According to Davidoff:

Davidoff’s Millennium Blend celebrates a transition — a beautiful shift to to a new millennium filled with invigorating, fresh horizons. Years of expertise inform the selection of new types of tobacco and blends to create novel flavors that stimulate the aficionados of this new time.

Blended by Henke Kelner at TabaDom in the Dominican Republic, the Millennium Blend is produced in seven vitolas: Petit Corona (4 ½ by 41), Short Robusto (4 ¼ by 52), Robusto (5 ¼ by 50), Lonsdale (6 by 43), Toro (6 by 50),  Piramides (6 1/8 by 52), Churchill (6 ¾ by 48), and Lancero (7 1/4 by 40). The Robosto, which I will be reviewing today, carries a unique blend to the rest of the line with a higher percentage of Piloto tobaccos. Our good friends at Famous Smoke Shop provided the samples for today’s review. You can purchase the Davidoff Millennium Blend directly from HERE.

The Facts

Samples Provided by Famous Smoke Shop
Price: $20.50/single, $58.43/ 3-pack, $389.50/ box of 20
Vitola: Robusto
Size: 5 ¼ by 50
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sun Grown
Binder: Dominican
Filler: Dominican
Smoke Time: 1 Hour and 25 minutes
Drink: Water

Pre-light

Oils glisten off the dark tan Ecuadorian Sun Grow wrapper leaf that has some color imperfections, its fair share of small veins, and a few bumps here and there. There is one soft spot in the middle of the cigar, while the rest of the stick feels somewhat spongy. Some unique aromas are identified off of the wrapper including seasoning salt, barnyard, and a faint sweet hay, while the foot shows some rich cedar  and manure.

The cap get the job done but not overly  pretty. A quick cut through the cap reveals a perfect draw delivering lots of sweetness and richness. The dry draw has notes of Caramel, cedar, and earth in the background. A cinnamon spice lingers on the palate and adds some warmth.

First Third

Unexpected full flavors liven my palate. There are some rich woodsy notes, along with some bitter earth and grassyness. At the half inch point, the bitterness completely exits the profile and the rest of the profile begins to mesh very well. There is a full amount of bright, white pepper that is showcased on the retrohale. A spice heat lingers on my palate between each puff and toasted coffee and cocoa are on the finish. A somewhat jagged burn line is leaving behind a beautiful light gray ash.

Middle Third

Rich, dense smoke continues to pour out of the 5 1/4 by 50 Robusto. The rich woodsy notes are accompanied by some cinnamon spice and a fresh bread-like flavor. There is also a new floral / perfume quality that has joined in. The spice has diminished with hardly any warmth to be felt. The finish remains consistent with the previous third and the strength is in the full arena. I am feeling quite a nicotine kick at this point of the cigar.

Final Third

Quite a drastic change in the profile is experienced as I make my way into the final third and a quick touch-up is required on one side of the wrapper that has been burning poorly for some time. Caramelized sugar, thick yeasty bread notes, and coffee now makes up the profile. The floral notes are now on the finish accompanying the coffee and cocoa. The cocoa on the finish is much sweeter than earlier.

Wrap-up

Over my 10 years of cigar smoking, I can probably count on one hand the Davidoff cigars I have smoked. The price tag has always deterred me. Most, if not all, of the ones I have smoked have been gifts. Naturally, a cigar with a $20.50 price tag set my expectations unrealistically high. And all I can say is that I am very happy that Famous Smoke Shop sent these my way.  The Millennium Blend delivered in all areas. Complex, balanced, full flavors and body, perfect draw, copious amount of smoke, and solid ash. There is no way that these would ever enter my weekly rotation or even monthly rotation, but I know the next time I celebrate a special event or milestone in my life, I will be considering the Davidoff Millennium Blend as my smoke of choice. I recommend you grab a 3-pack to keep on hand for those special moments in your life.

Happy Independence Day! 

The post Davidoff – Millennium Blend Tubo Robusto appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

Following the success of the 2013 release of the Psyko Seven, a maduro version was launched by Ventura Cigar Co. at the 2014 IPCPR Trade Show. Unlike the Dominican Hybrid wrapper utilized on the original release, the maduro features a Mexican San Andres wrapper.  Psyko Seven is manufactured in the Dominican Republica by the famed Henke Kelner, the master blender of Davidoff cigars, at the Tabadom factory.

