Connoisseur’s Corner: Don Candido Dunhill Selección Suprema No. 501 (circa 1960)
The Don Candido line was created in the 1930s by Cándido Vegas Díaz, owner of the El Rey del Mundo factory. This brand was positioned as being even more high-end than the already premium El Rey del Mundo cigars. Dunhill became its exclusive distributor until the brand was discontinued in the early 1980s. These softly-pressed lonsdales came from a 50-count cabinet and still have a tremendous amount of body considering their age. The draw is flawless and produces a dense, nutty smoke. It starts with notes of chestnut and almond that develop a marzipan and caramel sweetness before an elegant, chocolate-and-hazelnut finish. A cigar that lasted a lot longer than was probably ever intended. —Gregory Mottola
This slim smoke is so old (around 50 years) it has cellophane, which tends to retain the strength of a cigar. It has power and grace, with a flavor reminiscent of a honey-soaked pastry, floral notes, some delicate wood, walnut and rum. It amps up in power at about the halfway mark, and the finish goes on for a mile. —David Savona
This classic Churchill highlights the pleasures of well-aged tobacco. The cigar was made in 2005, aged and then released in 2019 as part of Cuba’s Añejados series. Its solid core of leather and cocoa powder notes is very smooth. An almost perfect performance, and the cigar still has more years ahead. —Gordon Mott
Cuba normally launches three Edición Limitadas a year, but 2020 was no ordinary year and there was only this one: a toro size known as Hermosos No. 2 in Cuban factories. It’s stemmy to start, eventually warming to show notes of graham cracker, but there’s a funky, overly earthy edge to the finish. —David Savona
