Wrapper: Connecticut Havana Seed
Binder: Dominican
Filler: Dominican
Size: 4.5 x 54
Strength: Medium
Price: $17.25 (Around $2.00 less online)

Today we take a look at the Diamond Crown Black Diamond.
I bought a fiver.

BACKGROUND:
Factory: Tabacalera A. Fuente
Aged: 5 years
Limited production.
According to the J.C. Newman Co.:
“The Diamond Crown brand is synonymous with excellence and was the first cigar of its kind when Stanford Newman launched it for our company’s 100th Anniversary. He had a dream of launching the first luxury cigar. He didn’t care how much it cost to make it or even if it sold, he just wanted it to be the best.

“Eric and Bobby Newman worked closely with Carlos Fuente, Sr. and Carlos Fuente, Jr. developing a new blend worthy of the Black Diamond name. Five-year-old aged filler tobaccos are exclusively grown for Black Diamond by the Fuente Family in the Dominican Republic and meticulously hand-rolled into a rich-tasting Connecticut Havana seed sun-grown wrapper. The Diamond Crown Black Diamond is a small batch epicurean cigar and is very limited in production because it is held to the absolute highest standard of quality control.”

SIZES AND PRICING MSRP:
Emerald 6 x 52 $20.25
Marquis 5.25 x 56 $19.25
Radiant 4.5 x 54 $17.25

APPEARANCE:
It is a beautiful looking little cigar. The dark oily wrapper changes color depending on its light source. One moment it is filled with reddish tints and the next it is dark and foreboding covered in 10-40 motor oil. Very toothy. Concealed veins. No shortage of veins. And a perfectly executed triple cap. And the cigar band is total class. No skulls.
The stick is solid as a rock. Almost no resistance in the upper half.

SMELL THE GLOVE:
Bright floral notes hit my schnoz first. Then, followed by big fat aromas of milk chocolate, cream, vanilla, black and red peppers, creamy coffee, a little barnyard, cedar, malt, and black licorice.
The cold draw presents flavors of hot cocoa, black coffee, malt, cream, cedar, and a luscious element of the aged tobaccos.

FIRST HALF:
I did some research and there have been plenty of written reviews of this cigar since 2016. Not one matches the wrapper leaf stats as shown on the J.C. Newman web site. I’m not sure the reason for the confusion but the stats above are bedrock.

There is a minor plug near the cigar band position and one swipe with my PerfecDraw draw adjustment tool and we are good to go.
This cigar is a burner and a smoker. Plumes of pure white smoke fill the room.

I can tell immediately that this cigar is packed to the hilt…hence, even this small sized stick will take some time to devour.

The cigar’s 5 years of aging is immediately apparent. The complexity level begins from the first puff. I would definitely expect this from a cigar priced $17-$19.

First flavors are convoluted as they morph so quickly that individual elements are tied to the hip of each other. There is a very nice creamy chocolate ice cream working its way around my palate. The maltiness reminds me of a fine scotch. Spiciness takes a back seat allowing the most delicate flavors to be exhibited: baking spices that include nutmeg, vanilla, ginger, and a touch of cinnamon. In addition, my palate picks up notes of licorice, black raisins, prune, with a gorgeous brown sugar sweetness. I’m also getting a lovely dose of honey cake. Something I grew up on.

Only half an inch in and the cigar is exploding with flavor and character. I allowed this review stick to marinate for only a month. I figured that with an aging of 5 years, it should be ready to go toot suite. I was right.

The richness of the blend is very intense. The finish can see for miles and miles…

While the flavors are very nice, it is the tobacco that provides a fervent experience. Aging is what it’s all about. Most catalog brands do the minimum in this arena; often shoving their sticks into cellos with a few months or less of aging…letting you do the heavy lifting for them so they can make a quick profit.
The Diamond Crown Black Diamond is dense and intoxicating.

The burn has been flawless.

Initially, I thought I might blow through this cigar in 40 minutes. Not happening. I’m 1” in and it’s taken a good 30 minutes to get here. The bigger sizes will be marathon events.

Makes me happy when a cigar manufacturer takes it seriously when they release an expensive cigar. Too many companies PR the crap out of a limited-edition cigar and charge outrageous prices for a mediocre blend. Not much PR going on with the Diamond Crown Black Diamond. This is a word of mouth stick. And if you’ve smoked one, you won’t forget it.

The balance really kicks in with that beautiful yin and yang of sweet and savory alongside the intensity of aged tobaccos.

The direction changes gears by going deep. Transitions are on a rampage. The finish is screaming laughter. It lingers like the taste of the finest steak you’ve ever eaten.

The strength has been a solid medium throughout. No hallucinations from nicotine. Have I jinxed it?
I take my first sip of water and it causes an explosion of profound encounters.

I don’t know about you, but I find myself smoking a lot of high-powered strength cigars too often. I love that the strength of the Diamond Crown Black Diamond is a gentle experience. It seems to allow flavors to expose themselves without being arrested.

The chocolate becomes a delicate mousse. The coffee becomes café au lait. The creaminess is now custardy. Other aforementioned flavors go off on their own recognizance mutating in tentacle fashion that only improves the character and balance.

I’m having a good time.

SECOND HALF:
A good 45 minutes to get this far. All blissful.
Intensity increases with every centimeter.

The peppery side is in constant flux as it changes from black to red to white and back again. Mild, but maintains its punch…never overwhelming the delicacy of the blend.
This is a monumental blend.

I’m now oblivious to everything going on around me…even my music. I’ve homed in on the cigar like a laser guided missile.

The Diamond Crown Black Diamond exhibits everything you expect from a high premium. Disappointing flavors and unfulfilled character are alien to this blend. This is a friggin’ serious cigar blend.

The strength inches up to medium/full.
The concentration of the aged tobaccos, at this point, become extremely potent.

My toupee is flying around the room like an out of control drone. I’ve trained the cat to recover it in instances like this. No worries.

I’m now allowing a few minutes between puffs as the finish is so intoxicating that I don’t want to let it go. It is on auto pilot.

The Diamond Crown Black Diamond is a perfect way to start the day. I highly recommend it to newbies. What a great introduction to high premiums. And sophisticated palates are just going to plotz. (The musical score of “The Magnificent Seven” should be playing in the background).

Tidbits of assorted nuts enter stage right. Very meaty and smoky now. All tap dancing on the inherent sweetness of the tobaccos.

Construction has been impeccable as was my first try at the cigar a couple weeks ago.

Something new arrives…a complex anomaly of Asian spices, charred oak, poppyseeds, dark berries, and sweet raw cashews. The honey cake element is now through the roof. My youth comes streaming back in Technicolor.

I’m constantly and annoyingly railing against crappy expensive cigars. It is rare that a semi-pricey stick not only meets my expectations; but exceeds them by a mile.
You owe yourself a fiver at least. And if you can, I’d snatch a box and never look back.
A mind-blowing blend!

The final time is one hour 40 minutes.
Get some…

RATING: 95

Categories: CIGAR REVIEWS

Tags: cigar review, cigar reviews by the katman, cigars, Diamond Crown Black Diamond | Cigar Reviews by the Katman