Initial Thoughts:
Most of the Zino Platinum Cigars we've reviewed have been pretty darn good. They've also been very light in color. Today's cigar, the Zino Platinum Crown Series Limited Edition 2020 Gran Robusto, with its dark wrapper, is a fairly significant deviation from the norm. Let's see how it goes!
After cutting the end with my Colibri V-Cutter, the draw had the perfect amount of resistance. On the pre-light cold draw, the flavors were mostly of cedar.
Once the cigar was lit, however, the flavors of red clay reminded me of the Davidoff Yamasa we reviewed. And, in fact, the Yamasa's burgundy-colored label is very similar to the one on the Zino Platinum Crown Series Limited Edition 2020 Gran Robusto. Coincidence?
Additionally, the initial flavors were earthy and spicy with hints of that red Yamasa Valley clay.
CigarScore:
Brand: Davidoff / Zino Platinum
Line: Crown Series Limited Edition 2020
Size: 5 x 60
Cut: V-Cut
Light: Torch
Price: $25.00 – Luxury Cigar Club
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano
Binder: Honduras
Filler: Dominican Republic (San Vicente) Ligero, Honduran Criollo '98, Honduran Corojo
Smoke Time: 80 minutes
Through the first half of the cigar, the burn was slightly uneven due to a stem in either the Ecuadorian Habano wrapper or the Honduran binder. And, the crack or tear in the wrapper showed signs of swelling.
However, the draw was really nice and the flavors were surprisingly bold and spicy. Occasionally I tasted some creaminess in there, but I mostly tasted cedar and spice.
Final Thoughts
For the 80 minutes I had with the Zino Platinum Crown Series Limited Edition 2020 Gran Robusto, the burn was mostly good, the draw was mostly good, and the flavors were fairly spicy. If you're looking for a mild cigar, this is not it.
While I think this cigar is, perhaps, just a little expensive for what you get, it's still a great cigar with a perfect draw. Even though there were a couple of minor construction issues, none of them had any real impact on the overall enjoyability of the cigar. Because this cigar is almost perfect (despite its higher price point), the $25 Zino Platinum Crown Series Limited Edition 2020 Gran Robusto earns a CigarScore 5.
