Connoisseur’s Corner: Davidoff Château Mouton Rothschild (1986)
Cuban Davidoffs are among the rarest cigars in the world, but the Château Mouton Rothschild is especially difficult to find. It was only produced in the 1980s, giving its production a much shorter lifespan than other Davidoff cigars made in Cuba. Even the box is different. Unlike the generic fonts found on the rest of Davidoff’s Château series, Mouton’s actually mirrors the lettering style seen on the label of the wine it’s named after. The cigar I chose had an indentation left by its binding ribbon. Woody and dusty at first, this corona eventually moved into bready, nutty territory with crushed almond, pecan and walnut notes. Its honey-like finish was a treat, but seeing how long it took to warm up, this cigar might be in decline. —Gregory Mottola
Salted pretzel, baked apple and toasted pecan are the welcoming notes on this grand, long Cuban smoke. It has some guts from the start, and takes on even more power as it burns, all the while maintaining balance. Later on comes dulce de leche, with just a touch of minerality. A wonderful double corona. —David Savona
A big, lush brown cigar that’s well made. It’s bold and powerful with some hearty, hardwood notes to start, but this big smoke takes some time to warm up and show its balance. Caramel and cocoa come late, along with a wisp of black cherry that was there in its youth. Powerful leather notes appear on the finish. —David Savona
This is a modest-sized Cuban smoke, one that seldom excites most people but it always brings a smile to my face. It’s well made, with a good draw and burn. It exhibits a lovely combination of wood, oolong tea and sweet almond paste. This isn’t the world’s most complex cigar, but it’s simple, pleasant and tasty. —David Savona
