Don Lino Millennium Staff Review
Don Lino Millennium is the epitome of a diamond in the rough, son. Tucked away in a budget-friendly aisle in our palatial, humidified armory rests a towering inventory of boxes of Don Lino Millennium cigars. Today, I’m enjoying a 6-by-50 Toro to tell you why this affordable yet formal cigar belongs on your radar.
I’ve got a litany of Don Lino cigars in my review archives, and they rank among my favorite and most frequently purchased boxes and bundles whenever I go on one of my mythical restocking benders. My man cave is stocked with Don Lino’s finest, including Dark Horse, Trojan Horse, Fumas, and, of course, Casa Verde, when I’m craving a creamy Candela. The Millennium blend comes in a traditional 20-count box, and the cigars are dressed in elegant white-and-gold bands, akin to Davidoff’s illustrious White Label, a line reserved for the gentry.
These unassuming crown jewels of the old-time Don Lino franchise harbor a complex pairing of Dominican binder and filler tobaccos assembled by the top rollers in one of the Dominican Republic’s premier boutique cigar factories. The blend is finished in an oily Cuban-seed Sun Grown wrapper. Don Lino Millennium boasts beaucoup value when you consider the fact that you’re getting a 100% long-filler blend, at the top of the brand’s hierarchy, for under five bucks apiece.
Upon clipping the cap and savoring a few cold puffs, Don Lino Millennium reveals a stunning sequence of leather, spice, and wood, with hints of marzipan in the finish. Fragrant aromas of oak and fresh tobacco perfume my nasal cavity when I gently squeeze the cigar and perform a thorough inspection. The Toro has been precisely constructed by a skilled artisan when I scrutinize the cigar’s density, weight, and the delicate vein structure of the wrapper leaf. My litmus test is satisfied.
Don Lino Millennium springs to life with vibrant notes of coffee, nougat, and pepper in the initial draws while I toast the foot. Silky, smooth streams of smoke coat my palate with an inviting spice and a creamy, mellow aftertaste. The Toro offers hints of gourmet pralines, cumin, and cedar as the binder, filler, and wrapper tobaccos burn at a nice, uniform pace, leaving a sturdy ash in their wake.
The first thirty minutes provide a sound balance of complex and approachable flavors. A subtle current of leather, wood, and cumin develops over the cigar’s original foundation of coffee bean and spices. Don Lino Millennium steadily increases in intensity without becoming bitter or acidic. The draw remains spectacular as I remove the cigar bands in preparation to guzzle every puff I can extract from the nub before I blister my fingertips.
The last third of the Toro offers a marvelous crescendo of cedar, nougat, and black pepper with hints of Milagro fig and a touch of sweetness. I’m not keen on this captivating smoke expiring in my ashtray, as I find the final stretch particularly tasty. Nonetheless, I’m delighted to reward Don Lino Millennium with an unapologetic 92-point score and a big smile on my face as the Toro gently burns out under my nose.
Despite being a holdover from the bygone era of the Cigar Boom and flirting with extinction 25 years ago, Don Lino Millennium cigars supply plenty of benefits when it comes to flavor, quality, and price. They’re accessible and easy to smoke but elegant enough to share with your boss. Buy a box posthaste and prove me wrong. You won’t regret smoking the Millennium blend sooner than later.
Until next time, long ashes to you!
