BACKGROUND: Each year, Davidoff releases its Limited Edition showpiece cigar. In 2009, Davidoff has reached back and tossed a blazing fastball with this unique limited edition size, the Toro Especial.

With this 2009 limited edition cigar, master blender Hendrik Kelner has used full flavored Piloto Cubano tobaccos with smoother and lighter Olor and San Vicente tobaccos from select regions in the Dominican Republic. This Dominican filler blend is 80 percent ligero and the filler is encased in a Dominican San Vicente Binder.

But the crowning touch for this spicy cigar is an Ecuadorian sun grown wrapper, designated the Selección 702. This proprietary hybrid seed is grown on the Casjuca farm in Ecuador, which is owned by ASP Enterprises Inc., and, according to Kelner, only fourth-priming leaves were used on the cigar.

Kelner says that, "this Ecuadoran hybrid wrapper was made by combining three different Cuban seeds. The first seed crossing made a wrapper that he called the 125. Then he crossed that with another Cuban seed and produced a new wrapper, called Selección 702." The resulting new seed variety gives the cigar its name and the words "Selección 702" appear on the cigar's secondary band, as well as on the front of the box.

The Davidoff Limited Edition 2009 Toro Especial comes in wooden boxes of 10 cigars, with each cigar measuring 6 1/2 inches by 50 ring gauge. They retail for $26 per cigar or, $260 per box before local and state taxes. Only 125,000 cigars were made.

TASTING NOTES: My first impressions of the flavors were smoked wood and baking cocoa on the palate and a huge dose of white pepper on the retrohale that bathes the nasal mucosa like a white hot cauterizing rod. But, at the 1/3 point in the smoke, I tasted alfalfa spice and a touch of tobacco sweetness that was lip smacking good.

The burn line was meandering and the light gray ash was well formed and held on for 2-inches until I tapped off in my ashtray. The construction of this cigar has been typical Davidoff and I enjoyed the rock solid performance during the first half.

I have to say that these cigars impress me as good candidates for aging. They are medium-full in body and flavor and even in the first half they seem to have enough horsepower, or strength, to age successfully for quite some time. Of course, my opinion is just speculation at this point and, ultimately, time will tell.

FINAL THOUGHTS: In the second half, the cigar showed more pronounced sweetness and displayed a long, tangy finish. The pepper spice that was so prominent in the retrohale in the early going, evened out and became rich and luxurious with notes of chocolate.

I tell you what, Davidoff hit a home run ball with this 2009 Limited Edition. It has all the makings of a great cigar. From the cosmetic features of look and feel, to the subjective elements of flavor, aroma, and finally to the construction and burn, this cigar is a delight in 3-dimensions. And, in my opinion, this is a good investment for aging. This cigar will be priced out of many people's price range, but this is not an everyday smoke. This is a special occasion cigar and one that you can tuck away and hopefully forget about for awhile.

~Doc