The Psyko Seven derives its name from the seven tobaccos utilizes in the blend originating from six different countries.  Three vitolas in the Maduro version are currently available to include: Robusto (5 1/2 by 50), Toro (6 by 52), and Gordo (6 by 60).

The Facts

Samples Provided by Ventura Cigar Co.
Price: Unknown
Vitola: Robusto
Size: 5 1/2 by 50
Wrapper: Mexican San Andres Maduro
Binder: Mexican Sumatra Hybrid 151
Filler: Nicaraguan Ligero, Peruvian Pelo de Oro Viso, Honduran Holancha Seco, Dominican Hybrid, and Pennsylvania Ligero
Smoke Time: 1 Hour and 30 Minutes
Drink: Water

Pre-light

A large band designed as a medical prescription form details the vitola, size, and specific tobaccos utilized in the Psyko Seven Maduro. It also conceals the majority of the Mexican San Andres wrapper that is dark brown in color with couple of light colored veins and lacks any visible oils. Upon removing the primary band, a smaller, simpler, secondary band is found underneath where a typical cigar band would be placed.

While the oils are hard to see, a fair amount of oil and a fine tooth are felt under my fingertips as I examine the Psyko Seven for soft spots. No soft spots are found, only a handful of veins are noticeable, but stretch marks are all over this Mexican leaf.

A sweet chocolate aroma is found on the wrapper of the cigar, along with some rich clove notes. The same chocolate is found on the foot accompanied by some graham cracker, cinnamon, cherry, and rich cedar. The double cap is hard to spot as it has been applied cleanly. The shoulder has a sharp angle resulting in a flat head of the cigar, which I believe to be a result of the packaging. Upon clipping the cap, a decent cold draw with just a hair more resistance than preferred presents milder than expected flavors of clove, cedar, and chocolate notes that are drying out my mouth.

First Third

Taking my time lighting the foot of the cigar evenly with my Zippo Z-Plus! butane lighter, the Psyko Seven Maduro is underway. Medium flavors of pencil-shavings, leather, and pepper are first to arrive on my palate, while a pepper spice warms the back of my throat and entire mouth. There is just enough maduro sweetness to round-out the profile and an intriguing Cubanesque saltiness has grabbed my attention. A thin, eyeliner burn is evenly forming a gray layer ash that is holding past an inch.

Middle Third

Moving into the second third of the Psyko Seven Maduro, the flavor remain, for the most part, consistent with the previous third. A few minor variations include the leather and sweetness gaining more ground in the profile, the pencil-shavings and pepper taking a step back, while the saltiness holds strong. The finish is of earth and chocolate, while the retrohale brings forth a medium red pepper spice. Other than the ash becoming more flaky, the Psyko Seven Maduro continues to perform exceptionally.

Final Third

Toasted notes push back the maduro sweetness as the leather and saltiness continue along. The flavors have crept up from medium to medium/full and the strength is now in the medium arena. The burn is beginning to waver, but, with so little left of the cigar, I do not foresee any touch-up required.

Wrap-Up

My expectation of the Psyko Seven Maduro was rather low when I first received the samples. Not because I read anything bad about it, but because I knew nothing about it. As I began my preliminary research, my expectations began to gradually increase as I learned that it utilized a Mexican San Andres wrapper and is produced under the watchful eyes of Henke Kelner. To say the least, the Psyko Seven Maduro far exceeded my expectations in both flavors and performance. From the core flavors of leather, pencil-shavings, and spice to the more unique saltiness, balanced out by the maduro sweetness, the Psyko Seven Maduro delivered an intriguing, but not overly complex, profile that never lost my interest. The cigar burned evenly, the ash held firm, and a mouth-full of smoke was produced with each draw. While I do not know the exact price of the Psyko Seven Maduro, searching online retailers, you can easily find this stick for under $7.00. One heck of a deal for a great cigar!

Giveaway!

Our good friends at Ventura Cigar Co. sent over a few extra PsyKo Seven Maduros, a Ventura torch lighter, and a double guillotine PsyKo Seven cigar cutter that we are giving away to one of our faithful readers! I may throw in a few extra cigars as well, but they will be a surprise.

The rules are simple. Just enter using the Rafflecopter widget below and one winner will be chosen at random and announced next Friday. You must live in the USA or Canada, and must be 18 years or older to enter. The contest will run from today until Thursday, 6/25/2015, at 11:59 PM.

That’s it! Now get to it.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The post Ventura Cigar Co. – Psyko Seven Maduro and Giveaway appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.