s certainly one a Davidoff fan will like. As for myself, this is a cigar I would smoke again – and one certainly worth having multiples in the humidor.

Summary

Key Flavors: Earth, Cream, Herbal Spice, Black Pepper, Straw
Burn: Excellent
Draw: Excellent
Complexity: Medium Minus
Strength: Medium
Body: Medium
Finish: Excellent

Ratings

Value: Buy Multiples
Score: 90

References

News: Davidoff Master Selection Series Announced
Price: $35.00
Source: Davidoff
Brand Reference: Davidoff