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ZINO: THE PLATINUM STANDARD IN CIGARS

Plus: Senate passes SCHIP bill and sends it to the President

Los Angeles, September 28 – “Honduras has a tobacco tradition which dates from the time of the Mayas, i.e., the oldest in the world. Their best cigars are sold under the name ZINO.”

That was the legendary Zino Davidoff’s all-too-brief mention of his second cigar line from the second edition of his work, “The Connoisseur’s Book of the Cigar” (1984). He created the Zino brand in 1975 for the U.S. market since his famed Davidoff brand was still made in Cuba and not available thanks to the U.S. embargo. His famous “White Label” Davidoff did not move to the Dominican Republic until 1990.

The Zino brand gained some popularity in the U.S. and featured two primary line, the Connoisseur and the Mouton-Cadet. Both saw their profile lowered after the Davidoff brand appeared in the U.S. and interest in the brands continued to fall during the Cigar Boom. Something had to be done.

Never one to think small, the folks at Davidoff of Geneva came up with a total revision of the brand. First, production moved from Honduras to the Davidoff complex in the Dominican Republic under the direction of Henrik Kelner. Next, new blends were created to keep up with modern tastes and a stunning new packaging program with embossed, silver bands was developed for the Zino Platinum Crown and Zino Platinum Scepter brands in 2003.

The marketing was equally spectacular, using lavish imagery of popular dogs (yes, dogs) cloaked in royal garb of the 19th century, underlining the impression of quality and exclusivity of the high-priced and limited-availability brands.

We decided to try them out and see how they ranked against each other . . . and against their predecessor.

Zino Classic:
[Dominican Republic: available in 6 sizes]
The Zino Classic is the newest of the Dominican blends, introduced in 2006 with a nod to the history of the brand, featuring an Ecuadorian-grown wrapper and binder and filler leaves from Honduras, site of the previous Zino production.

We found the new Zino Classics a delight, with a medium body and a toasty and spicy aroma. There’s a rich, caramelized style to this blend that continues through a fairly long finish.

As you would expect from a Davidoff-made cigar, the Zino Classic exhibits a perfect draw and even burn, making it a pleasure to smoke. The flavor remains lively, with its rich, sweet taste continuing right through to the end. There’s only a pinch of spice noted in the second half, just accenting the finish.

The Classic comes in six shapes, four of which are available in elegant, all-black aluminum tubes. The best way to try the brand might be the new Tubos Assortment: one each of all four tubes for a suggested retail price of $27.40 plus local tobacco taxes. Or try the individual cigars; at suggested retail prices of $5.00 to $8.70 each, they’re well priced for what you get.
Overall grade: A+: Outstanding.

Zino Platinum Crown:
[Dominican Republic: available in 4 sizes]
This brand shocked the cigar world when it was introduced in 2003. Not only was the manufacture of Zinos in the Dominican Republic a surprise, but so were the suggested retail prices of the Platinum Crown series: from $27.00 to $39.00 per cigar! That’s higher than any of the celebrated Davidoff (White Label) lines! These had better be stupendous cigars.

The small shape range and attention to detail of this line is remarkable. The packaging is spectacular and the shapes are totally modern: the 8 1/4-inch by 50-ring Stretch ($39 each); the 7 1/2-inch by 50-ring Double Grande ($30), the fat 6-inch by 60-ring Barrel ($27), and the star of the line, the sensational, bulbous 5 7/8-inch by 61-ring Chubby Especial perfecto ($35).

Once lit, there’s a slight spicy aroma and a medium-to-full body that demands your attention. The flavor is rich and caramelized off the start with a splash of spice on the finish. It’s very well balanced, especially considering the depth of flavor and stays consistent well into the second half.

Of course, the draw is easy and the burn is even, especially on the Chubby. There’s just a hint of pepper that creeps in during the second half as an accent and signals the hidden power of this blend. Don’t oversmoke a Platinum Crown, or your head will feel it later.

These are gorgeous cigars designed to the highest standards; whether they are worth the price is an individual decision. But they are, without doubt, of the very finest quality.
Overall grade: A: Exceptional.

Zino Platinum Scepter:
[Dominican Republic: available in 8 sizes]
The Platinum Scepter line was introduced just after the Platinum Crown series in 2003 and is more accessible in price at $7.50 to $15.00 each.

It’s medium-to-full in body and has a spicy aroma. There’s a fresh, clean taste to this blend, with an Ecuadorian wrapper and Connecticut binder, and a short finish. The flavor has a caramelized tilt with a dash of spice on the finish that you’ll feel on your tongue.

The balance of sweetness and spice is quite impressive and is easy to appreciate thanks to the flawless draw and even burn. The spicy elements move forward in the second half, but are never aggressive and always well moderated. This is an elegant cigar and one which should be smoked patiently to enjoy all of its attributes.
Overall grade: A-: Excellent.

Zino Connoisseur:
[Honduras: discontinued]
Just for comparison’s sake, we had to try one of the Honduran-made Zinos. We chose the gold-banded Connoisseur line, which ended production in 2005.

It’s medium in body with a toasty and just slightly spicy aroma and a bright, buttery taste. There’s only a hint of spice on the finish and even then you have to look for it.

Like today’s Zinos, it burns perfectly and maintains its rich flavor to the end, fading just a bit in the second half. Both the Connoisseur and Mouton-Cadet styles were well made and much admired and we miss them both; don’t hesitate to pick some up if you find them on a store shelf somewhere!
Overall grade: A: Exceptional.

The name Zino Davidoff came to be synonymous with quality in cigars and the newer Dominican-made series continues the tradition that started with the Davidoff line that debuted in the U.S. in 1990. The Davidoff line is justly famous around the world and these new cigars that bear Mr. Davidoff’s first name are equally deserving of praise and appreciation.

Senate passes SCHIP bill:
The U.S. Senate passed the revised SCHIP bill with a raise in Federal per-cigar taxes from $0.04875 to $3.00 each on Thursday evening by a 67-29 margin.

That vote would be enough to override a promised Presidential veto, but the vote in the House of Representatives was well short of the two-thirds majority required. The bill is now in the hands of President George W. Bush, who has said he will veto it. Let’s hope so.
~ Rich Perelman

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