Marketing madness or indeed a brilliant cigar?

[El Presidente]

Love the concept. 

I am thinking of doing a similar line but swapping out Michelin Chefs for construction workers. 

"The result is a Toro cigar that translates the lightness and freshness of contemporary fine dining into a cigar bouquet. Notes of cayenne pepper, sweet cream, and rosewood meet hints of lemon, leather, coffee, and oak – a crescendo that promises 60 to 80 minutes of indulgence.

«It was inspiring to see how the chefs worked hand in hand with our Master Blenders to create the blend,» said Edward Simon, CMO at Oettinger Davidoff. «Their refined palates have crafted a cigar that not only delights but also tells a story.»

 

https://www.finews.asia/high-end/43880-davidoff-chefs-edition-2025-madison-avenue-new-york-kirk-westaway-singapore

HIGH-ENDWednesday, 27 August 2025 12:02

Cigar Craft Meets Fine Dining

 

 

 

Davidoff is launching the «Chefs Edition 2025», a limited-edition cigar created in collaboration with five internationally acclaimed chefs. At the same time, its flagship store on Madison Avenue in New York has reopened in renewed splendor.

The Basel-based Oettinger Davidoff Group once again stages the liaison between haute cuisine and cigar craftsmanship. For the fourth edition of its Chefs Edition, Davidoff’s Master Blenders partnered with five top chefs holding a combined total of eleven Michelin stars: Paolo Casagrande (Lasarte, Spain), Christian Bau (Victor's Fine Dining, Germany), Kirk Westaway (Singapore), Nick Bril (The Jane, Belgium), and Michael Beltran (Ariete, USA).

The result is a Toro cigar that translates the lightness and freshness of contemporary fine dining into a cigar bouquet. Notes of cayenne pepper, sweet cream, and rosewood meet hints of lemon, leather, coffee, and oak – a crescendo that promises 60 to 80 minutes of indulgence.

Among the contributors: Two-Michelin-star chef Kirk Westaway from Singapore. (Image: Courtesy)

Aging in Yagua Palm Bundles

A standout feature of the blend is the use of Dominican Piloto tobacco aged in Yagua bundles, a traditional method using palm leaves that enhances smoothness, sweetness, and complexity. The blend is further enriched by a 15-year-aged San Vicente and a hybrid Dominican tobacco adding fresh citrus notes.

The presentation also follows a culinary theme: the edition comes in a weighty wooden chest crowned with a marble plate reminiscent of a fine kitchen cutting board. Inside, ten rare Toro cigars rest in carefully carved spaces – each a handcrafted original.

Exclusive Launch in the Fall

The Chefs Edition 2025 will be available from September 11 at selected Davidoff Appointed Merchants, premium cigar retailers, and Davidoff Flagship Stores. Previous editions have already gained cult status; the Chefs Edition 2021 was rated up to 96 points.

«It was inspiring to see how the chefs worked hand in hand with our Master Blenders to create the blend,» said Edward Simon, CMO at Oettinger Davidoff. «Their refined palates have crafted a cigar that not only delights but also tells a story.»

Lounge at the newly reopened Madison Avenue flagship in New York. (Image: supplied)

A New Stage in New York

In parallel with the launch, Davidoff is also strengthening its presence in the United States: the historic Madison Avenue boutique in Manhattan has reopened after a comprehensive renovation.

The 3,300-square-foot flagship now welcomes aficionados in a refined, modern setting, featuring a glass walk-in humidor, two elegantly appointed cigar lounges, and 75 private cigar lockers. With this, Davidoff sets new standards for luxury cigar enjoyment in New York.

 

[JohnS]

Davidoff Chefs Edition Returns For 2025

 Aug 27, 2025 - By Thomas Pappalardo 

 

Photos/Davidoff 

 

There’s a shared synergy between the careful blending of tobacco to make a cigar and combining ingredients when cooking. Maybe that’s why a popular time to smoke a premium cigar is after a finely prepared meal. In this spirit, Davidoff of Geneva created Chefs Edition in 2016, a limited-edition brand where each edition features a unique blend created in collaboration with Michelin-starred chefs from around the world. Consumers can expect the new cigars to reach shelves by September 11.

“Watching the chefs co-create and refine the blend alongside our Master Blenders has been truly inspiring,” says Edward Simon, chief marketing officer at Oettinger Davidoff. “Their refined palates brought to life a cigar that embodies their signature taste profiles as well as our signature Davidoff sophistication. I am confident that our chef d’œuvre (French for “masterpiece”) will be well-received by aficionados and connoisseurs of life’s finest pleasures.” 

Chefs Edition is available in one size, a toro measuring 6 1/4 inches by 52 ring gauge. Consisting of an Ecuadoran wrapper and Mexican binder, the blend is largely defined by its all-Dominican filler blend including some San Vicente viso that has been aged for 15 years according to Davidoff, and a leaf the company refers to as Hybrid 98 (it’s also found in Davidoff’s Year of the Snake). There’s also some Dominican Piloto seco aged for five years in bales wrapped with Yagua palm leaves. According to the company, this is the first time the Yagua method has been utilized for a Davidoff cigar.  

In terms of strength, Chefs Edition 2025 is intended to be medium-to full-bodied.

Davidoff Chefs Edition 2025 ships in boxes of 10 cigars and—furthering the culinary theme—the lid is topped with a removable piece inset with marble made to resemble a cutting board. If you flip the lid over, the wooden side features recessed grooves carved to hold the cigars in place for presentation. It has a suggested retail price of $55 per cigar, or $550 per box.

Made in the Dominican Republic at the Cigars Davidoff factory, a total of 5,600 boxes have been allocated for the U.S. market. The 2025 release marks the first new Chefs Edition since 2021.

For this year’s edition, five chefs with a combined 11 Michelin Stars lent their palates toward producing the cigar: Paolo Casagrande of Lasarte in Barcelona, Spain; Christian Bau of Victor's Fine Dining in Perl-Nenning, Germany; Kirk Westaway of JAAN in Singapore; Nick Bril of The Jane in Antwerp, Belgium; and Michael Beltran of Ariete in Miami.

Source: https://www.cigaraficionado.com/article/davidoff-chefs-edition-returns-for-2025

[Chibearsv]

10 hours ago, El Presidente said:

I am thinking of doing a similar line but swapping out Michelin Chefs for construction workers. 

Isn't that what the MoFoh line is? I know a construction guy on your tasting panel (I hear he and Hamlet are besties). I'm certainly happy with the results put together by that team.

 

[Gemini_Man]

With all pomp and circumstance aside, the aging/fermenting of the tobacco for this blend in yagua leaves is interesting. JC Newman has had a cigar called Yagua out for a few years now, in limited releases, that uses the same method. And it's very unique. I can't seem to find them as often as I'd like. They certainly have a natural sweetness that balances the savory minerality of the blend.

[teamrandr]

Yawn

[zacca]

Love it. Just make sure the Construction Workers Edition has tasting notes of drywall dust, PVC glue, and a faint whiff of Marlboro Lights. Pairing suggestion: lukewarm gas station coffee.

[Namisgr11]

The new Davidoff lounge in Manhattan certainly has elegant furniture. But not much in the way of soul or personality.

[Cigar Surgeon]

Quote

a crescendo that promises 60 to 80 minutes of indulgence.

I think Davidoff makes some great cigars but their smoking time recommendations are a real head scratcher for me. Great if you're selling cigars I suppose!