BACKGROUND: There is no finer cigar in the world than a Davidoff. Davidoff cigars are considered some of the best, if not the best cigars in the industry because they use only the most premium, well-aged tobaccos available and because their quality control standards are second to none. I’ve visited many factories in the Dominican Republic, Honduras and Costa Rica and I’ve been to the Davidoff factory on three occasions; I can tell you that Davidoff clearly has the best and most comprehensive strategy for insuring the highest quality in their cigars from seed to smoke. Even while setting the standard for quality tobacco and production methods, Davidoff still rolls their cigars using the most authentic, traditional methods in existence.

Naturally, this level of excellence comes at a price. Davidoff cigar prices are consistently among the upper end in the industry

The Davidoff Limited Edition cigar for 2011 is called the “White Edition.” Like most Davidoff Limited Editions, the White Edition comes in just one size: the graceful Belicoso Supremo Format. The cigar is presented in an impressive white lacquered box of 10 cigars.

The cigar is a Dominican puro, with the tobaccos coming out of four different cultivation areas in the Dominican Republic. Before processing, the tobacco was aged for more than five years gaining their characteristic, balanced and smooth flavors.

The Davidoff “White Edition” 2011 is only available in a limited quantity of 8,000 individually numbered boxes. That is a very limited run of just 80,000 cigars. The white painted and lacquered boxes make for a great presentation; very classy and elegant. Also, each cigar comes in a protective cellophane sheath.

This week’s featured Belicoso is 5.5-inches by 52 ring gauge and comes with a price tag of around 171.00 per box of 10, or $17.10 per stick.

TASTING NOTES: When you pluck a Davidoff out of a box of Davidoff cigars, you never really have to think twice about which cigar looks better or whether one cigar will have better construction than another because they are always nearly identical in look and feel. That is just the nature of Davidoff's quality control.

The nose on the wrapper leaf reminds me of smoky, aromatic wood, with a bit of wet forest notes tossed in for good measure. The filler tobacco sports an aroma of fresh chicken coup... enough said.

On to my flavor notes... This cigar comes out of the gate with plenty of white pepper spice on the palate, which was a characteristic that continued throughout the smoke. There were notes of light, aromatic wood and some musty, old linen closet aromas. Unfortunately, this cigar was noticeably lacking in natural tobacco sweetness, a characteristic that would have made it a fabulous smoke.

The construction and burn, as expected, were stellar. The light gray ash held on firmly and the burn line was dead even throughout the smoke. This cigar was a pleasure to smoke, with a perfect draw and perfect burn characteristics.

The White Edition weighed in at about medium-full in body, flavor and strength.

With all the great things going for this cigar, the only missing element was a lack of natural tobacco sweetness, which did not display itself until the very end of the cigar, and even then, too briefly. As a result, what could have been an "epic"smoke, ended up as a "solidly good" one.

The Davidoff White Edition should pair great with a well-aged scotch. The delicate flavors of the smoke need to be matched with a sophisticated libation. In the end, the price tag may weigh too heavily against the purchase of the Davidoff White Edition, when there are many other cigars that may come close to matching the flavor and body profile.

Davidoff cigars are often an acquired taste and may not be suitable for every palate. Nevertheless, the quality of a Davidoff cannot be denied and the unrivaled quality control in Davidoff cigars is an experience that should not be missed. If you can afford it, this, or any other Davidoff, is certainly worth experiencing.

~Doc