Let's talk about the Davidoff Royal Release Robusto - this $120 stogie comes in boxes of 10, sporting a hefty 52-ring gauge and 5.5" parejo shape. Wrapped in Ecuadorian Habano leaf with Dominican guts, it's rolled by Davidoff's A-team (we're talking 8 master rollers with 15+ years experience each). The cold draw gives that sweet barnyard aroma, and man, that price tag makes you wonder if it's really twice as good as your regular Davidoff.
The initial puffs hit with cedar sharpness that mellowed into oat milk smoothness after 15 minutes. Noticeable white pepper tingle on the tongue, but that $80-per-stick price kept distracting me - is that vanilla bean I'm tasting or just wishful thinking?
Burnt caramel emerged at the halfway point with that Davidoff creaminess we all know. Ash held strong for 2 inches before dropping, though the draw tightened up - needed three good puffs to get decent smoke output. Retrohale showed toasted almonds, but where's the complexity they promised?
Last third brought damp earth notes that split the crowd. My buddy called it "earthy depth," I got basement musk. Strength never climbed past medium despite the darkening wrapper. Finished at 80-minute mark with minimal tongue bite but that nagging question - was this really worth the premium?
