Debonaire Daybreak Corona

During the 2017 IPCPR Convention & Trade Show, Debonaire House showed off just one new release: the Debonaire Daybreak.

The regular production brand is the third line in the company’s portfolio following the Habano and Maduro blends, as well as the first to incorporate a Connecticut wrapper. According to Debonaire House, the idea behind the new blend was to have an option for a cigar smoker to enjoy for each part of the day: Connecticut in the morning, Habano in the afternoon and Maduro after dinner.

“We’ve been smoking a lot of these cigars, they to continue to get better,” said Phil S. Zanghi III, founder of Debonaire, in a press release. “Constantly staring at the product development this year from the box, to the inside-lid vista and the packaged product alike, Daybreak has given me a unique and nostalgic feeling of excitement in releasing another quality product into the industry I’ve been blessed to enjoy now for over 25 years.”

Blend-wise, the Debonaire Daybreak features a Ecuadoran Connecticut wrapper covering a Dominican binder and filler tobaccos hailing from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic. Each of the six different vitolas are packaged in boxes of 20 and are being sold exclusively at Drew Diplomat retailers. Drew Estate is the company’s distributor, while De Los Reyes produces the cigars in the Dominican Republic.

The Debonaire Daybreak line debuted in six different vitolas.

• Debonaire Daybreak Sagita Petite Lancero (5 1/2 x 38) — $8.74 (Boxes of 20, $174.80)
• Debonaire Daybreak Belicoso (6 x 54) — $13.25 (Boxes of 20, $265)
• Debonaire Daybreak Corona (6 x 46) — $11.53 (Boxes of 20, $230.60)
• Debonaire Daybreak Toro (6 x 50) — $13 (Boxes of 20, $260)
• Debonaire Daybreak First Degree (4 x 44) — $6 (Boxes of 20, $120)
• Debonaire Daybreak Robusto (5 x 50) — $12.46 (Boxes of 20, $249.20)

• Cigar Reviewed: Debonaire Daybreak Corona
• Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
• Factory: De Los Reyes
• Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut
• Binder: Dominican Republic
• Filler: Dominican Republic & Nicaragua
• Length: 6 Inches
• Ring Gauge: 46
• Vitola: Corona Extra
• MSRP: $11.53 (Boxes of 20, $230.60)
• Release Date: Nov. 6, 2017
• Number of Cigars Released: Regular Production
• Number of Cigars Smoked For Review: 3

Covered in a cinnamon brown wrapper, the Debonaire Daybreak Corona is slightly toothy to the touch, with almost no oil visible. The cigar is extremely firm when squeezed and there are a number of prominent veins running up and down the length. Aroma from the wrapper is a combination of creamy cedar, cinnamon, sweet nuts, hay and leather, while the cold draw brings flavors of salted peanuts, oak, white chocolate sweetness, hay, earth and fresh ground coffee.

The Debonaire Daybreak Corona starts off the first third with a very obvious cedar note, as well as flavors of popcorn, peanuts, leather, espresso beans, and earth that flit in and out. There is a touch of white pepper on the retrohale, along with some indeterminate sweetness, but neither one is all that strong enough in the profile as of yet. The draw is excellent so far after a v-cut with just the right amount of resistance, while the burn is very close razor sharp. Smoke production is about average, and the overall strength struggles to make it out of the mild range by the time the first third comes to a close.

Thankfully, the sweetness in the profile really starts to become more prevalent around the start of the second third, reminding me strongly of fondant. However, the rest of the flavors in the profile stay pretty much the same as the first third, including more creamy cedar, popcorn, leather, espresso beans, and earth. There is an obvious—albeit fairly slight—saltiness on my lips that is gone almost before I can register it, along with a tiny amount of white pepper white pepper on the retrohale. Construction-wise, the Debonaire Daybreak continues to impress, with a wonderful draw and a burn that is still trouble free. One big change is the strength, which ramps up in noticeable way, easily coming close to the medium mark by the end of the second third.

While I hate to sound like a broken record, the final third of the Debonaire Daybreak is much the same as the second third with the same cedar and peanuts combination, followed by other notes of gritty earth, hay, coffee beans and a touch of popcorn. Although the level of the white pepper has remained about the same, the fondant sweetness on the the retrohale has increased somewhat, leading to a slightly more complex profile overall. The draw remains great, but the burn has started to waver, forcing me to touch it up a couple of times to keep it from getting out of hand. The strength has moved very little, and ends up in just about the same place—close to the medium mark—by the time I put the nub down with a little less than an inch to go.

Final Notes

• The Debonaire Habano line launched in 2012 while the Maduro blend debuted in 2014.
• This blend really does not get going until a little bit into the second third when the fondant sweetness becomes more obvious. If that note had been as strong in the first third, the final score would have been quite a bit higher.
• Fondant sweetness is not something I have tasted in many cigars, but it is a very specific flavor that I tasted too often to count during my time as a documentary wedding photographer, since it is often used on wedding cakes. Unfortunately, the sweetness was never strong enough to be a major player in the profile.
• The cigars smoked for this review were sent to halfwheel by Drew Estate.
• The final smoking time for all three samples averaged one hour and 9 minutes.
• If you would like to purchase any of the Debonaire Daybreak cigars, site sponsors Corona Cigar Co. and STOGIES World Class Cigars have them in stock.