Davidoff Nicaragua 10th Anniversary Limited Edition

In 2013, Davidoff took a rather big leap when it launched a new line called the Davidoff Nicaragua. For a company known for its connection to the Dominican Republic, embracing another country seemed anywhere from odd to sacrilege. For a company known for its iconic white-and-gold bands, shifting to black-and-silver was an unmistakable embrace of a new era and a new look.

For the 10th anniversary of the Davidoff Nicaragua, the company created a limited edition that features special emphasis on the aging of the tobacco for this cigar, which the company said was a combined 45 years worth of age between the wrapper, binder and filler. One of the Estelí-grown seco tobaccos in the filler got its own special aging, spending six months in rum casks, the first time Davidoff had employed this technique, which the company said gave it “a very noticeable depth and complexity.”

While the Davidoff Nicaragua line has grown to include several vitolas, from a tiny 3 3/4 x 46 short corona to a 6 x 60 gordo, the Davidoff Nicaragua 10th Anniversary Limited Edition was only offered in a beefy 6 x 54 toro extra vitola that was priced at $36 per cigar and $432 for one of the 3,300 boxes that were produced for the release. This thick toro size was not part of the regular production Davidoff Nicaragua line.

As part of the release, Davidoff also produced a limited edition version of its Double Blade Cutter. It came in a matte black finish with a design of repeating triangles that have been used throughout the Discovery Series. It was limited to 350 individually numbered pieces, with just 45 of them available in the United States, each priced at $425.

Here’s what I said about the Davidoff Nicaragua 10th Anniversary Limited Edition when I reviewed it in September 2023:

The Davidoff Nicaragua 10th Anniversary Limited Edition does a valiant job celebrating the first decade of the Davidoff Nicaragua line, yet none of the three cigars pushed into the upper echelon of cigars. That is because the flavor profile felt a bit tight, almost as if it was not yet ready to blossom, something I’m hoping is the case because I would really like to see this cigar shine at its brightest, just as I do every cigar. Construction was good if not quite remarkable, and enjoyment was decent despite an ask of almost three hours of my time per cigar. While I remain optimistic of what this cigar could offer, for now, I’d probably stick to the off-the shelf toro or diadema sizes of the regular Davidoff Nicaragua line.

• Cigar Reviewed: Davidoff Nicaragua 10th Anniversary Limited Edition
• Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
• Factory: Cigars Davidoff
• Wrapper: Ecuador
• Binder: Nicaragua (Jalapa)
• Filler: Nicaragua (Condega, Estelí & Jalapa)
• Length: 6 Inches
• Ring Gauge: 54
• Shape: Round
• MSRP: $36 (Box of 12, $432)
• Release Date: July 2023
• Number of Cigars Released: 3,300 Boxes of 12 Cigars (39,600 Total Cigars)
• Number of Cigars Smoked For Redux: 1

The Davidoff Nicaragua 10th Anniversary Limited Edition looks much like I remember the rest of the line looking, with a dark wrapper and the signature black bands, though this release feels like it has a bit of competition between the silver and copper for the preferred accent color. The cigar looks to be constructed quite well, with a firm density that is just slightly softer in the third closest to the foot. There are some veins that stand out, particularly a thicker one that sits on a seam just above the primary band, but I wouldn’t call any of them overly distracting. There is still some oiliness to the leaf, while a soft, almost velvet-like texture comes from the wrapper. The foot has a rather non-descript aroma, making me think of plain dough and a tub of Utz Pub Mix. The cold draw is firm but not obstructed, with a flavor that is slightly sweeter and has a bit of damp, fallen leaves, along with a touch of damp firewood and just a touch of pepper on the finish.

Mild earth, some cocoa, touches of wood and creaminess, and just a hint of black pepper start off the Davidoff Nicaragua 10th Anniversary Limited Edition, a subtle and balanced opening profile that asks my palate to pay attention to its nuances. About an inch in, both the body and the flavor fill out, with creaminess surging in to give the smoke a much fuller mouthfeel while also giving the flavor some density and a central core for the secondary notes to latch onto. This change gives a bit more vibrance to all the flavors, bringing the overall profile up to a much more engaging medium-plus. Retrohales benefit from this change as well, picking up some bright pepper and delivering a clean, bright sensation in my nostrils. The first half finishes with a touch of mint and some very minor metallic undertones that are noticeable but don’t detract from the profile. After starting near mild, the flavor and body have blossomed into medium-full, while strength is mild. Construction is flawless, with a smooth draw, even burn line, decent smoke production and an ash that builds up to well over an inch before finally falling off.

If I’m thinking about the Davidoff Nicaragua 10th Anniversary Limited Edition in terms of halves, the second half starts off a good bit stronger and more flavorful than the first half, and using the midway point as a mile marker shows that the cigar has come a decent way from where it started. As the cigar continues through its second third, the earth and pepper drive the building of flavor. It peaks and then quickly pivots to a profile that is damp and juicy with wood and a developing beef stock that eventually rises to a role of significant contribution by the time the final third starts. The cigar picks up a bit of heat at the burn line reaches the final inches, bringing out some sharpness in the profile and signaling that the cigar is close to reaching its end, but I manage to get a few more puffs out of it by slowing down my puffing rate and taking slower draws on the cigar, which soften the profile and brings out some creaminess. Flavor is medium-full, body is medium-full and strength is medium-minus. Combustion remains very good and problem-free, with just a slightly uneven burn line the only thing of note after about two hours and 45 minutes of smoking time.