Zino Crown Series Emperor Edition 2009

According to the Davidoff of Madison website the Zino Platinum Emperor Edition is an omnipotent Robusto, exceptional in flavor and overall balance. Masterfully blended fillers from Dominican Republic and Nicaragua are bound by a proprietary hybrid tobacco created from Cuban and Dominican seeds and Dominican grown and finished with a specially fermented Ecuadorian wrapper. It is full-bodied and opulent delivering mouthfuls of rich complex flavor and an intense and inviting aroma.

Let’s see if that holds true…

Cigar: Zino Platinum Emperor Edition 2009
Size: 5 x 58 (Robusto Extra)
Wrapper: Ecuador
Binder: Dominican Republic
Filler: Dominican Republic
Strength: Full

Appearance and Construction (18/20): This short but stout stick is just incredible to look at. From the silver and black primary band with the secondary black and red band it stands out on the shelf. But what causes this stick to separate it from others is the wrapper which is nearly perfect. The super oily and toothy wrapper has only the finest of veins visible. The roll is perfect with the exception of a slightly off centered cap. The fireplug has a nice weight to it and no soft spots on the body but the foot looks a little sparse.

Flavor & Notes (28/30): When I took this stick to the nose the notes off the foot were incredible. There was some pepper, spices and some raisins present while the prelight draw offered a sweet tobacco with a slight earth. The first third of the cigar offers a wonderfully strong coffee note with a slight earthy sweetness hanging around in the background. As we approach the second third of this rich hearty smoke the notes of coffee remain, with a dark chocolate and raisin mixed in as well. The final third of the cigar is earthy with notes of  charred wood and chocolate. I must say I enjoyed the flavor profile of this stick. While the notes were a little bit typical they were blended together well and oh so enjoyable.

Burn/Ash/Draw (23/25): The wrapper of this cigar was thick, and when they are that way they tend to in my opinion burn a little but weird. That was the case here and you don’t want that in a 23.00 smoke. However, after one touch up around the first quarter of the cigar it burned remarkably straight for the remainder of the smoke. The ash was light gray that held on well despite having some flake to it. The draw was perfection and that makes me as a cigar smoker happy.

Overall (19/25): When I go out to a cigar shop I look for smokes that would make for any interesting review as a result I don’t mind spending the money. What bothers is me is when I spend 23.00 on a stick and the cigar does not smoke like a 23.00 stick. The cigar was good, don’t get me wrong. I would smoke more of them if they 13.00 to 15.00 a stick or less. However, the price point really kills the over all score of this stick.

Rating: 88
Price: $23.00

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