The Davidoff Art Edition cigars have been marketed since 2014 when the first of the line debuted. The concept behind this premium line from Davidoff is to highlight an artist that the company commissions to contribute to the packaging and branding. This is the third installment of the Davidoff Art Edition since 2014 and is the first time Davidoff created the line in a toro vitola.
The Davidoff Art Edition 2017 highlights the art of Rodell Warner, a Trinidadian artist. His website explains his most recent works as:
“…photographic portraits in which his digital animations are projected onto his subjects’ bodies, dramatically altering each subject’s appearance.”
For the Davidoff Art Edition 2017 project, Rodell was inspired by photographs of the Caribbean Islands. He took those images and created a collage of patterns turning it into a digital three-dimensional object. He then saved images of the digital 3D object viewed from various angles and used these images like puzzle pieces to build the final artwork. The result was 5 different designs to be used on the boxes.
Photo Credit: © Oettinger Davidof 
Photo Credit: © Oettinger Davidof 
Photo Credit: © Oettinger Davidof
Let’s Talk About the Cigar
As for the cigar itself. The Davidoff Art Edition 2017 is available in a single 6 x 54 Toro vitola that has an MSRP of $39.00/cigar.
The company describes the rich blend as:
- Wrapper – Ecuador
- Binder – Sumatra Ecuador
- Filler –Matafina Brazil, Visus and Cubra Visus, Dominican San Vicente Mejorado Visus, Piloto Visus and Hybrid Olor/Piloto Seco
5,000 boxes of ten cigars (1,000 boxes of each art design) were produced for the project.
For this review, I sampled one of these beauties which was gifted to me by a friend.
Pre-Light Examination
The Davidoff Art Edition 2017 is a nice looking cigar with its medium/dark brown wrapper that has a fine oily sheen. There are a few veins that run along the shaft. It is firm to the touch and is packed solid from head to foot. There are a few bumps along the barrel as you run you finger along the silky wrapper and the cigar is finished with a simple cap.
There are two bands that brand the cigar. The primary band is the standard Davidoff white and gold band and the secondary band, just below the primary, uses the same motif and declares it as the “ART EDITION”
The pre-light aromas on the cigar were enticing to the nose with a light sweet spice along barrel and a grassy hay note off the foot.
Using my double blade cutter, I gave it a straight cut right above the shoulder and took in some cold draws that I would describe as a bit snug and offered notes of wet earth, pepper, and leather.
I used a cedar spill to warm the foot with a soft flame and drew in the first puffs of lightly peppered smoke. Follow along as I take you on an artful journey of the Davidoff Art Edition 2017 and eventually Burn it to Ash.
Cigar Review Notes
- Once ignited the first puffs offer a light pepper burn on the nose
- The pepper receded and the smoke opened up with mild floral and fruit smoke
- The pre-light leather notes start to appear
- Medium volume of smoke early in the burn
- Light grey ash rests on a medium char line
- Cedar notes brighten the profile
- Oiling is developing well above the burn line
- Nut enters but there is a pasty feel on the tongue
- Floral aroma wafts off the foot
- Ash fell after an inch and half revealing a slightly off centered burn cone
- The draw is still snug with a medium volume of smoke
- Spice enters in the second third
- Smoke volume finally opens at the half way point
- Spicy fruit notes enter along with a meaty component
- Smoke is quite smooth moving through the second third
- I put it down to for a few minutes to do help my wife with a task and boom, it was still ignited!
- Earthy notes join the mix deep in the second third
- Spice grows through the end of the second third
- Strength has also ratcheted up
- Other notes have muted
- Hint of sweetness enters moving through the final
- Medium to Full in Strength
- Total Smoking Time was 1 hour and 30 minutes
Overall, the Davidoff Art Edition 2017 was one of those cigars that started slow with both flavor and smoke volume. The draw was snug for a good half of the journey before it opened up. Like the different paintings that are represented on the boxes, the cigar had two different profiles. The flavor was quite different in the second half than in the first and the second half draw opened up to deliver a fuller volume of smoke. There was a decent burn and ash quality, but when it got into the final third, the burn went off. I rate this a 91.
Point Deductions: (-2) Run in the burn final third; (-1) Off centered Burn Cone; (-2) Expensive for Performance
