Cigar Reviews
Daniel Marshal – DM2 Red Label Robusto
First of all I hope everyone out there had a safe, fun, and happy Halloween! I got together with a few friends yesterday. The guys took the kids door to door while smoking our cigars and the girls stayed in watching scary movies, eating pizza, and handing out candy. Anyways. And now, this week’s review. Daniel Marshall’s DM2 Red Label.
The Good Stuff: The words “Daniel Marshall” spews elegance and quality. Known best for his first class humidors, Daniel Marshall has been making a different type of splash in the cigar community. Teamed up with Manuel Quesada, Daniel Marshall is releasing his second round of cigars, properly titled the “DM2”. Manuel oversees production of the DM2 Limited Edition with Nicaragua’s largest grower of cigar tobacco, Nestor Plasencia, and created this blend in Plasencia’s Segovia Cigar factory. The DM2 is a Nicaraguan puro with tobacco from both the Esteli and Jalapa regions of Nicaragua. The DM2 Red Label will come in three different formats, the Robusto (5.5 x 52), Torpedo (6.25 x 54), and the Churchill (5 x 48) and will run you about $7 a stick and you can order them now from Bonita Smoke Shop.
Size: 5.5 x 52 – Wrapper: Nicaraguan Cuban seed (aged 5 years) – Binder: Nicaraguan (Esteli) – Filler: Nicaraguan (Jalapa)
Prelight: Daniel Marshall’s DM2 red label is a very rustic looking stick. The wrapper is a dark brown with lots of lighter and darker spots throughout. Despite what most people may think, I really like getting sticks that look like they have had better days. Reason being is that you know, as a consumer, that this wrapper has not been tampered with or dyed in anyway. Back to the cigar. The construction on this stick is near perfect. The DM2’s tick body is extremely hard to the touch as it leads up to a seamless, round, double cap. The wrapper is very thick and durable. This cigar could really make a dent in something if you were to throw it. Not that many people throw their cigars at things, but I’m just saying. The band is an elegant maroon with a gold embossed plate design, much like his humidors, that carry the “DM” signature initials.
Daniel Marshall’s DM2 Red Label gives off almost not scent from the wrapper. In fact, I really had to inhale the heck out of this thing to get a faint tobacco aroma. The foot is completely opposite boasting with tobacco, sweetness, and spice. The DM2 Red Label cut very, very easy and clean using my double bladed cutter. The cold draw produced nothing more than a sweet tobacco flavor with just a tiny bit of pepper.
First Smoke: The first few draws from this cigar produced this really rich chocolate flavor which faded way too quickly. After the Chocolate faded I was left with a very sweet, spicy, tobacco flavor. As dull as that may sound, it’s actually quite the opposite. The flavors are so strong in this little cigar. The draw is slightly tight, but nothing too bad. It takes just a few hits before the DM2 Red Label fills my mouth up with thick, white smoke. The cigar also gives off a ton of white, cedar scented stationary smoke. Just like the flavors, the aroma coming from this cigar is powerful as well. The burnline is very sharp and even leaving behind a really nice, thick, compact, white ash which held on for about an inch before falling into my ashtray.
Halfway There: Into the second third of Daniel Marshall’s DM2 Red Label and the cigar remains to be a huge flavor bomb. Along with the spice, tobacco, and sweetness from the first third, the cigar has now introduced a nice woodsy flavor along with some much deeper sweetness that almost brings that chocolate back into the equation. The retrohale primes with a really rich and spicy cedar. The burnline is still really sharp but has developed some larger waves, but I haven’t had to touch it up any at all. I am feeling just a slight bit of nicotine at this point, but nothing that really concerns me.
Finish: The DM2 Red Label has finally started to lose a bit of it’s flavor. Not that I was looking forward to that or anything, but I kept wondering just how long it could keep it up. All the flavors have really began to smooth out and the only dominant one that remained with some really strong tobacco/earthy flavors. I did in fact get a little nicotine kick from this cigar, but nothing too substantial. The DM2 Red Label took about an hour and a half to smoke and finished very smooth with only a very slight bit of harshness coming into the final inch.
