Connoisseur’s Corner: Davidoff 80 Aniversario (1986)
What a piece of history. This cigar was released in celebration of Zino Davidoff’s 80th birthday back when Davidoffs were still made in Cuba. You’ll notice a second band under the Davidoff label. That was put there by the retailer from Luxembourg who sold the box. While two cigars in this 10-count box come in wooden tubes, this was one of the untubed smokes. At more than eight inches long, it’s the longest Cuban Davidoff ever made and every inch is still full of life. The cigar burns slow and cool, starting with a woody character that warms to leave, rich, lasting impressions of nutmeg and cinnamon. Flavors get more vivid and precise as this refined cigar progresses. —Marvin R. Shanken
Hickory smoke and BBQ are the early hallmarks of this 22-year-old Churchill. It has a considerable spiciness too, and soon takes on golden raisin and honey notes that augment the cigar’s heavy woodiness. Later, the smoke develops a more mellow taste with a cocoa-powder finish. A beautifully-made cigar that’s retained much of its strength. —David Savona
This beautiful pyramid, which came in a 120th anniversary humidor, is slow to warm up. It’s mild to medium-bodied, and reflects a difficult period in Cuban tobacco production in the early 2000s. But it has a solid core of pepper notes from the outset. Creamy coffee flavors then blend with the spice throughout the smoke before a pleasant flinty finish. —Gordon Mott
This Sublime-sized, Regional Edition Cuban smoke, made specifically for Canada, opens with a prominent nuttiness, but it soon takes on an astringent note with tannic wood. Some sweetness builds late, but this cigar doesn’t perform to the level of excellence found in other Cuban Sublimes. This hasn’t aged as well as other Regional Edition cigars. —David Savona
