Out of the Humidor

Davidoff Puro d’Oro

Luxury cigar manufacturer Davidoff of Geneva recently released Puro d’Oro, a new line of premium cigars from the Dominican Republic. Founded in Cuba in 1967, Davidoff moved its entire production to the Dominican Republic in 1990, under the supervision of tobacco great Hendrik Kelner. The move allowed the company to position itself as a global luxury cigar brand. With a focus on quality and consistency, Davidoff slowly and deliberately launched new lines over the years, such as the Classic and Mille series and the Grand Cru and Aniversario lines. In 2001, The Davidoff Millennium Blend became the fullest-bodied experience the company ever offered. Though limited editions (one shape, one blend) are released annually, the Davidoff Puro d’Oro is an entirely new line with an entirely new flavor and concept.

Kelner began the early development and experimentation of this tobacco in 1996. Though original attempts were unsuccessful, he continued to try different seeds and, more impressively, crossbred seeds in order to create a unique hybrid that is more resistant to some of the region’s challenges. In 2003, Kelner was drawn to the incredibly rich, red clay-like soil in Yamasa, southeast of Santiago in the mountains of Dominican Republic. Yamasa’s unique soil and climate deliver an equally unique flavor. In 2006, he finally was satisfied with the crop, and began storing this tobacco, allowing it to age until it was ready to be used for this special project. A Dominican puro, this line of cigars takes inspiration from Davidoff’s Cuban era—simple boxes, simple packaging, with all the focus on the cigar itself. Adorned only with an embossed band on the cigar’s foot to indicate the format, these gorgeous smokes are made entirely of Dominican tobacco, including the precious wrapper leaf grown in Yamasa. Available in four formats, the cigars offer notes of coffee and spices in the finish.

WWW.DAVIDOFF.COM

Room101

LaLa Land’s Matt Booth is on a short list of cigar industry innovators. Since 2003, Booth, a musician and Marine, has been creatively combining his life experiences, cultural influences, and favorite hobbies into products in his Room101 jewelry collection, a successful line of funky, chunky rings, bracelets, and other accessories in the finest sterling silver, gold, and precious stones. In 2009, Booth added a premium cigar to the Room101 portfolio, and the launch was anything but conventional. Thanks to an aggressive ad campaign cocktail that was one part social, one part viral, and one part print with a splash of “WTF,” cigar enthusiasts were drawn to the new cigars before they even existed. Fortunately, under the close supervision of Camacho’s president Christian Eiroa and marketing guru Dylan Austin, the gap was bridged from anticipation to arrival, and a complete line of premium cigars finally were made available.

The Room101 cigars are made up entirely of Honduran tobaccos, including “Semilla 101,” a unique seed developed specifically for this project. To add a splash of color and individuality, Booth often throws a little gem into Room101’s jewelry; for the cigars, the “gem” is a little bit of Dominican tobacco used in the filler to add complexity and balance to these medium-bodied smokes. The line currently includes six sizes, which are packaged in a silver-on-black box of 25 cigars, ranging in price from $7.50 to $10.50 per stick.

Booth also introduced cigar accessories to his line, including Zippo-style lighters featuring torch flames with the Room101 silver motifs (around $800), and breathtaking custom humidors sporting lavish croc exteriors, cedar-lined interiors, and Asian-themed, silk-lined drawers to house accessories (around $40,000).

Booth says his products are “designs that will stand the test of time” and assures that there is “something for everyone” within his product range. The “everyone”—those who enjoy the Room101 collection as well as those who share their interest via Booth’s incredible social network—are affectionately known as “The Conspiracy.” Like it or not, you just became a part of it.

WWW.ROOM101CIGARS.COM