Well today was a special day, I’m alive and happy (that’s special ENOUGH) and I decided to pick a special smoke to enjoy today. The stick I picked was recently gifted from a friend and great BOTL Craig. The stick I decided on was an 80′s Davidoff 5000 (Cuban). I have absolutely ZERO experience with vintage cigars, in fact — I had two of them an 80′s Davidoff 5000 and an 80′s Dunhill Mojito. The Mojito is reserved for a special day in late September this year.
I started out on my back patio, it was a cool mid 70′s and I poured a tall glass of spring water with some ice cubes. I figured I should keep my palate as clean as possible from outside interference. I clipped the stick after much hesitation, why I hesitated you might ask? It’s because this stick as well as other CC Davidoff’s carries a strong lore and expectation that comes with having one, I wanted to be sure the time was right.
The clip was absolutely clean and I rolled it around in my fingers and held it. WOW, this feels nice. I love the size and feel and look of this legendary Habano. The pre-light draw was full of honey and cinnamon, I’m not sure if the sweetness necessarily came from honey but I without questioned picked up both honey, and sweetness a long with the aforementioned cinnamon. I said to myself “Self, you’re in for a treat with this beauty”. As I lit this masterpiece the wind picked up and I thought to myself “DAMMIT why now — I could be smoking a Los Statos and the wind would be nowhere to be found, but I fire up a Davidoff and all hell breaks loose”. I feared that this would fall victim to the wind if I did not hurry up and head to the garage, so I grabbed my stuff and rolled out.
The first third of this cigar delivered a dry wood and cedar flavor with some cinnamon and spice, similar to the pre light draw but a lot more creamy and it billowed smoke. I sat there and could not believe I was smoking something so rare and something held in so high regard. I was sure at this point it would continue to be something amazing. As I continued to smoke it I continued to get a deep woody flavor that was some of the creamiest “cedary” flavors I’ve ever experienced while picking up flavors which reminded me of sweet bread, almost gingerbread. At many points the cigar changed and picked up/lost different flavors some I could not even distinguish, other than knowing they were there. It’s very unique in flavors, complex as heck. As it came to an end it mellowed in woody flavors and became VERY, VERY creamy and the cinnamon I mentioned earlier returned again, but with more of a cinnamon toast flavor.
The whole time I smoked this stick it poured smoke out and burned razor sharp. It required a single touch up at the very end, between burning my fingers and living in “la la land” I managed to touch it up and finish it to a tiny nub. I can still taste it, vintage tobacco has a certain after taste that is not one as harsh as newer tobacco, it serves as a reminder of how great a cigar that was just finished. A taste you don’t want to lose. Thank you very much Craig for the opportunity to smoke this, I sit here still in awe that I smoked a stick I thought I would never smoke.
If it was not clear by my review, this cigar was AMAZING!
