Vitola: Robusto- 5” x 52 ring gauge
- $21
- Purchased from Small Batch Cigar
Background
Every year Davidoff produces a certain number of store exclusives. For 2019, their Exclusive Editions featured another cigar made for Maxamar Ultimate Cigar in Orange, California (they had a previous one a couple years earlier for an anniversary). I’m going to wade into potential controversy and away from the actual review to say that in years past the company offered something like 6 blends to different stores when they wanted an exclusive; every store chose one of them and got their name on it, but the blends were only separated by the smallest of tweaks to the filler blend. Is that still the case? Who knows…but after the Avo Unexpected Series, I’m starting to believe anything. On the other hand, though…if the cigar is good, who cares what the exact origin is?
Anyway, the White Knight is a Robusto-sized cigar that comes in boxes of 10. It uses Dominican, Nicaraguan, and Peruvian fillers, a Mexican San Andres Negro binder, and an Ecuadorian wrapper (Habano, I believe). Just from looking at it, that blend seems like a mashup of the regular Winston Churchill line (Nicaraguan and Dominican fillers, Mexican binder, Ecuadorian Habano wrapper) and the Petite Panatela/Belicoso tins (Dominican (but different) and Nicaraguan fillers, Peruvian binder, non-specified Ecuadorian wrapper). Could it be that simple? Sure…but knowing the minds behind the blends at Davidoff, it probably isn’t.
I smoked a White Knight at Maxamar when I was in California last fall, then ordered more of them from Small Batch Cigar (the online home for Maxamar and a Leaf Enthusiast sponsor) when I got home. I believe this review sample is my third one.
Prelight
Surprise! Davidoff opted for a different look on this one! Actually, that’s a lie…the regular Davidoff white band, which I’ve yet to see them improve on, plus the secondary band that reads “White Knight.” It’s elegant, it’s timeless, it’s Davidoff. If you were expecting something different, maybe go buy some random Gurkha.
The wrapper leaf was a medium-dark brown color with a little oiliness to the eye, but a smooth moderate amount of oil under my fingertips. The aroma from it was barnyardy earth with a hint of a metallic note, making me wonder if this Ecuadorian wrapper is actually Sumatra. The foot of the cigar had a mix of bread, hay, nuts and earth.
The cold draw was excellent and I got flavors of sweet hay and bread.
Flavor
The Davidoff White Knight started off medium-plus in body with notes of earth, copper, and black pepper, overlaying a mild sweetness, followed by a light bready and nutty note. The retrohale had a searing red pepper heat that dissipated very quickly, followed by roasted nuts.
As I got into the second third, the body had definitely ramped up into the medium-to-full range while I got plenty of roasted nuttiness, along with a nice molasses sweetness and a good amount of peppery heat. There was still a hint of mineral flavor every now and then.
The final third of the White Knight had more pepper and increased molasses sweetness while the nuttiness diminished a bit. The coppery note that I believe indicates a Sumatra wrapper was way down in the mix at this point.
Construction
A Davidoff with perfect construction? Really? Yes…really! </sarcasm>
Value
While it wasn’t my favorite Davidoff LE in the past few years (there have been SO many!), it was very good and the price tag was at the lower end of the range. I was told by someone that this probably should have retailed for closer to $35, so I’m going to call this good value.
Conclusions
In a seemingly endless parade of Limited Editions, Blenders Selections, and Store Exclusives, the White Knight definitely stands out as different. There was more body and spice than I really expected from a Davidoff and the price tag is bordering on “reasonable”…at least for a White Label product. You may not be a Davidoff Completist, but this is definitely one to give a try to if you want something with a little more oomph from a “special occasion” cigar that won’t completely break your budget.
By-The-Numbers
Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 2/2
Flavor: 4/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 9/10
