At an event last night in New York City, Davidoff showed off its latest makeover, Winston Churchill.
In 2007, Davidoff launched the brand named after noted cigar smoker, Sir Winston Churchill, with high hopes. It was to be the first non-White Label cigar rolled at the Cigars Davidoff factory in the Dominican Republic, Churchill’s grandson was brought onto help promote it and the premium brand took a variety of inspirations from the late British prime minister’s life. In the last seven years, that brand has been largely forgotten about in the ever-expanding Davidoff portfolio, at least until last night.
Over the last few months Davidoff has noted they had bigger plans for Winston Churchill, all of which was on display last night. The brand is now Davidoff Winston Churchill, formally party of the eponymous Davidoff White Label family, although with an all new band featuring a prominent silhouette of Churchill over the Davidoff logo.
In addition to new packaging, the blend is completely different now using an Ecuadorian Rojiza wrapper, a Mexican San Andrés negro binder and five filler leaves: Dominican piloto mejorado seco, piloto seco and a hybrid olor/piloto seco, and two leaves from Nicaragua: seco from both Condega and Estelí.
There’s also a new portfolio of vitolas, trimming the brand down to four sizes: Churchill (6 7/8 x 47), Petit Corona (4 1/2 x 41), Robusto (5 1/4 x 52) and Toro (6 x 54).
Davidoff is marketing the many faces of Churchill: the aristocrat, the artist, the commander, the raconteur, the statesman and the traveler. In front of guests last night, Oettinger Davidoff AG CEO Hans-Kristian Hoejsgaard had a roughly half-hour conversation with Randolph Churchill about the latter’s great grandfather with each story obviously involving a cigar.
Jeff Stone, the U.S. brand ambassador, and Davidoff’s Henke Kelner spent a few minutes briefly describing the new line. It’s medium-full, stronger and more intense than most of the Davidoff portfolio including Davidoff Nicaragua, but with some familiar Davidoff characteristics.
All four sizes are offered in boxes of 20 with pricing said to be lower than the original Winston Churchill blend, which is being discontinued. The three larger sizes will also be offered in four-packs, while the Petit Corona can be purchased in five-packs.
Davidoff Winston Churchill will begin shipping in February to select accounts in the U.S. before a global debut in March. For those expecting this to be the only big revamp from Davidoff next year, the company has made it clear a major change to the AVO brand is coming in 2015.