Cigar Review: Davidoff Winston Churchill Limited Edition 2025 The Artist

The Davidoff Winston Churchill Limited Edtion 2025 marks the 5th year that Davidoff has released an LE in the Winston Churchill line.

Perhaps I am getting old and cheap but this cigar embodies everything I currently hate about the cigar industry. When the first Davidof Winston Churchill LE was released it was in January 2016 and the cigar cost $27.90. The 2025 edition retails for $49.00 which is more than a 75% increase.  If you followed inflation, that $27.90 initial release would be $36.47. For me as a consumer I am furios at the unnatural rising of prices in the cigar industry. To be honest, I wouldn’t have purchased this cigar if I didn’t get in the Small Batch Cigar of the Month program.

For those keeping score at home the progression of the Davidoff Winston Churchill Limited Edition goes as follows:

• Davidoff Winston Churchill LE 2016 The Raconteur (6 x 56) $27.90
• Davidoff Winston Churchill LE 2019 The Traveler Corona (5 x 43) $27.90
• Davidoff Winston Churchill LE 2019 The Traveler Robusto (5 x 50) $29.90
• Davidoff Winston Churchill LE 2021 (6 x 56) $32.00
• Davidoff Winston Churchill LE 2022 (5 7/8 x 61) $34.00
• Davidoff Winston Churchill LE 2025 The Artist (7 x 48) $49.00

Anyway, let’s see what a $49.00 cigar tastes like…

Cigar Review: Davidoff Winston Churchill Limited Edition 2025
Size: 7 x 48 (The Artist / Churchill)
Wrapper: Ecuador
Binder: Mexico
Fillers: Dominican Republic, Nicaragua
Factory: Cigars Davidoff
Release Date: January 2025
Production: Limited
Box Count: 10

The Cigar: According to a spreadsheet shared by a manufacturer up to 80% of the price of a cigar can come from packaging, so with a cigar as expensive as this I had to take a look at the box. It led me to ask the question is this for the consumer, or for visibility in the brick & mortar retailers. With more people being singles buyers than box buyers it is for visibility, in my opinion. Does the person buying this cigar care that the image inside the box from a Winston Churchill painting called Cork Trees Near Mimizan? Or the wood inlay over the cigars in the box is shaped to look like a paint pallet? I know I don’t. I care more about the cigar which has the white and gold Winston Churchill band and a secondary denoting Limited Edition 2025. The Ecuador wrapper has a nice amount of oils and some prominent veins. Additionally the wrapper has a slight tear in it from being stretched during th rolling process. In the hand the cigar is of an average weight but the foot seems underfilled.

The Taste: The cold draw has a wonderful nougat taste to it with a touch of marzipan and caramel making it extremely tasty. The aromas from the foot are a subtle molasses and almonds which has me eager to light this up. Toasting the cigar unleashes a strong wood like aroma before I even take the first puff. Once I engage the cigar those initial puffs are as woody as the aroma.

Settling into the first third notes of cedar create a canvas which sees hints of nougat, toasted almonds and caramel painted across it. As the first third comes to a close notes of marzipan become dominant with some developing coffee notes that have a cappuccino like feel to it with a touch of citrus as well. The retrohale of the cigar is nutty with a touch of leather.

Moving into the second third of the Winston Churchill Limited Edition the citrus notes intensify slightly but the base note coffee which begins to take on more of an espresso like feel to it especially with the retrohale. Around the halfway point the citrus fades away and a note of roasted peanuts begin to emerge slowly becoming more dominant with some cedar appearing near the end of the center portion of the cigar. The retrohale has red pepper and the finish is reminiscent of jalapeño.

The final third sees the cigar develop notes of Asian spices such as ginger, Sichuan peppercorns and star anise. Additional there is cedar and leather with both lingering long on the finish. Additionally the cigar feels less balanced in the first third mainly due to the long finish that wasn’t present on the first two thirds. The retrohale sees additional notes of ginger and spice.

Conclusion: Davidoff Brand Ambassador and Head of Product Development Sam Reuter in a video on YouTube states that the tobaccos used are the same multinational blend found in the Winston Churchill Original Series that are balanced in different proportions to create a new taste profile. The original series retails for $26.40, so why is this cigar $22.60 more expensive? Consumers need to be asking this question and ask why cigar pricing is out of control.

As far as the cigar; is this any better then any of the past renditions? If you look back at the cigars I reviewed for another site this seems on par. Is it better then the original series, yes. Is it better than the Late Hour ,no. Do I wish I had more of them, yes. Is it worth the extra $20+ dollars, no it is not. It’s a good cigar that is well balanced and flavorful but I find a better way to spend $50 on cigars. Kudos however to Davidoff for finally making the Churchill size the LE size.

Score: 93
Price: $49.00 (Before any local or state taxes… As an example in NY State this would be an $85.00 cigar)

You can find these at MSRP at site sponsor Small Batch Cigar and while this cigar isn’t eligible for the coupon code you can save 10% on other cigars with the coupon code BARRELBURNER and get free shipping.