Zino Platinum LE 2014 “The Make of Texas”
In 2014, Davidoff of Geneva USA expanded its urban art-themed Zino Platinum Collector’s Edition series, which featured a collaboration with a different urban artist who supplied the art for the boxes and bands. The new release that year was the Zino Platinum Make of Texas, the third cigar in the series following the Zino Platinum Make of New York and Zino Platinum Make of Los Angeles, both of which were shipped to retailers the year before.
The 5 1/2 x 56 robusto extra was first shown off at the 2014 IPCPR Convention & Trade Show and was made up of an Ecuadorian wrapper covering a binder and filler tobaccos sourced from the Dominican Republic. As with the previous two releases in the series, there were four different boxes and bands sold of the new blend, each limited to 750 boxes of 10 and priced at $160 per box. The artist featured for the third release was Houston’s Gonzo247 of Aerosol Warfare, and all of the cigars were rolled at Davidoff’s O.K. Cigars factory in the Dominican Republic.
Here is what I said about the Zino Platinum LE 2014 “The Make of Texas” in my original review from November 2014:
I enjoyed the Zino Platinum Make of Texas release quite a bit, not just because it was missing that musky mushroom flavor that sometimes overwhelms Davidoff’s blends but also because it included a nice and complex profile. Throw in some evolving sweetness, excellent construction and slightly higher than medium strength, and is actually my favorite of the three in the series that have been released to date behind the Make of Los Angeles. An excellent release that is easy to recommend for those looking for a full flavored, medium strength cigar.
- Cigar Reviewed: Zino Platinum LE 2014 “The Make of Texas”
- Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
- Factory: O.K. Cigars
- Wrapper: Ecuador
- Binder: Dominican Republic
- Filler: Dominican Republic
- Length: 5 1/2 Inches
- Ring Gauge: 56
- Vitola: Robusto Extra
- MSRP: $16 (Boxes of 10, $160.00)
- Release Date: Sept. 25, 2014
- Number of Cigars Released: 3,000 Boxes of 10 Cigars (30,000 Total Cigars)
- Number of Cigars Smoked For Review: 1
Visually, the Zino Platinum LE 2014 “The Make of Texas” is covered in a reddish golden brown wrapper that is sandpaper rough to the touch, with very little oil to be seen. There are a number of obvious veins running up and down the length of the cigar, and I can see a slight box-press on the foot. Aroma from the wrapper is a combination of creamy cedar, earth, manure, musk and sweet vanilla beans, while the cold draw brings flavors of leather, cedar, almonds, cinnamon, dark cocoa and vanilla.
Starting out, The Make of Texas is loaded with a somewhat harsh bitter espresso note that is dominant on both the palate and the finish, along with other flavors of baker’s chocolate, cinnamon, hay, earth, bread and a touch of citrus. There is some noticeable white pepper on the retrohale along with a small amount of spice on my lips, but neither are strong enough to affect the overall profile as of yet. Interestingly, the second half—or to be more exact, the final two thirds—could not be more different, as the bitter espresso flavors that were so prevalent on the palate and finish give way to a creamy orange note that remains dominant until the end of the cigar. In addition, there are some new flavors in the background including salty cashews, creamy oak, cocoa nibs, hay and dried tea leaves, while the white pepper on the retrohale has increased noticeably.
Construction-wise, the Zino Platinum LE 2014 features an excellent draw for the entire cigar after a simple straight cut, and while the burn never comes close to razor sharp, it only needs to be touched up once in the first third.The smoke production is quite copious from the first puff and the overall strength increases steadily, rising from a strongish mild in the first third and ending at a point very close to the medium mark by the time I put the nub down with less than an inch left.
After more than three years, it is safe to say there are some very some significant differences in the Zino Platinum LE 2014 “The Make of Texas,” with the most obvious being the almost shocking shift of flavors from the first third to the final two thirds. While the first third was a bit rough on both the palate and the finish with a dominant espresso bitterness, the second and final thirds could not have been more different, morphing to a wonderful orange creaminess flavor that was extremely enjoyable and combined well with the rest of the notes that were present. This is a very different cigar after more than three years of rest, and while the first third was a bit of a letdown—and even brought down the overall score a bit—the flavors you will find in the final two thirds make it well worth the hassle.
Brooks Whittington
I have worn many hats in my life up to this point: I started out as a photojournalist for the Dallas Morning News and the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, then transitioned to photographing weddings—both internationally and in the U.S.—for more than a decade. After realizing that there was a need for a cigar website containing better photographs and more in-depth information about each release, I founded my first cigar blog, SmokingStogie, in 2008. SmokingStogie quickly became one of the more influential cigar blogs on the internet, known for reviewing preproduction, prerelease, rare, extremely hard-to-find and expensive cigars, and it was one of the predecessors to halfwheel, which I co-founded.
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