I have few vices, but do enjoy the occasional cigar.

Given I’ve noticed menswear at large’s general appreciation for fine tobacco, I figure it worthwhile to write about my occasional indulgences here. I’m not a frequent smoker, so these posts will be few and far between.
But for those of you who either like to smoke yourselves, or like to live vicariously through reading about it, perhaps you’ll get something out of this.

To kick this series off, I’m beginning with my most recent smoke, the Davidoff Primeros Nicaragua Maduros.
I cracked the tin to celebrate the end of 2020 with a group of long-time close friends.

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These are the first Davidoffs I’ve had, and the presentation was luxe.

The smell of the cigar is heavy on chocolate, paired with green notes, a touch of hay and barnyard.
Somebody more educated in the field could probably pick out seven more notes, but these were the two main accords I got.

I found that the taste had three distinct evolutions.
The first third of the cigar was sweet and chocolatey, just like the initial aroma. This chocolate sweetness disappeared within the second third, giving way to a hay dominated palate. The final part got quite peppery, in a brash manner, which tells me these are cigars that require additional aging before they reach their peak.

Strength-wise this cigar is quoted as a 4/5; however it starts off fairly mellow – perhaps a 2/5 – increasing gradually to the quoted 4/5 by the final third.

While the smoke time is quoted by Davidoff as fifteen minutes, I found mine to last around twenty five.
It burns well and evenly, not struggling to stay lit even in windy conditions.

I’ll be leaving the rest of my tin in the humidor for the next few months; hopefully some aging will mellow out the harshness that appears towards the end of these cigars.

*December 2021 update: I left these to age for the remainder of the year and tried one again recently. The harshness has matured right out, and these little cigars are now delectable and well balanced on the palate from start to finish.