Review: Davidoff Belicoso Supremo Limited White Edition 2011

Released at the 2011 IPCPR trade show, the Davidoff LE 2011 made its way to retailers in late September 2011, joining another limited release from the company, the Davidoff 100 Years Geneva, which commemorated the 100th anniversary of Zino Davidoff’s parents’ arrival in to Switzerland, where they opened up a tobacco shop a year later. The Davidoff press release reads:

Exclusive cigars in a noble white dress: Davidoff ”White Edition“ 2011

August 30, 2011 — The Davidoff “White Edition” 2011 represents the new concept of this year’s Davidoff Limited Edition. Apart from the famous main ring bearing the Davidoff Logo, the graceful Belicoso Supremo format cigar is accentuated through the elegant vintage footband of the cigars wearing the a “2011“ pearlescent insignia and is presented in an imposing, luscious white-lacquered box. The “White Edition” 2011 is not only seducing by its attractive appearance! The San Vicente and Piloto fillers are combined from four different cultivation areas in the Dominican Republic. Before processing, the tobacco was aged for more than five years gaining their characteristic and balanced flavor. A Peruvian Corojo binder and a Dominican Criollo wrapper award the cigar with a balanced stimulation. The new “White Edition” 2011 inspires with spicy, slightly sweet notes and a long lasting aftertaste, rewarding the aficionado with an exceptional smoke indulgence.

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2011 marked the 10th installment of Davidoff’s Limited Edition series, which dates back to the Millennium Collection that was launched in 1999 with three Perfecto vitolas. The year-by-year releases are as follows:

• 1999/2000 — Davidoff Millennium Collection 2000 — Three Perfectos (8 5/8 x 50, 7 1/4 x 48 & 6 1/8 x 43)
• 2002 — Davidoff Limited Edition 2002— Special “48” (4 1/4 x 48 Perfecto) & Special “53” (6 1/8 x 53 Perfecto)
• 2003 — Davidoff Limited Edition 2003 — Davidoff Vintage 2000 (6 1/4 x 40 Panatela Extra)
• 2004 — Davidoff Limited Edition 2004 — Robusto Real (5 1/2 x 48 Robusto)
• 2005 — Davidoff Limited Edition 2005 — Robusto Insenso (5 1/8 x 52 Robusto)
• 2006 — 100th Anniversary — Davidoff Diademas (9 1/8 x 50 Diadema) Davidoff Diademas Finas (6 3/4 x 50 Diadema) & Davidoff Robusto 100 (5 x 50 Robusto)
• 2007 — Davidoff Limited Edition 2007 — Davidoff Puro Dominicano (5 3/8 x 52 Robusto)
• 2008 —  Davidoff Limited Edition 2008 — Davidoff Reserva 12 (5 1/2 x 52 Robusto Extra)
• 2009 — Davidoff Limited Edition 2009 — Davidoff Selección 702 (6 5/8 x 48 Toro Especiál) & Davidoff Puro Belicoso 2009 (5 3/4 x 48 Belicoso)
• 2011 — Davidoff Limited Edition 2011 — Davidoff White Edition (5 1/2 x 52 Belicoso Supremo)

No limited edition was released in 2010 due to the release of the Puro d’Oro line, nor was one released in 2001, though there isn’t a specific reason why.

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Shipped in 8,000 individually numbered, brilliantly white and heavily lacquered 10-count boxes, the LE 2011 is a perfectly distilled representation of what Davidoff seems to be about: elegance, class and a name that has become synonymous with exclusivity and a significant price tag.

(Image via Davidoff)

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Enough talk, let’s light this stick up.

• Cigar Reviewed: Davidoff Belicoso Supremo Limited White Edition 2011
• Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
• Factory: Cigars Davidoff
• Wrapper: Dominican Criollo
• Binder: Peruvian Corojo
• Filler: Dominican Criollo (San Vicente and Piloto)
• Size: 5 1/2 Inches
• Ring Gauge: 52
• Vitola: Belicoso Supremo
• MSRP: $19.00 (Boxes of 10, $190.00)
• Date Released: September 2011
• Number of Cigars Released: 8,000 Boxes of 10 Cigars (80,000 Total Cigars)
• Number of Cigars Smoked for Review: 2

The wrapper is incredibly smooth, with just a few little veins sticking out. It looks as good as almost any Davidoff on the market. The pre-light aroma has some light woody notes with a dried sweetness and a bit of light spice, possibly tamarind of cayenne. It reminds me instantly of some spiced fruit I’ve had somewhere.

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The first third begins dry, almost too dry in the back of the throat, with a mild-plus body. The texture of the smoke is like cotton, with notes of light wood and a bit of earth coming out during the first third. Ash of the Davidoff is notably dark, holding on fairly well.

In the second third, what notes of pepper were present in the first third disappear with the smoke staying very smooth, if otherwise lacking engagement with the palate. A bit of pepper starts to come out in the transition to the final third, mainly noticeable through the nose.

The final third seems like it starts to go south in the early puffs, picking up an unfavorable taste that sits in the back of the throat and lingers long after the cigar is done. After smoking one, I wasn’t in a big hurry to light up another, knowing that I’d have to deal with this lingering taste in my mouth that trumped my dinner, dessert and a couple of cocktails.

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Final Notes:

• After one cigar, I was fairly convinced I wasn’t going to be a fan of it. It would have taken a totally different experience with the second cigar to change my mind, and while that second cigar seemed just a touch better, it wasn’t enough to change my mind.
• True to Davidoff form, the packaging, bands and cigar are very attractive and ooze elegance – a lacquered white box, bright white band and secondary foot band with “2011” imprinted on it add to the classiness of the cigar’s presentation.
• The smoothness of the aged tobacco is readily apparent, at least in the first two thirds. The smoke coats the palate with nary a note of harshness.
• While the 10-count box that the Belicoso Supremo comes in has been fairly standard throughout the Limited Edition series, previous LEs have come in boxes containing as many as 50 cigars in 2006 with the 9 1/8 x 55 Diadema, and as few as a four-count package with the 8 5/8 x 50 Millennium Blend Collection Perfecto released in 1999. The only other configuration has been an eight-count box for the other Millennium Blend Collection Perfectos released in 1999/2000 and in 2006 with the Robusto 100.
• Final Smoking Time was about 1 Hour 40 Minutes.

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The Bottom Line: For what could be described as a featured release, this cigar left a lot to be desired. There are some enjoyable flavors that come out, but not enough to really engage my palate. It’s almost as if this cigar is geared towards that affluent individual who likes to smoke a big game but doesn’t want a lot of flavors to challenge his palate. Given that the Davidoff LE 2011 comes with a price tag of $28.50 at the Davidoff shop in the Grand Canal Shoppes in the Venetian in Las Vegas, I couldn’t help but feeling like it was geared at a totally different clientele than I’m a part of. Yes, it’s luxurious, but there are a lot of ‘luxurious’ cigars out there that deliver better bang for my buck. While one of my colleagues has made no secret of his fondness for Davidoff, I make no secret that I’ve yet to find that Davidoff cigar geared for my palate. There are a few that have been close, most recently the Puro d’Oro line, but none have really nailed it, including this one. That doesn’t mean I won’t keep trying them, though.

Final Score: 74