Ask any cigar smoker that has been enjoying cigar smoking as a serious affair for a long enough time and the odds are the Davidoff Dom Perignon will be on that list.
Cuban Davidoffs were produced from 1969 until 1991 when company founder Zino Davidoff opted to end the partnership with Cubatabaco and move production to the Dominican Republic, which leads to the Davidoff brand most cigar smokers are familiar with today.
The company made a dozen and a half different vitolas, some of which like the No.1, No.2 and Thousand Series were also then produced in the Dominican Republic.
One of the cigar that was not produced in the Dominican was the Davidoff Dom Perignon.
Davidoff has produced cigars named after various wineries over the years, largely in its Chateau Series.
- Davidoff Château Haut-Brion(4 x 40)
- Davidoff Château Lafite (4 1/2 x 40)
- Davidoff Château Latour (5 5/8 x 42)
- Davidoff Château Margaux (5 1/8 x 42)
- Davidoff Château Mouton Rothschild (6 1/8 x 42)
- Davidoff Château Yquem (6 x 42)
The Dom Perignon, introduced in 1977, is a bit different given its named after a Champagne brand, not a winery.
Since being discontinued, it’s become a darling of the secondary market with cigars selling for up to $500 per cigar.
- Cigar Reviewed: Davidoff Dom Perignon
- Country of Origin: Cuba
- Factory: El Laguito
- Wrapper: Cuba
- Binder: Cuba
- Filler: Cuba
- Size: 7 Inches
- Ring Gauge: 47
- Vitola: Churchill
- Est. Price: $300-$500
- Release Date: 1985
- Number of Cigars Released: Regular Production
- Number of Cigars Smoked for Review: 1
It has a dark cinnamon brown wrapper, quite a bit darker then a few other Cuba Davidoffs that I have smoked. and the wrapper still has quite a bit of oil on it making it silky smooth to the touch. It is firm when squeezed, but not hard. The Dom Perignon smells of cedar, espresso, hay and strong chocolate.
The first third started out with more spice on the tongue than I ever would have expected, along with a very earthy and slightly bitter profile that also included notes of hay and wood. It’s not a bad start at all flavor wise. Unfortunately, about a quarter of the way through, the flavors mellow out suddenly, almost like someone turned off a switch and never regain the same intensity.
The second third of the Dom Perignon had that same earthy core, but turned into more of an unpleasant damp earth note. It’s very mellow, with flavors seeming to be less concentrated than they should be. There is a note of aged tobacco that comes in at the end of the second third, but it is fleeting. Sadly, the spice from the start of the first third has totally disappeared by this point. Strength is noticeably more intense, around medium.
It’s almost exactly the same as the second third. There are boring flavors, largely mellow and with no spice or pepper at all, kind of like smoking paper. However, the strength continues to increase until it reached the medium-plus.
Final Notes
- The score would be quite a bit better if the Dom Perignon had continued like the first half of the first third. Alas, that was not the case.
- I find it extremely interesting that I have had nothing but great experiences with every Dunhill I have smoked, but such bad experiences with every Davidoff I have smoked, considering they were produced around the same time.
- You may have heard that the Dom Perignons, or even Cuban Davidoffs in general, are not aging well. My experiences suggest there’s some truth to that. Having said that, storage conditions are almost everything with these cigars and while I bought these from a trusted source, there is always the possibility they were stored improperly at some point in its life.
- The burn was excellent for the entire cigar, but the draw was a bit tight. Not too tight to smoke, but tight enough to be noticeable.
- Despite the lack of flavor, the Dom Perignon was surprisingly strong, finishing up firmly in the medium-plus.
- The final smoking time was one hour and 40 minutes.
This is one of those cigars that people dream of smoking their entire lives, due mostly to the aura that surrounds them and the price they command. Sadly, this cigar never even came close to meeting its potential. Boring, monotonous and sour, it was a disappointment almost from the start. If you have one of these that you are saving for a special occasion, I implore you to celebrate with something else. For the same money, I would buy a Dunhill—any Cuban Dunhill—every time.