Pre-light Experience

Aaron: The wrapper on the Davidoff Millennium Lancero Limited Edition 2023 is a marbled medium brown and has some decently raised veins present. The seams are a bit raised and the cap is decently applied and finished with a tightly wound pigtail. There are two bands, with the primary being the traditional design and carrying the company name. The secondary band denotes the line in the same white and gold color combination. The aroma from the wrapper is just a light, general woodiness. The foot brings a light aroma of slightly sweet cedar. The pre-light draw brings a light mix of cedar and floral notes along with a mild spiciness on my lips.
Seth: The Davidoff Millennium Lancero Limited Edition 2023 is a solid looking cigar. Nothing wowing by its appearance, but well rolled. Finished with a nice, closed pigtail cap, the cigar has a dark Natural looking wrapper. Antique brown. Firm throughout, the cigar has aromas of barnyard, earth, cedar, spices, hay and tobacco.
John: The Davidoff Millennium Lancero Limited Edition 2023 comes in cellophane and has a UPC sticker with an integrated tear tab to remain intact when opened. The cigar is double banded and has a “Millennium Lancero” secondary band. It also has an artisanal complication of a curly head cap. Aromas from the wrapper included sweet hay, barnyard and wood. From the foot, I was getting a combination of sweet, stewed raisin, prune and tobacco.
Jiunn: The Davidoff Millennium Lancero Limited Edition 2023 has a copper Colorado Red wrapper shade. Veins are well pressed, seams tight, bunch and roll slightly loose and lumpy, and the mini man bun head is well wrapped and capped. Aromas from the wrapper tell of barnyard stank and spicy cedar. Aromas from the foot tell of a sweet and spicy mixture of white pepper and nuts. Cold draws reveal hay.

Team Cigar Review: Davidoff Millennium Lancero Limited Edition 2023

First Third

Aaron: The cigar begins with toasted oak, earth and mustiness. At a half inch in, the toasted oak and earth are even up from with the mustiness just behind. At an inch and a quarter, a light black pepper joins the profile. The retrohale brings toasted oak, earth and lightly zingy black pepper. As the third comes to a close, the toasted oak and earth remain up front, with mustiness right behind and black pepper a bit further behind. The strength was slightly above medium.
Seth: The first third begins with some damp wood, mushroom and soft cedar qualities. Bits of tobacco, coffee and faint spices are present as well. Bits of pepper on the finish. Medium in strength and body.
John: My first few puffs bring a mildly spicy cedar and cinnamon combination. A medium strength black pepper and chili pepper sit on my lips and tongue as the post draw develops. Creamy wood is present through the retrohale, with dry wood to finish. A graham cracker comes through in the center of the retrohale.
Jiunn: The initial inch is uneventful, being a mixture of hay and dried red pepper spice. But past that, the profile opens up, bringing also minerals and subtle nutty sweetness. Retrohaling gives a blast of spicy cedar. The finish is mineral driven. Strength and body is medium.

Team Cigar Review: Davidoff Millennium Lancero Limited Edition 2023

Second Third

Aaron: As the second third begins, all of the components are doing a better job working together. At a third of an inch in, the earth mellows a bit to become even with the mustiness. The retrohale is now toasted oak, earth and light amounts of mustiness and black pepper. At an inch and three quarters, a light creaminess joins the profile. As the third comes to a close, the toasted oak is up front with the earth and mustiness a bit behind and black pepper and creaminess in the background. The strength remained at slightly above medium.
Seth: The second third is a continuation of the first third. I am picking up a lot of damp wood, mushroom and cedar qualities. Tobacco, earth and pepper spices on the finish. Medium in strength and body.
John: Creamy graham cracker leads off as medium to medium-plus strength spices follow and combine with dry wood into the post draw. There are no major flavor changeups here other than the occasional shift of flavor intensity of the spices.
Jiunn: The second third mirrors the first third. Still a hay, dried red pepper and mineral driven profile. The flavors provide an overall subtlety, and one flavor never spikes over another. Strength and body remains medium.

