Davidoff Escurio Staff Review
I’m smoking a Davidoff Escurio in a 4.5-by-54 Robusto that comes in a tube. Davidoff Escurio was blended to highlight Brazilian tobaccos and features Brazilian Mata Fina and Dominican long-fillers tucked within a Brazilian binder finished in an oily Ecuador Habano wrapper leaf. The name Escurio is a combination of “escuro,” Portuguese for dark, and “Rio” in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil’s famously vibrant coastal metropolis. Let’s explore an uncharacteristically strong smoke from Davidoff and find out how it tastes and performs today.
Escurio is part of Davidoff’s Black Label cigars, which the company debuted in 2013. Known primarily for its mild, elegant White Label brands, like Aniversario and Grand Cru, Davidoff introduced the Black Label series to satisfy the increasing demand for stronger cigars. Davidoff Escurio cigars are dressed in black-and-silver bands and boxes with a crescent moon logo rendered in the green and yellow colors of the Brazilian flag. The Robusto Tubos comes in a shiny black tube, and when I pull a fresh cigar out, I pick up its raw aroma of spice, dark roast coffee, and leather.
The cigar’s oily Cuban-seed wrapper leaf shows a consistent structure of narrow veins from top to bottom. Given the price and prestigious reputation of Davidoff cigars, you can tell an expert cigar roller assembled the Robusto. It’s appropriately supple when I squeeze it, and the wrapper was seamlessly applied. The draw is also fantastic after I snip the cap with my guillotine cutter and take a few cold pulls.
Davidoff Escurio opens up with a crisp profile of anise, salt, and oak in the first phase while a substantial dose of chili pepper fills the nose. An even burn ensues as I progress through the initial ten minutes, but a slightly chalky texture comes into play, which is minimally distracting. Although I anticipate the creamy taste Davidoff is famous for, I have to remember I’m not smoking a standard White Label. Davidoff’s Black Label cigars, like Davidoff Nicaragua and Winston Churchill Late Hour, are fuller.
Subtle notes of citrus and nougat emerge over a mostly woody foundation with intonations of salt and pepper. Davidoff Escurio is interesting, though its overall flavor profile meanders somewhat. As I embark on the second half, the cigar sways between an earthy spice bomb and a hearty but refined portrait of espresso bean and wood with some welcome sweetness. Unfortunately, a charry taste persists, which continues to punctuate my enjoyment.
After forty minutes, I peel the final band off to savor the nub. I’ve been smoking the cigar slowly and allowing a long ash to form, which insulates the Robusto from burning too hot. The cigar’s flavors have plenty of time to ruminate for maximum smoothness. In the final fifteen minutes, strong notes of anise, raisin, and vanilla bean materialize. Davidoff Escurio has the potential to finish cohesively, but potent notes of spice and burnt coffee overwhelm the final moments.
It could be Davidoff Escurio simply needs a little more rest in my humidor, but the divergent tasting notes in the specimen I smoked created an unbalanced profile. And when you’re spending twenty bucks for a cigar, the taste should be delightful from the first draw to the last. Because Davidoff is a well-regarded brand and Brazilian tobaccos are worth exploring, I will revisit Escurio down the road. But I’m finishing this particular cigar with some skepticism.
