Davidoff 535 Madison

[Krautle87]

So I decided to break out the first of the Davidoff 535 box, I'm smoking it here at work and don't know what to make of it.

When going to light up, the wrapper had the same powdery texture on the lips that the 100th Anniversaries had, and I was anticipating a repeat of that outstanding smoke.

Construction is decent, great by most standards but not quite Davidoff. The draw is very easy, almost loose, and the ash is not quite the razor sharp tight ash one would expect, but somewhat fluffy, and light. The smoke is mild, exceptionally mild, to the point of being bland. It basically tastes like a Conneticut-wrapped Griffins. The overbearing taste is...papery. To the nose, it does have a pleasant aroma and a bit of spice.

I'll update as I finish up, but so far it's been tremendously disappointing.

 

[tone-ny]

Bummer, sorry to hear that. But hopefully as it progresses you'll find it to be quite good!

 

[FlyFish]

Uh Oh.....the one I smoked was loose too. I sure hope this isn't a trend for this vitola.

Here's my review that I typed for another site,, just to add a second opinion.

Pre-light draw was actually a bit loose. I was a little disappointed by this. Usually these things are perfect. It wasn't a disaster but a little disappointing. I actually squeezed it a little during the smoke to restrict the draw a bit. The wrapper was a bit ruddy, not the silky smooth wrapper that Davidoffs usually sport. I think this is probably going to be the case with the leaf they chose for this vitola. This wasn't by any means a bad thing, just an observation.


I fired it up and the first 3/4 inch had me questioning the purchase. It had a sour start to it and while not aweful it wasn't good either. I was determined that for the $$$ I wasn't going to chuck it and I'm glad I didn't.


About an inch in it really opened up. I had to go very slowly because of the loose draw and that probably helped it to stay cool. I was rewarded by what I would call a medium to full body, nice "earthy" flavors and maybe even some citrus thrown in. I'm not good at describing these things but that's what I interpreted my tastebuds to be telling me. It turned out to be a very pleasant smoke. As with 99.999% of Davidoffs it burned razor straight, required no re-lights and held it's ash extremely well.


I'm a notorious wussy when it comes to more powerful cigars so I was really watching and waiting for the spins and the queasies to start but they never did. I guess this one has a fuller body without having the nicotine blast that some others do. I was able to nub this thing without feeling ill and for me that's a great thing with a fuller bodied cigar.


All in all I only give it 6 out if 10. That's because of the loose draw and the sour start. If it would have drawn better I'd have rated the cigar closer to 8. I would not expect that the draw issue will be there in any others out of that box. I don't know what age will do, but it can't hurt.


As to comparing it to the other LE's I place it as better than the Robusto Intenso and the 2007 Puro Dominicana and well behind the 2003 PE, the single millenium perfecto I have smoked and the 100th anniversary smokes of last year.


Is it worth the $$$$. Can't say, 15 bucks does not hold the same value to any two folks at the same time. I won't be getting any more, if that helps you to judge. When it comes to the $$$$, ...YMMV.

 

[Krautle87]

The draw is not excessively loose, it's actually billowing out huge clouds of smoke, the construction is overall a plus. Although I'm needing to touch up a little bit of uneveness.

I'm about 1/2" from the lower band and the taste is still pleasant, mild, and unremarkable.

 

[Big Stick]

Dam I thought it was gonna be a full bodied Gar
What the F
Thanks for the Review

 

[Krautle87]

I smoked it down to about an inch and a half, no significant change in flavour.

I havn't given up on this cigar, (not that I can, I still have 10 left :laugh:,) I'll revisit this one soon.

If anything good came out of this cigar, being the first of many, many Davidoffs that I have smoked and not enjoyed, is that I know the reason I love their product so much isn't just blind brand loyalty/snobbery. I wasn't fooled by the band on this one. I think 99% of the time I would be able to pick a Davidoff out of an unbanded lineup. This one just wasn't up to par.