Overview: All in all this was a solid cigar. Classy from start to finish which is exactly what you think when you hear the words “Daniel Marshall”. Quesada has been on a roll lately and although this wasn’t a “WOW” cigar, it fell perfectly in their line of solid sticks. This cigar was a flavor-bomb and my only gripe as how flat it fell towards the end, which is something I can live with. I wonder how this cigar would translate over to a smaller vitola, possibly a corona? Either way this is a cigar I would definitely smoke again.
Pairing: I paired this Daniel Marshall DM2 Red Label with Guinness’s new creation, the black lager. Guinness is known for their thick, heavy stout, but really wanted to reach out to an audience that doesn’t neccesarily go for thicker, heavier beers while not giving up any of the rich flavor their stouts carry. That being said, the Black Lager was born. The Black lager is a much smoother, lighter beer with the same rich chocolate, caramel, malt flavors that Guinness stout lover’s long for. The really hit the nail on the head with this beer. It’s a brew that you can drink five or six back to back without feeling like you gained 100 lbs. This beer will pair perfectly with any flavorful, dark, or maduro cigar. The caramel and chocolate flavors really paired pefcect with this DM2. This cigar would also go perfect with some nice porter, barley wine, or coffee.
Daniel has also created a really badass Scarface Humidor along with Universal Studios to celebrate the 30th anniversary! How badass is that?! The following is more information on the awesome Humidor as well as a video that showcases Daniel’s work!
I am reaching out to you to tell you about an exciting project that I am working on with Universal Studios. This year marks the 30th Anniversary of SCARFACE. To commemorate the films anniversary and the Blu-ray release, Universal has tasked me to create for them 1000 limited edition -numbered humidors that will showcase the Blu-ray Disc inside each humidor. As a special bonus to the cigar lover, I will be including 10 specially made for this release- Daniel Marshall DM2 Cigars with each humidor we sell. Each DM2 will be enclosed in a special “SCARFACE on Blu-ray September 6, 2011 packaging.
Universal choose the DM humidor as the key component of the 30th Anniversary release which lends sex appeal to this iconic films, highly anticipated Blu- ray release. Universal is promoting the SCARFACE Humidor package as the “Ultimate Fan gift”.
In making the decision to use cigar furniture to anchor the Blu-ray release, Universal has made a bold statement about the character in the film, celebrating this cinematic classic and the studios heritage. It is notable that UNI chose to position SCARFACE, one of the jewels in their crown, with a cigar themed collection. DM is proud to have been selected as the artisan to execute this special humidor.
“Inspired by the modern-day classic from acclaimed director Brian De Palma (Carlito’s Way) and Oscar-winning writer Oliver Stone (Born on the Fourth of July), the Limited Edition Scarface Humidor is handcrafted by the world renowned Daniel Marshall for the ultimate collector and cigar enthusiast. A decadent collector’s item limited to only 1,000 pieces worldwide, it pays tribute to Academy Award winner Al Pacino’s (The Godfather) stunning portrayal of Tony “Scarface” Montana, one of the most ruthless gangsters ever depicted on film.” – from UNI’s press release.
Daniel Marshall Incorporated is the creator of some of the world’s most sought after luxury cigar furniture and smokers accessories. Since establishing his first workshop in 1982, Daniel Marshall has created and private labeled for prestigious luxury gift houses as Alfred Dunhill, Tiffany, S.T. Dupont, Cartier, Fred Joaillier, Harrod’s, Garrard’s of London to name a few – The White House Gift Unit at the US Department of State – Protocol Gift Unit 2001-2009, as well as serving the gift and personal demands of private clients that include four royal families, film studios, entertainment executives, captains of industry, well-known performers and many special individuals who value his artistry in wood.
Universal discovered that DM humidors were the ideal expression to commemorate the theme of the film and to be the primary enhancement of a major campaign this fall and asked Daniel Marshall to provide a humidor that would validate and justify the highly anticipated Blu-ray release of one of the best remembered movies. A limited number of the SCARFACE Humidors, I will be able to release to select tobacconist world-wide. Plans are being made for a multi city tour later this year to showcase the Humidor, which will be accompanied by a limited edition Daniel Marshall Cigar, rolled and aged exclusively for these launch events.
TO RESERVE THE DANIEL MARSHALL SCARFACE HUMIDOR CALL (714) 973-8660 OR EMAIL DANIEL MARSHALL AT [email protected]
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