Davidoff's November: Two City Cigars Today, the Year of the Sheep Next

Davidoff has a busy month, and it starts today. The City Edition, a new series of cigars sold only in the cities they are named after, reaches store shelves from 2 November, Cigar Aficionado reported. On 19 November the house ships its annual Chinese zodiac release, the Year of the Sheep Limited Edition 2027, according to Cigar Dojo and Cigar Coop.

City Edition: one cigar, one city

There are two to begin with. Both measure 5½ x 55, both cost $49 a cigar, both come in boxes of ten with the city on the outer lid, and both are made at the Cigars Davidoff factory in the Dominican Republic. The blends differ. “For the first time, we are launching a series that belongs entirely to the cities that inspire it,” said Javier González, head of global marketing and innovation at Oettinger Davidoff, quoted by Cigar Aficionado.

• City Edition Las Vegas: Ecuadorian wrapper and binder over Dominican filler aged in a wine cask; strength 3 out of 5. Sold at the Davidoff flagship on South Las Vegas Boulevard, in time for the Big Smoke Las Vegas weekend that begins on 6 November.
• City Edition New York: a darker Ecuadorian wrapper, Ecuadorian binder and all-Dominican filler; strength 3.5 out of 5. Sold at the three New York flagships: Madison Avenue and 6th Avenue in Manhattan, and Broadway in Brooklyn.

Year of the Sheep 2027: three figurados

The zodiac series began in 2012 with a Year of the Dragon released in Asia, and the Sheep is back for a second turn after its first edition in late 2014, per Cigar Coop. This time all three formats are figurados, with a light Ecuadorian wrapper over Dominican and Nicaraguan filler, made at the TABADOM factory. Davidoff rates the strength 3 out of 5, and Cigar Dojo lists notes of cream, dark chocolate and caramel.

• Piramides, 6¾ x 52: 17,500 boxes of 10 worldwide, each with a numbered collector's coin, at appointed merchants and flagships.
• Gran Perfecto, 6 x 61: 850 boxes of 24, Davidoff of Geneva flagship stores only.
• Gran Torpedo, 6 x 56: only in the Masterpiece Humidor. Twelve were made, each holding 88 cigars, with artwork by illustrator Jane Liu and textile artist Clémentine Brandibas.
• Accessories: a porcelain ashtray (288 numbered pieces) and a double-blade cutter (388 pieces).

Two kinds of scarcity: one cigar you can only buy in its city, another you can only buy in its year.

Practical notes: Davidoff has not disclosed prices for the Year of the Sheep, and launch dates may vary by country, Cigar Dojo says. If you want a box, talk to your appointed merchant before 19 November; the Gran Perfecto is limited to 850 boxes worldwide. Let new arrivals rest in a humidor at stable humidity before lighting up, and remember that smoking cigars carries health risks.