Davidoff Zino Platinum 10 Years 2012 (MPRW)

[SansSin]

 

This is what Cigar Aficionado released on this cigar in 2012

   "7 1/4 inches long by 57 ring, with the supple curves and elaborate shaping known to lovers of Salomones. Each is a limited edition, packed in elaborate boxes unique to the brand.

Davidoff says the smokes are medium to full in body, made with Nicaraguan wrappers, Dominican binder and a blend of Peruvian and Dominican filler tobaccos. The Toro X has a suggested retail price of $18, while the big Salomon sells for $29.50. Both cigars are made at OK Cigars in the Dominican Republic, under the watchful eye of Hendrik “Henke” Kelner.

The Salomones are even more limited, with only 340 boxes worldwide. Each box is an acrylic cube with rubberized accents that contain 64 of the big cigars."

Intro

For anyone that's been part of privada COTM club for a while you probably had one of these. i got 2 last year and decided now would be a good time to try one. i paired it with a sprite and a couple cow tails i stole from the Halloween bowl ? on cold i just got some hay and bread notes, draw was a little tight but opened up about half way through.

1st Third

On light up i was blasted with a musty strongly sourdough flavor that reminded me of a sour pale ale. once it got to the full ring gauge the sour dough receded to the background and i primarily got that davidoff earthy mustiness with some cedar and a light floral sweetness. there is no spice or pepper at all, very smooth.

2nd Third 

The 2nd third really opened up and balanced out. i started getting primarily in the forefront a...i don't want to say creamy nuttiness but can't describe it any other way so feel the need to say no homo after that? along with the musty sourdough, cedar, and floral sweetness lingering in the background. reminds me of a partagas short with davidoff mustiness. the draw really opened up and became perfect at this point, the only issue was an uneven burn that required multiple touch ups.

Last Third

The end of the 2nd and going into the last third i started getting strong lightly sweet creamy coffee with notes of sourdough and that davidoff mustiness. the flavors brought to mind a monte 2 i smoked recently without the chocolate notes, my favorite part of the cigar. the uneven burn stopped being an issue at this point as well which was nice.

Conclusion

I really enjoyed this cigar, it had a lot of interesting transitions and well balanced subtle flavors that kept me interested and enjoying the about 2 hour smoke. since it was un-banded privada just named it "one of the best ever" and i would have to agree. i typically don't enjoy non cuban cigars or such large vitolas but i would have to rate this a 93/100 and would probably be a 96/100 if not for the burn issues.

This is what privada had in their description for the cigar as well in case your not sick of reading yet.?

DESCRIPTION
This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to smoke the best of the best in the most limited form. Hailing from Manhattan Davidoff Store Grand Opening, 2012. We have un-banded,  Zino Platinum 10 Years. Originally you had to spend $1890 to receive 64 of these but we are fortunate enough to have received an un-banded batch that was never commercially packaged. OMG, Holy Cow. I’m in heaven with this cigar. Cigars like this are why I started the club.