Tuesday, August 14, 2018

DAV Cigars Aristocrat in Robusto - Cigar Review by Kaplowitz

"Why not Kaplowitz?"
Sweetmorn Bureaucracy 7th, YOLD 3184


DAV Aristocrat
WRAPPER: Ecuadorian Habano 2000
BINDER: Dominican
FILLER: Dominican

FORMAT: Robusto
ORIGIN: Villa Gonzalez, Dominican Republic

STRENGTH: Medium-Full
PROFILE: Sweetbitter/Spice
DELIVERY: Roasted/Soft
PEPPER-SPICE: low | MEDIUM | high

COMBUSTION: poor | OK | excellent
CONSTRUCTION: poor | OK | excellent

Roasted overtones are darkly bittersweet; riding tandem there is a sunny spice with vegetal savory nuance. High up undertones are well-bracing salted bitter bits which extend their slightly sweetened sour nuances out to the finish. Really, nutty af. Read: nutty core.

Said finish is that which was mentioned carried out behind a brightly spiced front on long legs. Balanced quite well with a tremendous depth albeit moderate complexity. Ends less than cleanly but with a natural toasted tobacco sweetness which is quite nice.
  • Pepper (white, red)
  • Spice (nutmeg, clove)
  • Nuts (almonds, black walnut, lightly candied) 
  • Coffee (full city roasted beans, espresso)
  • Grains (barley, buckwheat)
  • Chocolate (baking, cocoa butter)
  • Wood (cedar, hickory)
  • Cream (butter)
  • Fruit (black cherry)
  • Earth (top-soil, clay)
Body is Smooth tho a bit dry here & there. A calm spice tingles cheeks and lips. Bulky weighty smoke, rich and soft. Temp is kindly tepid. Strength proper is of a medium varietal.

Burn happens on a bit of a stubborn curve. Ash builds well & dense pale to an easy inch. Smoke out-put is voluminous both active and passive, although there is some wiggling around as to actual amm'ts. 

Roll features a pleasant medium tension draw that remains even gate-to-wire. No hard/soft spots off a very firm to pinch. That very firm roll maybe led to some slight cracking of top-leaf in the opening 1/2. Nothing terrible, cosmetic only. (The foot was cracked pre-light, so maybe shipping played a role.) The eventual nub: cool & well-held.

Hey, I made it through w/ out referencing the Aristocrats joke. Go & yay, me. Come to think of it, no Disabled American Veteran jokes, either! (Not that that's funny @ all AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE.) I must be maturing.

FINAL GRADE: B+
A 90-100 B 80-89 C 70-79 D 60-69 F 0-59

"One of the first-time exhibitors at this year’s IPCPR Convention & Trade Show, DAV Cigars is based in Washington, D.C. with a factory operation in Villa Gonzalez, Dominican Republic. The company rolled out a fairly typical booth presentation with several display cases for its cigars, as well as a seating area of a couch and some chairs.

"The booth was manned by co-founders Val Atakhanian and Armen Caprielian, and the pair showed off their five lines of cigars, two of which come in multiple vitolas and three of which are offered in single sizes. DAV Cigars has had its cigars available for about three years in the global market, and says they have accounts in eastern Europe and Russia as well as in select U.S. locations." 
- www.Halfwheel.com

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