Pre-light Experience

The wrapper is medium brown with a couple of slightly raised veins present. The seams are smooth but easily visible due to the wrapper color being slightly darker towards the foot. The head is finished off with a well applied triple cap. There are two bands, with the primary being the traditional white label and the secondary strip band denoting the year for this line. The aroma from the wrapper is a mellow barnyard note while the foot has a sweet wood note. The pre-light draw brings more of the sweet wood that I got from the foot aroma along with a mild white pepper on my lips and tongue.

Pre-light Experience

The Davidoff The Master Selection 2007 has a Colorado Maduro wrapper shade with a semi-slick oily feel. Major veins are pressed well, seams tight, bunch and roll even and head finished off with a well applied triple cap. Aromas from the wrapper tell raw cedar, floral perfume and white pepper. Nosing the foot gives hay, strong white pepper and cedar. Cold draw tells primarily hay and cedar.

First Third

The cigar begins with a slightly sweet and spicy cedar along with a fairly full black pepper in the background. At a half inch in, the sweetness subsides as some cream enters to mix with the slightly spicy cedar and fairly full black pepper. At an inch in, the spicy cedar and cream are what’s present at the beginning of the draw and the black pepper is how the draw finishes. The retrohale is a general wood note along with cream and black pepper. As the third comes to a close, the black pepper has mellowed significantly while the spicy and creamy cedar remains up front. The strength in this third was slightly above medium.

First Third

The initial inch of the cigar is a mixture of hay and cedar. The cigar’s flavor profile really comes alive after the first inch as coffee beans, toasted bread and white pepper join the hay and cedar. Retrohaling gives the cigar richness in white pepper, cedar and toasted bread. Further, citrus is mixed in. The finish is primarily dry earth and cedar. Strength and body is medium.

Second Third

As the second third begins, the cream picks up and is the primary note over the spicy cedar while the black pepper is now very faint in the background. At a half inch in, the cream moves back to even with the spicy cedar. At an inch in, the cream and spicy cedar have kept jockeying for position at the front while the black pepper has completely left the profile. The retrohale is creamy cedar without the spice. At an inch and a half the spiciness picks up a bit and the cedar becomes fuller as the cream is now a supporting note. The strength in this third remained at slightly above medium.

Second Third

The second third brings deeper flavors. The white pepper spice and toasted bread especially shines. Further, citrus is highlighted within the mouth draws. Coffee beans, cedar and occasional coconut strips rounds out the profile. Strength and body is still overall medium.

Final Third

As the final third begins, the cedar transitions to a slightly charred oak with a slight amount of cream in the background. At three quarters of an inch in, some mintiness joins in to the profile of slightly charred oak and cream. The same profile carries over to the retrohale. At an inch in, the char begins to pick up on the oak and the mintiness is quite full while the cream has gone away. As the cigar comes to a close, it begins to heat up which adds a toasted note to the charred oak and mintiness. The strength in this third bumped up to medium-full.

Final Third

The last third shifts into a profile that is more mineral based, showing a pencil lead flavor. Because of this, especially the citrus and bread notes takes a back step, while white pepper and cedar are still prevalent. Retrohaling however still maintains the citrus and elevated white pepper and toasted bread. Strength nears medium-full while body finishes medium.

Burn

The burn was a bit of an adventure as it required a few touch-ups where the burn got far off and the cigar seemed to want to go out. The ash held on in inch and a quarter increments.

Burn

Burn was overall good but had its set backs. The negatives were the uneven burn which lead to a few touch-ups. Other than that, burn was great with a cool burning temperature, sturdy ashes and good smoke production.

Draw

The draw was slightly tighter than I prefer but didn’t cause any issues with the smoking experience.

Overall

As with the other The Master Selections, the cigar presents a good flavor profile centered around spicy cedar and cream. The final third dropped down in enjoyment. The burn was something I did have to babysit which I didn’t find in the others, but I expect this will be a one-off compared to the other reviewers experiences. This probably wouldn’t be the one in the line that I gravitate to, but I’m sure others may find this equally enjoyable to the others. It is a good cigar and if you’re willing to take on the price point, you will have an enjoyable experience.

Draw

Draw was perfect giving the ideal resistance and air flow.

Overall

This being the third Davidoff Master Selection reviewed (first two being 2008 and 2010), the way I see it (so far) is, all the Master Selection series deliver a supreme level of nuances, transitions and fairly complex flavors. Is this 2007 version as good as the other two? It is by no means better than 2010 (after all, that was the cigar of the year for me in 2017). I can’t say it is better than the 2008 either. This 2007 had moments of greatness, especially halfway through, but it is just as good as the 2008. A good cigar to celebrate with if budget allows.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

6.37

Cost/Point

$5.50

Scoring System

Jiunn Liu

SCORE

7.32

Cost/Point

$4.78

Scoring System

Team Cigar Review: Davidoff The Master Selection 2007