The Davidoff Aniversario No 1 sneaks into your humidor like a refined diplomat with its 8 1/4" lancero shape and 48 ring gauge. This Dominican puro wears an Ecuadorian wrapper that glistens with just enough oil to make you check your cigar case for fingerprints. At $64 per stick, it's that friend who orders champagne cocktails but still knows how to shotgun a beer.
First Third: Cedar notes arrive first like a Swiss watchmaker - precise and polished. Underneath hides a sneaky white pepper kick that makes your nostrils flare like a bull seeing red. Retrohale reveals cashew butter sweetness that clings to the palate.
Middle Third: The cigar remembers it's Dominican. Leather tones emerge, the kind you'd find on a well-breaking baseball glove. Occasional flashes of bergamot keep things interesting without venturing into flavored territory. Ash holds strong for 2+" when properly rested.
Final Third: Intensity creeps up like humidity before a storm. Roasted coffee beans dominate, accompanied by a faint salinity that pairs suspiciously well with Islay scotch. Burn stays even but requires more frequent purges than your average Davidoff.
Rolled in Santiago's tropical valley workshops where rollers still hand-select every leaf. The wrapper's Ecuadorian roots show in its silky combustion, while Dominican fillers provide that characteristic creamy undertone. Unlike Cuban cousins, this stick thrives at 65% humidity - any higher and it turns moodier than a barista before coffee.
