At the start of 2019, Davidoff announced a new limited edition cigar under its Davidoff Winston Churchill line called the Davidoff Winston Churchill Limited Edition 2019. It’s the second limited edition cigar to be released under the Davidoff Winston Churchill brand since the brand’s relaunch in 2015 following the Davidoff Winston Churchill Limited Edition 2016. The 2016 release paid homage to Sir Winston Churchill “The Raconteur” (the storyteller). The 2019 edition The Traveler pays homage to another facet of Churchill’s personality in its multinational blend and the packaging for the release. Today, we dive deeper and explore the Davidoff Winston Churchill Limited Edition 2019 in the Robusto size.

In late 2014, Davidoff decided to give the Winston Churchill brand a complete makeover. This included creating a whole new blend, revamping the packaging, and rebranding the cigar as “Davidoff Winston Churchill.”   In addition to the two limited editions, there have been two core lines that have been released since the rebrand – Davidoff Winston Churchill and Davidoff Winston Churchill  – The Late Hour.

Now let’s break down the Davidoff Winston Churchill Limited Edition 2019 and see what this cigar brings to the table.

SPECIFICATIONS

Blend and Origin

As mentioned above, one way the Davidoff Winston Churchill Limited Edition 2019 pays homage to Churchill the traveler is through its four-country multi-national blend. The cigar is highlighted by a Dominican wrapper which is the first under the Davidoff Winston Churchill line to use a wrapper from the Dominican Republic.

Wrapper: Dominican
Binder: Negro San Andrés from Mexico
Filler: Dominican (Piloto Mejorado Visus, Criollo Seco and San Vicente Mejorado Visus), Nicaraguan (Estelí Visus and Semilla A Visus)
Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
Factory: Cigars Davidoff

Vitolas Offered

There are two sizes for the Davidoff Winston Churchill Limited Edition 2019 – a Robusto and a Corona. Both sizes draw inspiration from Churchill the traveler.

Robusto: 50 x 5
Corona: 43 x 5 (Duty-Free exclusive, available outside of the US)

A total of 8,000 ten-count boxes of the Robusto were produced. The Robusto boxes are inspired by leather travel cases and include a Boveda humidification device that will allow it to be reused as a humidor.

Meanwhile, the Corona is a limited edition exclusive to duty-free stores outside the U.S. The Corona size is sold in five-packs.

Appearance

The Dominican wrapper of the Davidoff Winston Churchill Limited Edition 2019 Robusto had a medium to dark brown color with a strong Colorado reddish hue. There was a very light sheen of oil. The surface of the wrapper had some bumpiness to it. There were some visible veins while the darker hue of the wrapper did a good job at hiding the wrapper seams.

There are two bands on the Davidoff Winston Churchill Limited Edition 2019. The primary band is the same found on the core Davidoff Winston Churchill line. The band is white with gold-colored font on it.  Prominently displayed on the center of the band is a silhouette profile of Winston Churchill. Below the silhouette is the Davidoff script logo. A dotted oval surrounds the silhouette and Davidoff logo. On the left side of the band is the text “WINSTON CHURCHILL.” On the right side is the text “GENEVE.” The band also has gold trim around it.

Just below the primary band is a blue/gray-colored secondary band with gold pinstripe trim. On that band is the text “LIMITED EDITION 2019” in gold font.

PERFORMANCE

Pre-Light Draw

A straight cut was used to commence the cigar experience of the Davidoff Winston Churchill Limited Edition 2019 Robusto. Once the cap was clipped, it was on to the pre-light draw stage. The dry draw delivered a mix of dry earth, cedar, and a slight amount of natural tobacco sweetness. I judged this to be a satisfactory pre-light draw. At this point it was time to light up the Davidoff Winston Churchill Limited Edition 2019 Robusto and see what the smoking phase would have in store.

Tasting Notes

The Davidoff Winston Churchill Limited Edition 2019 Robusto started out with notes of white pepper, dry earth, cocoa, and cedar. Early on the dry earth and cocoa notes moved into the forefront. There was also a natural tobacco component that emerged in the forefront. The pepper and cedar notes settled into the background. There was an additional layer of black pepper on the retro-hale.

During the second third, the pepper and cedar notes that were in the background slowly built up in the background. As the cigar experience moved past the midway point, the natural tobacco would eventually take over as the pair flavor, displacing the dry earth and cedar.

For the most part, the final third of the Davidoff Winston Churchill Limited Edition 2019 Robusto remained similar. The natural tobacco remained the primary note. The cocoa was a close secondary note. A little more distant were the pepper, cedar, and dry earth notes. This is the way the cigar experience came to a close. The resulting nub was firm to the touch and cool in temperature.

Burn

While there was a slight amount of curvature on the burn line, the Davidoff Winston Churchill Limited Edition 2019 Robusto maintained a straight path and didn’t require an excessive amount of touch-ups. The resulting ash had a silvery color. It wasn’t the firmest ash, but it wasn’t loose or flaky either. Both the burn rate and the burn temperature were ideal.

The draw to the Davidoff Winston Churchill Limited Edition 2019 Robusto performed excellently. This was a draw that had a touch of resistance to it – and I considered that a positive. At the same time, this was a cigar that was low maintenance to derive flavor from.

Strength and Body

The Davidoff Winston Churchill Limited Edition 2019 Robusto started out as a cigar that was medium in strength and medium in body. Both attributes increased in intensity at a very gradual rate. Toward the end of the second third, the body had increased enough to move the cigar into medium to full territory. Meanwhile, the strength remained in the medium zone.

In terms of strength versus body, the body had a slight edge.

OVERALL ASSESSMENT

Final Thoughts

On one hand, I found the Davidoff Winston Churchill Limited Edition 2019 Robusto was a cigar that scored nicely when it came to flavor and construction.  While I would have liked a little more complexity with this cigar, overall the cigar left me satisfied because it did deliver very good flavor. While I still would put the core line Davidoff Winston Churchill offerings ahead of it, this was a nice change of pace. It’s a cigar I’d recommend to a seasoned cigar enthusiast or a novice looking to hit the medium/medium plus mark. As for myself, this is a cigar I’d pick up and smoke again.

Summary

Key Flavors: Natural Tobacco, Cocoa, Black Pepper, Cedar, Dry Earth
Burn: Excellent
Draw: Excellent
Complexity: Medium
Strength: Medium
Body: Medium (1st 2/3), Medium to Full (Last Third)
Finish: Excellent

Rating

Value: Buy One
Score: 90

References

News: Davidoff Winston Churchill Limited Edition 2019 Announced
Price: $29.99
Source: Purchased
Brand Reference: Winston Churchill

Photo Credits: Cigar Coop, except where noted