Team Cigar Review: Davidoff Millennium Lancero Limited Edition 2023

Final Third

Aaron: As the final third begins, the toast level increases. At a half inch in, the earth increases to move back up to the front with the oak. The retrohale is now primarily toasted oak and mustiness with light amounts of earth and black pepper. As the cigar wraps up, the oak now has a heavy toast along with the earth up front. The mustiness is a bit behind and the black pepper and creaminess are in the background. The strength remained at slightly above medium.
Seth: The final third delivers that damp wood, earth, mushroom, cedar and tobacco flavor profile. Faint spice and pepper on the finish. Medium in strength and body.
John: Dry, spicy cedar starts the final third. A background bread note is present in the retrohale with dry wood on the post draw. Earth joins the post draw on the next puff. The cigar heats up as it continues with bitter earth leading the draw by the halfway point.
Jiunn: The final third shows no changes. Still medium strength and body, with flavors centered around balanced hay, dried red pepper spice and minerals.

Team Cigar Review: Davidoff Millennium Lancero Limited Edition 2023

Burn

Aaron: The burn was perfect through the first half, but in the second half, the burn became wavy and the cigar went out twice, requiring re-lights.
Seth: Very good burn throughout.
John: The burn had a wavy start, but self corrected. The burn was fairly straight through the second and last thirds.
Jiunn: Burn performance was perfect. Even burn, ample smoke production, tight ashes and cool burning temperature.

Team Cigar Review: Davidoff Millennium Lancero Limited Edition 2023

Draw

Aaron: The draw was slightly tighter than I prefer, but didn’t cause any issues with the smoking experience.
Seth: Perfect draw.
John: The draw was somewhat into the resistant spectrum, roughly 2-1/2 to 3 notches.
Jiunn: Flawless draw, giving the best balance between air flow and resistance.

Overall

Aaron: The cigar began with toasted oak, earth and mustiness. A light black pepper joined a bit later. The second third saw a light creaminess join in. The final third saw the toast level become pretty heavy. The Davidoff Millennium Lancero Limited Edition 2023 started fairly average as all of the flavor components were pretty segmented. The second third saw those flavors come together better and moved up a notch. The final third dropped down again as the toast became pretty heavy and the earth increased. A pretty different profile than previous white labels that I’ve smoked, but it turned out to be OK through the second third. Not a cigar I’d really see myself coming back to, and the high price point just cements that.
Seth: The Davidoff Millennium blend changed many moons ago, and it is not the blend/line that it once was. But, if I am comparing this Davidoff Millennium Lancero Limited Edition 2023 to current regular production Millenniums, I find this to be a superior release. “If you like the new Millennium, you should really like this.” The cigar is constructed very well, and as a Lancero it smokes very well, but the blend is monotonous from beginning to end. Not bad, but not changing. Price doesn’t bother me. I will say that. Sub $30.00 Davidoff LE.
John: The Davidoff Millennium Lancero Limited Edition 2023 wasn’t quite what I expected from Davidoff. A more intense and spicy cigar that seems to be a departure from the historical flavor combinations that Davidoff tends to blend for. The first and second thirds were the most engaging, with the last third becoming unbalanced as it heated up. The burn was perfect and the draw had some resistance to it. I would happily smoke the Davidoff Millennium Lancero Limited Edition 2023 again if I had the opportunity. Total smoking time was 1 hour and 57 minutes.
Jiunn: This Davidoff Millennium Lancero Limited Edition 2023 is one of the cigars that toggled between average to almost being good. Trying to be objective as possible, the flavor profile worked, but it didn’t have that “IT” factor that popped. Also considering the pedigree of Davidoff and certainly the higher price point, the company can do and should do better. So I’ll settle with overall Average.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

5.65

Cost/Point

$5.13

Scoring System

Seth Geise

SCORE

5.65

Cost/Point

$5.13

Scoring System

John McTavish

SCORE

6.52

Cost/Point

$4.45

Scoring System

Jiunn Liu

SCORE

5.75

Cost/Point

$5.04

Scoring System

Team Cigar Review: Davidoff Millennium Lancero Limited Edition 2023