Aaron’s Thoughts:

As is typical, the pre-light experience was pretty similar between these two vitolas. The wrapper on the Robusto had an obvious color variation while the Toro was more uniform. Getting into the smoking experience, they both started off with a some cinnamon and woodiness. The Robusto was a bit drying as it started. The cinnamon remained throughout the first third of the Robusto while it faded out on the Toro. The Robusto brought additional flavors of chocolate and coffee that weren’t present in the Toro, while the Toro brought some cream and mustiness that weren’t present in the Robusto. The Robusto strength level in the first third was medium full while the Toro was slightly above medium.

In the second third, the Robusto continued to be drying with wood and coffee notes. The Toro continued with oak, cream and mustiness. Later in the third, the Robusto exhibited some minerality that I did not find in the Toro. The Toro really ramped up the fullness of flavors, smoke production and strength. With the increase in strength in the Toro, it caught up to the Robusto so that they were both at medium full.

In the final third, both cigars experienced some bitterness which added to the profile, not taking away from it. The Robusto began to get some char and mustiness which brought it more in line with how the Toro’s profile had been. The Toro experienced a sharp spice for a half dozen draws or so which was an eye opening blip in the profile. Both cigars finished out with a well balanced profile. The Toro dropped in strength back to slightly above medium while the Robusto kept it strength profile at medium full throughout the cigar.

The Robusto, although it required a re-light, seemed to burn much more evenly than the Toro. They both had good ash retention and provided good smoke output. The draw on the Toro was a bit loose for the first half inch, but other than that, the draw was perfect the rest of the way and the entire way on the Robusto.

The Robusto had its best showing in the first third and then fell off from there. The Toro built up to its best point right at the midway point and then slowly tapered off. Between the two vitolas, I would have to give the Toro a slight nod. I think the trajectory the Toro took was better than the Robusto which started off strong and then dropped off. The Robusto’s first third was my favorite third of the two cigars, but not enough to place it higher than the Toro which was more consistent.

Jiunn’s Thoughts:

Like with any new cigar released by Davidoff, my palate perks up and immediate interest is gained. But with the release of the Davidoff Nicaragua Box Pressed line, I scratched my head a bit trying to understand the need for it, after the successful release of the original Davidoff Nicaragua. Even knowing the two cigars are different blends, why associate it with the “Nicaragua” name?

Both cigars yielded similar pre-light results. No big surprise here, as what we have come to expect from Davidoff is a well presented cigar. And to be frank, I don’t put much focus on the pre-light experience as I don’t believe there is a direct correlation between the pre-light aromas versus how the actual smoking experience will be. Also, I’ve had cigars that looked and smelled almost odorless and have been one of my all time favorites (and vice versa). So let’s just move on from here.

Both the Toro and the Robusto had tasty notes. The Robusto with it’s dry, bold and rich flavors of oily white pepper, hay, black coffee, sweet and creamy bread, charred wood and bitter roasted nuts was what I expected, and the cigar delivered just that. The Toro with its dry and earthy notes of refined graphite, dry black pepper spice, charred wood, bread, over-roasted/burnt nuts, baking spice, faint burnt sugar, saltiness and burnt caramel also delivered. In terms of strength and body, the Toro and Robusto provided overall medium plus strength and medium body (although the Robusto’s strength reached medium full faster than the Toro). In terms of construction, the difference was the poor burning performance of the Robusto. But since Aaron’s construction yielded no real issues, I will net this part out. The difference maker here is the boldness that the Robusto gave, whereas the Toro’s flavors were less full but more consistent.

Overall, there is no clear winner here. If you prefer a more consistent smoking experience, the Toro is your cigar. If you prefer bolder and deeper flavors (as well as strength), the Robusto is your cigar. For me, the Robusto’s thinner ring gauge shines more than the Toro, so that will be my buy. But both are worth the smoking experience.

To view the full review for the Robusto, click here.

To view the full review for the Toro, click here.