The next cigar I will try as part of my cigar challenge is from the Dunhill cigar brand; I will be smoking the Aged Selection Robusto Grande 2006 Limited Edition cigar.
The stats:
Length: 5 1/2″
Ring Gauge: 54
Strength: Mild – Medium
Country of origin: Dominican Republic
Cost: £15.99 from MySmokingShop
Background:
Dunhill‘s history dates back to 1907, the year Alfred Dunhill opened his tobacco shop in London.
Credit: Smokingpipes.com
In the 1930s, Dunhill saw success distributing Dunhill branded Cuban cigar lines such as Don Candido, and later, in the 1960s, Don Alfredo.
In the early 1980s, Dunhill launched its own cigar line rolled by Cubatabaco, a Cuban state-run cigar company, but after Cuban production ceased, the brand’s history became a bit convoluted. Production of Dunhill cigars moved to the Canary Islands and later to the Dominican Republic and Honduras, rolled at factories. Many owners took over, including British American Tobacco and General Cigar Co, but they appear to have been discontinued these days.
With all that in mind, I think I’ve been quite lucky finding this cigar.
According to MySmokingShop, the Dunhill Aged Selection Robusto Grande 2006 Limited Edition, features tobacco grown in the Cibao Valley of the Dominican Republic. The ageing process usually takes between one and two years; during this time, the tobaccos produce a richer aroma and taste – but for this particular cigar, Dunhill took the step of ageing and fermenting the tobacco for seven years for a more exquisite aroma, taste and flavour. The addition of Brazilian Mata Fina filler adds a subtle but defined flavour note
My experience:
The first striking thing about this cigar is the colour. It has an incredibly light wrapper. I think possibly the lightest shade of cigar I’ve ever smoked. I assume this has something to do with the ‘aged’ series.
I wanted to dig a bit deeper and find out more info about the cigar’s different shades. There’s plenty of stuff online, but I found this handy graphic that visualises the differences in wrapper colours from Bespoke Unit.
According to the website, the colour difference is due to various cultivation, curing, and fermentation methods. Sometimes the colour can serve as an indicator of the cigar’s flavour and intensity – lighter cigars can be interpreted as ‘milder’ while the darker options are more ‘robust’. However, this is only sometimes the cases, and the colour isn’t always an indicator.
This particular cigar looks like a Claro wrapper (also known as Connecticut Shade). I hope I can memorise this kind of geeky cigar info in the future.
Upon smoking this cigar, it feels incredibly light in strength. It produces clouds of very smooth creamy smoke—hints of sweet cedar, nut and almond flavour notes. The burn is a little uneven throughout the cigar. I want to get something special from this cigar, as it’s an ‘aged’ one, and I’ve heard there’s a difference between smoking ‘aged’ and ‘vintage’ cigars, but I don’t get anything special from it.
My rating: 6 out of 10
Next up… I will be smoking a cigar from the El Rey Del Mundo cigar brand.
London Cigar Smoker 