Staff Review: Davidoff Winston Churchill ‘The Late Hour’ Robusto
Introduction:
Today I will be reviewing Davidoff’s Winston Churchill ‘The Late Hour’ Robusto. This is one of Davidoff’s more unique and distinct blends.
First time reading our reviews? Check out our guide to how we consider blends here. Otherwise, feel free to skim the quick hits or dive deep into any section below and find the full details on this cigar. Let’s go.
The Quick Hits:
- Released in 2017
- ‘The Late Hour’ blend incorporates scotch barrel-aged fillers from Condega
- Main tasting notes consist of coffee, leather, and cedar
- Recommended for: fans of Ashton ESG, Caldwell Blind Man’s Bluff, San Cristobal Quintessence
- Priced at the very high-end of Habano wrapped Dominican blends, but on the more affordable side compared to Davidoff’s other offerings
The Story:
The first thing that comes to my mind when I hear the name “Davidoff” is top notch, mellow, Connecticut wrapped blends. This still holds true to this day, but over the past decade or so especially, we have seen some branching out in terms of Davidoff’s offerings, and so far, the company has yet to disappoint. Out of all their “non-white band” products, I think Winston Churchill ‘The Late Hour’ may very well be their best.
The original Winston Churchill was released by Davidoff way back in 2007 to of course, honor Sir Winston Churchill. After several years the decision was made to give the line a full makeover which leads us to 2014 when this newly designed version unveiled and ultimately launched in 2015.
Fast forward to 2017 when the next iteration of Davidoff Winston Churchill, ‘The Late Hour’ hits the market. At the time, it was arguably the strongest Davidoff blend that they had ever released, and in my opinion was everything that Davidoff Nicaragua was supposed to be.
The Build:
To get started Davidoff Winston Churchill ‘The Late Hour’ showcases a beautifully dark Ecuadorian Habano Oscuro wrapper that sits atop a Mexican San Andres binder. Inside, you will a complex blend of Dominican and Nicaraguan filler tobaccos that encase a scotch barrel-aged viso from Condega. We just listed a lot of different tobaccos, but rest assured, this creates one of the more complex and unique blends that Davidoff has to offer.
The Look:
To put it bluntly, the cigar itself looks beautiful. The primary black color of the bands really complements the rich brown color of the cigar in a way that I can’t explain. Add to this the gold foil silhouette of Sir Winston Churchill himself, and you get different tones that work well together. As much as I love the traditional white label bands from Davidoff, I much prefer ‘The Late Hour’ band. The horizontal script of Davidoff under the head of Winston Churchill is a really simple, but clean look. Along the sides of the primary band, you fill find the traditional “Geneve”, and on the other side, “Winston Churchill”. The secondary band is rather plain, with “The Late Hour” centered between horizontal gold lines that run the width of the band, but it falls in line with the overall theme of the packaging. I like the original Winston Churchill bands, but I think ‘The Late Hour’ band stands out in the best possible way.
The box design is very understated but when I picked it up, I could feel the physical quality of it – you’ll see the Davidoff logo in gold and underneath, the Davidoff Winston Churchill ‘The Late Hour logo, and beneath that, the cigar size. It’s nothing special, but I do really like how the matte finish looks with the gold accents. It’s a more modern take compared to some of their more traditional products. As I mentioned, when I picked up the box the quality was apparent immediately. Its pretty heavy for a cigar box and the sliding box top has a smooth but firm action.
The Experience:
‘The Late Hour’ has a pretty distinct aroma of cedar and a slight sweetness that is apparent even before it is lit. The cold draw offers the same sweet cedar notes, but with the lingering and pleasant taste of leather on the back end of the draw.
The first third of the ‘Late Hour’ was medium-full in body and strength, and full of flavor. The initial tasting notes in the first third were the same as I got on the cold draw – cedar, leather, and sweetness. These flavors were tied together really well with the slight spiciness of the habano oscuro wrapper.
Transitioning into the second third, I was still getting the dominant leather and cedar flavors that were accompanied by rich notes of coffee and sweet chocolate. This really helped to round out the blends profile and all of these flavors came together wonderfully during the second third. The strength of the blend seemed to transition from medium-full to medium, at most, as well.
Getting into the final third of Davidoff ‘The Late Hour’ I was pleasantly surprised to see the complexity and balance I experienced in the second third seamlessly transition into the final third. The only major change here was the evident increase in strength which went from medium to full – this wasn’t anything overly off-putting though.
All things considered; I was really impressed smoking this cigar. There was a ton of flavor, the blend was balanced, and the construction was top notch (as expected). I may be biased as I am a huge Davidoff fan and a huge Habano fan, but I think anyone who prefers a medium to full-bodied, balanced, and complex cigar will really enjoy Davidoff Winston Churchill ‘The Late Hour’.
The Value:
As with all Davidoff products, ‘The Late Hour’ is far from “inexpensive” at around $23-$24 per cigar, but if you want the best of the best in terms of quality of tobaccos and construction, you’re going to have to shell out a few bucks. It may not be a cigar you’ll be smoking on a regular basis (if you are able to, good on you!), but for a special occasion, ‘The Late Hour’ is more than worth the investment.
Final Thoughts:
Davidoff Winston Churchill ‘The Late Hour’ is probably my favorite Davidoff blend right now - it really is everything that I was hoping the Davidoff Nicaragua would be. The blend is unique, balanced, and complex in a way that presents a medium-full bodied experience without being overly spicy or strong. If I am being honest though, I think this blend works better in the Churchill size – a bit thinner and a couple of inches longer. All in all, Davidoff Winston Churchill ‘The Late Hour’ will be a blend that I always keep in my humidor to enjoy on the right occasions.
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