Davidoff Limited Edition 2022

If you follow the Davidoff brand since mid-2017, the focus has been on limited editions. It was in 2017 that Davidoff released its last core line, the Davidoff Winston Churchill Late Hour. The limited editions that have been released since then have either been old limited editions that have been brought back for another one, or brand new limited editions. In 2022, one new limited edition came to the Discovery Series (a.k.a.) the Black Label Davidoff. This one has simply been titled the Davidoff Limited Edition, and it’s one that brings tobaccos from the Black Label’s three blends: Davidoff Nicaragua, Davidoff Escurio, and Davidoff Yamasá. Today, we take a closer look at the Davidoff Limited Edition 2022.

The Discovery Series (Black Label releases) are core lines of Davidoff that were released between 2013 and 2016. This is a period that is considered to be one of the most innovative periods in the company’s history. Each of the releases got Davidoff out of its comfort zone.

Davidoff Nicaragua: This is an all-Nicaraguan cigar made by Davidoff in the Dominican Republic
Davidoff Escurio: This is a Davidoff that incorporates Brazilian tobacco into the blend.
Davidoff Yamasá: This is a Davidoff that incorporates Dominican tobaccos from the Yamasá region, a difficult region in which to cultivate tobacco.

The Davidoff Limited Edition 2022 incorporates tobaccos from all three of these releases into the blend. According to a press release, Davidoff also looked to incorporate elements from each of the three Discovery releases. According to Davidoff, “The result is a diverse blend combining the sweetness of Davidoff Escurio, the intensity of Davidoff Nicaragua and the complexity of Davidoff Yamasá.” This concept of sampling blends from core lines has been something that has been seen with Davidoff AVO Improvisation Series.

Without further ado, let’s break down the Davidoff Limited Edition 2022 and see what this cigar brings to the table.

SPECIFICATIONS

Blend and Origin

Davidoff does not say which tobaccos in the Davidoff Limited Edition 2022 come from which of the core blends. It also does not say how much of the Davidoff Limited edition 2022 uses tobaccos outside of the core lines. The tobaccos come from four countries: Ecuador, Brazil, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic.

Wrapper: Ecuadorian
Binder: Brazilian Seco
Filler Dominican (Hybrid 20-20 seco, San Vincente Mejorado Visus), Nicaraguan (Esteli Visus, Jalapa Visus), Brazilian (Mata Fina Seco)
Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
Factory: Cigars Davidoff

Vitolas Offered

The Davidoff Limited Edition 2022 was released in one size – a 5 1/2 x 58 Gran Toro. Davidoff says the larger ring gauge allowed for more filler tobaccos to be incorporated into the blend. The cigars are presented in 12-count boxes with a total production of 13,500 boxes worldwide.

Appearance

The Ecuadorian wrapper of the Davidoff Limited Edition 2022 had a medium brown color with a slight rosado tint. Upon close examination, a slight amount of mottling could be seen on the surface. There also was a light coat of oil on the surface of the wrapper. On the surface of the wrapper were some visible veins. There were also some visible wrapper seams.

PERFORMANCE

Pre-Light Draw

A straight cut was used to remove the cap of the Davidoff Limited Edition 2022. Once the cap was detached, it was on to the pre-light draw stage. The cold draw delivered a mix of fruit sweetness, cedar, earth, and a very slight floral note. Despite the floral note (which normally I am not a fan of), this was still a satisfactory pre-light draw experience. At this point, it was time to toast the footer of the Davidoff Limited Edition 2022 and move on to the smoking phase.

Tasting Notes

The Davidoff Limited Edition 2022 started out with notes of natural tobacco, stone fruit, and earth. The natural tobacco and fruit notes moved to primary early on. The earth notes settled into the background. As the cigar moved through the first third, black pepper notes emerged on the tongue in the background. This was followed by the emergence of caramel notes that also entered the forefront with the natural tobacco and fruit. Throughout the first third, there was an additional layer of black pepper on the retro-hale.

During the second third of the Davidoff Limited Edition 2022, the sweetness present in the forefront diminished. This resulted in the caramel and fruit notes receding into the background early in the second third. Concurrently both the earth and pepper notes in the background began to increase in intensity. By the midway point, the earth notes displaced the natural tobacco notes in the forefront.

The final third saw the pepper increase enough to join the earth notes in the forefront. There were still notes of natural tobacco, fruit, and a touch of caramel rounding out the flavor profile. This is the way the Davidoff Limited Edition 2022 came to a close. The resulting nub was soft to the touch and cool in temperature.

Burn

While the Davidoff Limited Edition 2022 maintained a straight burn path, it required an inordinate amount of touch-ups to do so. The burn line also had some jaggedness to it. The resulting ash was silver-gray in color. This wasn’t the firmest ash, but it wasn’t a loose or flaky ash either. Meanwhile, the burn rate and burn temperature maintained ideal levels.

Burn of the Davidoff Limited Edition 2022

Draw

Overall the draw of the Davidoff Limited Edition 2022 was a little more open than I prefer. In most cases, I prefer a little resistance on the draw. In the end, this was still a low-maintenance cigar to derive flavor from.

Strength and Body

In terms of strength, the Davidoff Limited Edition 2022 started out at the medium level. There was a slight increase in the intensity of the strength, but it still remained in the medium range of the spectrum.

The body started out medium as well, but increased at a more rapid pace. By the midway point, the flavors were solidly in the medium to full-bodied range. The increase in intensity continued right until the end of the cigar, and the flavors came close to almost reaching full-bodied.

When it came to strength versus body, the body maintained the edge throughout – especially in the second half.

BANDING AND PACKAGING NOTES

The Davidoff Limited Edition shares the same black band as the core line. The difference is that on the left side of the band it says “LIMITED EDITION.” The secondary band is silver and black. This band says “LIMITED EDITION 2022” and has a triangular logo indicating a fusion of the three core lines.

My one note on the secondary band is it seems to look more like the Escurio’s secondary band in terms of color scheme. I would have preferred a more unique color to help this cigar stand out a bit more.

OVERALL ASSESSMENT

Final Thoughts

As mentioned above, Davidoff said the Davidoff Limited Edition 2022 combines ” the sweetness of Davidoff Escurio, the intensity of Davidoff Nicaragua and the complexity of Davidoff Yamasá. I will give them check marks for Escurio’s sweetness, and Nicaragua’s intensity (from a body standpoint). As for the complexity, it might have fallen a little short, but overall this cigar still kept me interested from start to finish. The nice thing is how the Davidoff Limited Edition 2022 stands on its own. It delivers fantastic flavors from start to finish. This is definitely different than the White Label series, but this is the intent of the Black Label – to deliver something innovative.

A lot has been said about Davidoff’s pricing over the past year. Davidoff is a luxury brand, and I felt the Davidoff Limited Edition 2022 performed like a luxury cigar. This is also one of Davidoff’s better limited editions I’ve seen in some time. Even at $32.00, it’s easily a cigar I would buy and smoke again. I hope Davidoff re-releases this blend again. Coming in at 90 points, it earns the Cigar Coop Standard of Excellence designation.

Summary

Key Flavors: Natural Tobacco, Fruit, Caramel, Earth, Pepper
Burn: Very Good
Draw: Very Good
Complexity: Medium
Strength: Medium
Body: Medium (1st Half), Medium to Full (2nd Half)
Finish: Very Good