Puros Y Vino Posted January 14, 2014 Share Posted January 14, 2014 Vintage Cigar Review Davidoff Dom Perignon (1985, Cuban) Vitals RG: 47 Length: 178 (7") Date Jan 11 2014. 10:50AM local time Pre-light observations Spongy. Well stored. Sweet aroma on wrapper. Slight cocoa. Milk chocolate wrapper cold draw is firm 1st Third First puffs are toasty tobacco. Slight sweetness. Good draw. Light tobacco smooth. Clean finish. Honey sweet. Toasty. Smooth and mild thus far. Easy to smoke. Cocoa. Slight tart draw. Light pepper finish. Cocoa on the next few puffs. Clean tobacco. Minimal smoke great burn. Dark gray ash falls unexpectedly. Vegetal notes. A succession of clean tobacco draws. Slight pepper buildup ensues. Dusty draw. Clean tobacco. Pure white smoke thus far. Cocoa returns. Tangy tobacco. 2nd Third Cocoa opens up this third. I tap the delicate ash to avoid another accident. Clean tobacco. I clean my palate with soda water to see if it helps me pick up more flavours. Toasty tobacco. Hint of baking spice. Smooth draw. Light cigar thus far. Cocoa hit. Pepper getting stronger over time. A fed minty/menthol draws changes things up. Floral and minty. A see saw of floral and Vegetal noted over the next four puffs of so. Back to toasty tobacco. Floral followed by an ash tap. Tangy tobacco. A bit more flavour now. Mint. Clean tobacco. Overall a light cigar. Wonder if it was blended that way? 3rd Third Toasty. For a few puffs. More pronounced tobacco flavour. Very slight anise and beany flavour. Doesn't last more than once. Followed by rich tobacco notes. Not terribly exciting a cigar but q good experience. Beany again. Anise toasty. Pepper. Clean tobacco on the next few puffs. Beans. Toasty. Rich beany draws as i near the nub. Good rich tobacco flavour. Too late? I drink some Don Julio Reposado Tequila to change things up. At this point, it's safe to try a pairing. And fortunately, it pairs well. Nub is burning hot. Will need to finish soon. Some anise again. Toasty tobacco. My final puffs are toasty tobacco. Time to wrap this up. End time:12:00PM local time. Score: 90 Final thoughts I've been holding on to this single cigar for about five years. I was torn between holding it as a keepsake vs smoking it. Better heads prevailed. All cigars are meant to be enjoyed even white whales. Id like to hear from people who smoked these fresh. Was the blend meant to be light and accessible? Did time weaken this? My previous experience with vintage cigars tell me that a strongly blended cigar can manage to keep its vigor. The Dom Perignon may have been blended to be smooth and light. A 1970's Davidoff No 1 i smoked years ago had a good punch to it at the halfway point. A recently smoked 80's Château LaTour certainly was more robust. Maybe this a dud or the norm for the Dom Perignon? Did they blend this to be their Champagne of cigars? Sweet, dry and subtle? Id love go smoke another sample but to be honest this underwhelmed me. And the price point on these certainly keeps rising. Nonetheless i am glad and fortunate to have tried at least the one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pbibby Posted January 14, 2014 Share Posted January 14, 2014 Awesome review. This is my absolute Unicorn! Great job brother! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Habanos2000 Posted January 14, 2014 Share Posted January 14, 2014 Cuban Davidoff's are surely my holy grail of cigars. I could get the feeling in reading your review that your anticipation of something great was there, but the cigar was just a tease and didn't really deliver. Although I've not, and probably never will, have the pleasure of a Cuban Davidoff, I would guess that this brand would be blended to be more on the refined side of the strength barometer. Zino to me was all about style and elegance and that's what I got from your review. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nikesupremedunk Posted January 14, 2014 Share Posted January 14, 2014 Great review Frank! I agree all cigars are meant to be smoked, even white whales. I think there's only 1 cigar in my stash that I haven't tried yet...and will within the next 2 years. Whenever I read a review on a CC Davidoff, it seems that the reviewer is usually disappointed. Maybe their time has passed? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maverickdrinker Posted January 14, 2014 Share Posted January 14, 2014 Nice review Frank. Thanks for sharing. Interesting that it was a lighter cigar for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LLC Posted January 14, 2014 Share Posted January 14, 2014 Enjoyed the review Frank. Hopefully you had a great trip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cigar Surgeon Posted January 14, 2014 Share Posted January 14, 2014 Thanks for the review Frank, a great read. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr.T Posted January 14, 2014 Share Posted January 14, 2014 Very nice review. Thanks for sharing and giving us a window into the character of this fabled cigar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elfort Posted January 14, 2014 Share Posted January 14, 2014 I've got ont of these waiting for me! It's from the last production year of Cuban Davidoff's. Your review actually intrigued me to take mine for a spin as I tend to like the subtle elegant smokes. But I'll think it'll have to wait until the summer arrives. I'm thinking of having it as a morning cigar actually. I did so with a couple of Cohiba Lanceros from the early 90's and one from 87. Different mornings I might add... They were absolutely fantastic in there sublime but complex style. Had I had them later on the afternoon after a hearty dinner I'm not to sure I would've experienced them in the same way. Thanks for the review, highly appreciated! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mk05 Posted January 14, 2014 Share Posted January 14, 2014 So an '89? The literature says that DP has passed its prime many years ago, along with the other Chateau series. I don't know if I can concur definitely, as I figured the blend to be just light in general, and should be enjoyed as such. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulF Posted January 14, 2014 Share Posted January 14, 2014 Thanks for a very nice review Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elfort Posted January 15, 2014 Share Posted January 15, 2014 I was told that it was produced 1990. It's always hard to know exactly. I will definitely wright a thorough review and post it here when I've smoked it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mk05 Posted January 15, 2014 Share Posted January 15, 2014 I was told that it was produced 1990. It's always hard to know exactly. I will definitely wright a thorough review and post it here when I've smoked it! Davidoff was discontinued '89 so it wouldn't have been rolled any years post that year... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elfort Posted January 15, 2014 Share Posted January 15, 2014 I thought they were discontinued in 1991? At least according to www.cubancigarwebsite.com. But as I said, the information given to me when I bought it was that it was from the last year of production. And I thought it was 1990 that the last batches were produced. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Puros Y Vino Posted January 15, 2014 Author Share Posted January 15, 2014 "Rumor" has it. That Cuba continued to roll for Davidoff at least a year after they broke ties. The stock was not destined for retail channels. Davidoff took the shipments and stored them. Take that with a grain of salt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elfort Posted January 15, 2014 Share Posted January 15, 2014 Ah, I guess then that it might be from one of the last years. Be it 89, 90 or 91. Thanks for the information. Tjolahopp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Puros Y Vino Posted January 15, 2014 Author Share Posted January 15, 2014 Ah, I guess then that it might be from one of the last years. Be it 89, 90 or 91. Thanks for the information. Tjolahopp "Huge grain of salt" Heard this back in Havana last Nov. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elfort Posted January 15, 2014 Share Posted January 15, 2014 Then again you should take things said in Havana with a bucket of salt! :-) Tjolahopp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mk05 Posted January 15, 2014 Share Posted January 15, 2014 The remaining '89s were purportedly held at Partagas, boxed, stamped with appropriate vintage as they left quietly out the back door. I do not believe that TabaCuba would continue to roll anything post discontinuation, more so that they were left over unboxed. It doesn't make sense as a business. I'm guessing the same treatment for '04 RA898s. Thousands left unboxed, then finally boxed and stamped. Definitely several other examples out there. But of course, all left to speculation now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elfort Posted January 15, 2014 Share Posted January 15, 2014 That is really interesting. Maybe I should bring my cigar with me to Engelberg next week as they have a fantastic cigar lounge there... Tjolahopp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cliff Posted January 19, 2014 Share Posted January 19, 2014 This is a very nice review, nice pics also, Even the comments below it are nice te read :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laficion Posted March 2, 2014 Share Posted March 2, 2014 In my 43 years of smoking Cigars ,I've never liked Cuban Davidoffs, they were tooooo pefect and toooo light for what I was getting.I will admit that they were very light but a very aromatic taste.Yours ,Franck,must be passed Its prime. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fingerburner Posted March 2, 2014 Share Posted March 2, 2014 Thanks for the review. Having never tried a Cuban Davidoff I cannot help but be intrigued by their mystique and aura. However the more I read and hear from those who have experienced them, the more I assume they are generally a touch overrated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strada Posted March 2, 2014 Share Posted March 2, 2014 Great review Frank. Glad you decided to smoke this! I am also stuck in this pattern of holding vs smoking. Like you, I believe it is about experience... But some cigars I just can't get myself to smoke :/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chunks96ss Posted March 2, 2014 Share Posted March 2, 2014 Great review Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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