Davidoff Signature No. 1 Limited Edition

More than any other company I can think of, Davidoff routinely releases previous limited editions and old cigars. At this point, the company does this in so many different ways that there are actually multiple series that Davidoff has used to rerelease old cigars, most prominently via the Vault Series. But there have also been cigars marked Vintage Blend and now there’s something called “Limited Edition Collection.” To be clear, there are some differences as the Vault Series sometimes contains old cigars and other times uses recreations of old blends.

Perhaps the most unique of the dozens of rereleased cigars is the Davidoff Signature No. 1 Limited Edition, namely because Davidoff hasn’t previously released a Signature No. 1. Rather, the Signature No. 1 is the cigar previously known as the Classic No 1., a 7 1/2 x 39 lancero that was discontinued in 2016.

Davidoff brought back the Classic No. 1 earlier this year, albeit with a new name and as a limited edition. Of note, the Classic No. 1’s binder was previously described as Dominican, whereas it is now listed as Ecuadorian hybrid 151 seco. Otherwise, the blends appear to be identical.

I originally reviewed this cigar in June 2011 for TheCigarFeed, one of the predecessors of halfwheel:

I like the Classic No. 2 better, a lot better. The No. 1 is undoubtedly a very good cigar, but it doesn’t have the full flavor and full body that really sets the No. 2 apart. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still full flavor and full-bodied, but not to the extent of the Corona. From every aspect, this is what you would expect as a typical Davidoff Lancero. It’s got the flavor, the aroma, the consistency – all Davidoff.

In August 2020, I smoked the last of those cigars and wrote a redux review:

If you had asked me nine years ago how I thought this was going to age, I would have guessed differently. A lot of that is due to my understanding of how cigars age, but to be honest, if you asked that question before I started smoking this Davidoff Classic No. 1, I would have guessed differently. This cigar has turned into what a lot of people don’t like about some Davidoff cigars: it’s a lot of mustiness. And in this particular case—unlike most modern Davidoff blends—there’s not really much to separate it. Still, it’s a classic example that cigars aren’t necessarily going to get milder in flavor even after lengthy periods of aging in the humidor. The obvious question—though one that’s a lot less relevant now that this cigar has been discontinued—is do I prefer it with this much age? The answer is, undoubtedly, no.

• Cigar Reviewed: Davidoff Signature No. 1 Limited Edition
• Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
• Factory: Cigars Davidoff
• Wrapper: Ecuador (Connecticut)
• Binder: Ecuador (Hybrid 151 Seco)
• Filler: Dominican Republic (Hybrid 192 Seco, Piloto Seco & San Vicente Seco)
• Length: 7 1/2 Inches
• Ring Gauge: 39
• Vitola: Lancero
• MSRP: $28 (Box of 10, $280)
• Release Date: Jan. 26, 2023
• Number of Cigars Released: 15,000 Boxes of 10 Cigars (150,000 Total Cigars)
• Number of Cigars Smoked For Redux: 1

Note: This is one of the rare cases when we are doing a redux review of a new version of a cigar and not of an aged sample of a cigar we have already reviewed. — Charlie Minato.

It feels like it’s been a while since I smoked a cigar with a wrapper this lightly colored. The golden-tan color is a hue I’ve found on many Davidoff cigars, branded both Classic and now Signature, over the years. That said, the veins and vein structure are very obvious, almost like what happens when you get overzealous with the sharpness tool while editing a photograph. The cigar is very well-made with a pigtail cap and a very cylindrical shape. I’m not sure if it’s intentional, but at the foot of the cigar there’s the tiniest amount of binder that is exposed due to the wrapper not completely running the length of the cigar. There are not many scents from the wrapper, what is there contains a medium mixture of buttered popcorn, cedar and some barnyard. The foot is more medium-full with an elementary combination of Spanish cedar on top of sweet floral and generic woody smells. Cold draws are tight, though predictable for the size, and they taste like generic woods, stale bottled water and sour cream. When I take a more aggressive cold draw, I’m able to get some of what I consider to be an olor-like flavor, a mustiness that reminds me a bit of mushroom or white truffle.

While the draw of the Davidoff Signature No.1 begins tight, I’m able to extend the first puff for more than five seconds, producing ample amounts of smoke. Flavor-wise, it’s a very rich profile that starts with dry nuttiness before transitioning into some oak and generic woods before some mild red pepper flakes emerge. Bread, oak, fruity coffee and dry earth combine to create a rich and intertwined profile. There’s some mild amounts of black pepper, though it’s very inconsistent puff-to-puff. Woodiness, leather, and fruity coffee lead the finish, with some white pepper further behind. If I smoke quicker, the olor-like flavors emerge. Regardless of how aggressively I smoke, each retrohale brings a lot of the olor-like flavors—more mustiness than the mushroom—along with generic wood, leather and some sweet lemon. The finish has leather, white pepper and the olor flavor, which tastes somewhat rubber-like at times. Flavor is medium-full, body is medium and strength is mild. Construction is fantastic. The draw opens up after the first inch, though even when it’s tighter, I never have any issues.

Generic white sandwich bread—think Wonder Bread—emerges as the main flavor with oak, white pepper, creaminess and some sweetness serving as close secondary flavors. Like before, the profile is rich and intertwined. The olor flavors remain in the background along with some inconsistent black pepper. The finish has a damp woody flavor over a vanilla cake batter and white pepper. At times, the olor flavors emerge stronger, though they are never the strongest flavors. At least not until I retrohale. Like before, the olor flavors are the leading flavors, more truffle-like and mustiness than mushrooms. Secondary flavors include hay, woodiness and black pepper—it’s almost like a bourbon or Irish whisky, but not quite there. The finish has the olor flavors along with leather and an increased amount of black pepper. There’s also some mineral flavors that emerge towards the final third. At some point, the draw tightens back up, but like before, smoke production is never an issue and construction remains excellent overall. The final third has nuttiness and woodiness lead creaminess, bits of sugary sweetness and an increased amount of the olor flavors. As the cigar gets closer to just one-inch left, I find some saltiness, though it’s quite mild. The finish is more intense than before with roasted and toasted flavors emerging where the nuttiness trails off. It feels like they are only on the top part of my mouth, though a medium cinnamon flavor emerges after 15 or so seconds. Olor continues to be the leading flavor of the retrohales, though it’s more dominant than before. The finish has cinnamon and hickory, though the olor continues to be the leading flavor. Flavor gets close to full, body is medium-full and strength is mild-medium. Construction remains impeccable from start to finish of the two-hour experience.