Davidoff Year of the Rabbit Limited Edition 2023 – Blind Cigar Review

Cigar Info

Davidoff is among the companies that has been making Chinese Calendar, or Zodiac-themed cigars for the last few years. In fact, Davidoff was one of the first. The Davidoff Year of the Rabbit Limited Edition 2023 is actually one of two cigars made by the company celebrating the Chinese Zodiac calendar in 2022. The other was the Limited Edition 2023 Year of the Rabbit Flagship Exclusive that uses a different blend and vitola along with completely different packaging.

Davidoff has been selling the Zodiac Series since 2012 with the Year of the Dragon has released a new version annually ever since with packaging designed to highlight traits about the individual animal on the Zodiac calendar.

The Davidoff Year of the Rabbit Limited Edition 2023 is a perfecto that measures 5 15/16 x 54 and comes packaged in boxes with gold-on-red colors. The lacquered exterior has an etched pattern meant to look like a rabbit hopping and the 10 cigars are laid out in a manner that is meant to look like a rabbit’s warren, which are the connecting burrows dug underground.

The blend uses an Ecuadorian hybrid 238 wrapper, Mexican San Andrés negro binder, fillers from the Dominican Republic: piloto seco, San Vicente ligero, San Vicente seco and Yamasá viso, and Estelí, Nicaragua. The company says the average age of the filler tobacco is four and a half years. Each cigar has an MSRP of $50 per cigar, the most expensive of the Zodiac Series cigars to date. Production is limited to 6,500 boxes of 10 cigars in the U.S. market.

Vital Stats:

Vitola: Perfecto
Length: 5 15/16″
Ring Gauge: 54
Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Hybrid 238
Binder: Mexican Negro San Andres seco
Filler: Dominican Republic (Yamasá visus, San Vicente ligero, San Vicente seco, Piloto seco)
Factory: Cigars Davidoff
Blender: Undisclosed
Number of reviewers: 4 – Kevin J. (maninblack77) Estevan Z. (TheRealBanzi) Bill C.(Bill) Lauren S. (Lauren S.)
Price: $50.00
Age: 3 Months
Release Date: November 2022
Contributed by: Davidoff Cigars

Initial Impressions – Davidoff Year of the Rabbit Limited Edition 2023

Appearance: 90

“A few big veins on a low grit sandpaper wrapper. Color is fairly even except around the veins where the color is much lighter.” –Bill C. (Bill)

Aroma: 90

“Putting the cigar under my nose I am transported to a horse stall. Straw and manure punches my sinuses. The foot is so small that when I try to smell the foot I get much of the same. The cold draw has notes of mushrooms and raw sugar.” –Estevan Z. (TheRealBanzi)

First Third

Flavor: 90
Strength: Mild-Medium
Body/Complexity: Light-Medium

“Do I suck at smoking figurados or does everyone have to relight a few times at the start? Mild, sweetness, baking spice, light pepper, and earth. The sweetness and spice remind me of graham crackers. The smoke is wispy and I have to double puff to get much smoke or flavor.” –Bill C. (Bill)”

“Upon lighting this cigar a have a cherry syrup sweetness covering the tongue, this doesn’t last. There are some undertones of raw celery as well. As I reach the midway point of the third the celery note is joined by a woody note making the palate feel a little dry. The retrohale has a hardy dose of cumin and light notes for cream. All of this combined has left me with a little bit of a dry mouth. The mouthfeel is medium with a medium length finish.” –Estevan Z. (TheRealBanzi)

Second Third

Flavor: 93
Strength: Medium
Body/Complexity: Medium

“The flavor is up to medium now, with sweetness to the background. Smoke is thicker and performance has improved as the ring gage has decreased. A wood note joins the fray. Bring the sweetness back please and we’d have a great flavor package. The finish continues to be medium to short. I take a drink of water and there are no flavors sitting on my palate. Really clean smoke. A little creaminess shows up, but the baking spice and pepper leaves. Pleasant though.” –Bill C. (Bill)

“This blend picks up in the second third as the cinnamon spice kicks in hard. The background has moved into a sweetened toasty flavor reminiscent of something like French toast.” –Lauren S. (Lauren S.)

Final Third

Flavor: 93
Strength: Medium-Strong
Body/Complexity: Medium

“As I start this last third my mind starts drifting to a field of flowers that are blooming at the start of spring. There are notes of wildflowers and honey on the tongue with just the right amount of pepper tingle to keep everything in balance. In the retrohale, the honey note has carried over from the last third but it is joined by a light woodiness. This last third is the culmination of the last two thirds. It is full of nuance and complexity. The mouthfeel is medium with velvety smoke and the finish is long.” –Estevan Z. (TheRealBanzi)

“The flavor is steady at medium.  Earth joins the wood and creaminess. Smoke volume increases, draw could still use a bit more resistance, but not as wide open as it was. Generic earth clarifies into a nice coffee flavor, a light though, not espresso. Wood and creaminess still hanging around. This is some sweetness away from being right in my wheelhouse. Zero strength. I set the cigar down with a little under an inch as the nub is hot and very bitter.”-Bill C. (Bill)

Overall Impressions – Davidoff Year of the Rabbit Limited Edition 2023

Draw: 94

“The draw impressed me for a perfecto. Easy from the first puff with great smoke production.” –Lauren S. (Lauren S.)

Burn: 96

“The burn line in the first third was thick, dark, and wavy but eventually evened out and was mostly straight for the rest of the smoking experience. After that first third the burn line was thin and nearly invisible.” –Estevan Z. (TheRealBanzi)

Construction: 96

“It’s tough to make figurados, and this one performed really well minus a too-open draw in the first third.” –Bill C. (Bill)

Overall Strength: Medium
Overall Body/Complexity: Medium
Experience Overall: 93

“This is definitely a morning type cigar unless your thing is milder cigars then by all means light this up any time of day. No big transitions just a lot of typical Connecticut shade flavors and strength. I wouldn’t go out of my way to grab one of these again. It just didn’t do much to hold my attention. Good, not great.” –Kevin J. (maninblack77)

“It is great to know that a cigar could look great and smoke just as good if not better than it looked. There is a lot going on with this cigar and would make a great cigar for someone who is looking to be taken on a journey. I will most likely pick up a few when I find out what it is and so should you.” –Estevan Z. (TheRealBanzi)

“This was an overall pleasant cigar. The flavor package was good and offered a lot of the things I enjoy in cigars. I won’t be running out for a box at any cost, but I’d happily grab another again in the future.” –Bill C. (Bill)

“The opening earthiness was slightly boring but once it warmed up this was a blend I would return to often. The heavy cinnamon spice flavor, a sweet buttery toast, and just the slight kick of pepper at the end made a cigar I look forward to finding out what it is.” –Lauren S. (Lauren S.)

Smoking Time (in minutes): 81

To view the complete scores and notes, click here.

Davidoff Year of the Rabbit Limited Edition 2023 – Blind Cigar Review