Cigar Review: DAV Cigars Habano Clasico Short Robusto – Rated 88

A new face at this years IPCPR was a small boutique cigar company known as DAV Cigars. When speaking to co-owners Valot (Val) Atakhanian and Armen Caprielian, they explained that they have been in business for about 3 years but have concentrated on markets in Russia and Eastern Europe. I asked about their presence in the US and they noted that there were a few select shops, but were at the show to build awareness of the brand.

Valot (Val) Atakhanian

As far as their current portfolio, they showed me their full line which consisted of 6 different blends, two of which had a complete selection of vitolas and the other four featured a single vitola in each. The combined offering spanned the spectrum from Mild to Full Body:

Habana Clasico Series (Medium-Full)
Prima Natural Series (Mild-Medium)
Aristocrat Series (Medium)
Caridad (Mild)
Mestizo Series (Full)
Anniversary (Medium – Full)

The Habana Clasico Series

Today’s review will focus on the Habana Clasico Series which has a blend described as:

Wrapper – Ecuadorian Habana 2000
Binder – Capote Olor Dominicana
Filler – Piloto Cubana, Criollo 98, Habana 2020

The Habana Clasico Series are available in six vitolas and come packaged in 10-count wooden boxes.

Fumada Corta (4 x 60) MSRP $6.50
Robusto (5 x 50) MSRP $7.00
Short Robusto (4 1/2 x 52) MSRP $7.00
Robusto Gordo (5 x 52) MSRP $7.50
Presidente (6 x 60) MSRP $9.00
Churchill (7 x 50) MSRP $9.00

For this review, I sampled the DAV Habana Clasico Series Short Robusto, which I received from the company for the purpose of reviewing on Stogie Press.

Pre-Light Review

The Dav Habana Short Robusto is a nice looking cigar, short and stubby in stature with a medium-dark brown wrapper that has a decent oily sheen with minimal veins and noticeable seams. The barrel is rock solid to the touch and the head is finished with a well applied triple cap.

The band that adorns this uses a deep red and silver motif and proudly displays the DAV logo in the center along with a 5 point star on top and set of tobacco leaves on the bottom. It should be noted that each blend in the DAV Cigars portfolio uses the same band design with a variation of background color to denote the blend.

Running DAV Habana Clasico across the nose, I noted a deep earthy note on the foot but not much along the barrel.

I proceeded to slice the cap across the first line of the triple cap and roll it about my lips giving it some good cold draw puffs. I was pleasantly greeted with notes of peppery spice and earth all through a restriction to my liking.

Having properly introduced myself to the cigar, it was time to warm the foot to a nice orange glow and start the journey of turning yet another cigar to ash!

Cigar Review Notes

DAV Cigars Habano Clasico Short Robusto

Grassy notes to start
Coffee and citrus note quickly enter to round out the early profile
Producing a full creamy smoke
Flaky white ash rests on a thin char line
Sweet cedar aroma wafts off the foot
Natural tobacco sweetness enters with a touch of cocoa.
Ash tap reveals slight inward burn
Aroma shifts to more of a generic woodiness
A pasty note enters, coating my palate, that was not to my liking
Cocoa shifts to more of a chocolate note moving into the second half
Sadly when I removed the band, the glue was stuck on the wrapper and it tore the wrapper
I continued to power through and was greeted with an increased peppery spice
The spice diminished and gave way to more cocoa along with a nut aroma
Medium Strength
Total Smoking Time was 1 Hour and 20 Minutes

Overall, I rate the DAV Cigars Habano Clasico Short Robusto an 88. Although there was decent flavor there was a moment where the aroma turned to a generic wood, almost like burning paper, aroma and there was a pasty note that entered near the same point that was not pleasant to my palate. Removing the band also damaged the wrapper. The flavors did reignite once it moved deeper into the second half. At a price point of $7.00 I may buy another if I saw this on a shelf but I look forward to some of the other blends in the DAV Cigars portfolio.

Point Deductions:

(-2 ) Slight inward burn; (-1 ) Flaky ash; (-2 ) Removal of band tears the wrapper; (-2 ) Pasty Flavor; (-1) Buy one again