Video review HERE.
(Description provided by JC Newman Cigar Co.)
J.C. Newman Cigar Co. unveiled new luxurious packaging for its Diamond Crown Classic brand of super premium cigars at Cigar Aficionado’s Big Smoke Las Vegas last weekend. Accompanying the new packaging is a new size. Diamond Crown Classic Belicoso No. 9 was released as the exclusive cigar at the Big Smoke All-Access Party on Friday afternoon. Diamond Crown Classic No. 4 cigars in the new packaging were presented to guests on Friday and Saturday evenings. This week, J.C. Newman will begin shipping Diamond Crown Classic cigars in the new packaging, first to its collection of 37 Diamond Crown Cigar Lounges.
“Diamond Crown is our family’s anniversary cigar,” said fourth-generation owner Drew Newman. “My great-grandfather first rolled it a century ago. Shortly before World War II, the brand went dormant until my grandfather, an inaugural member of Cigar Aficionado’s Cigar Hall of Fame, Stanford J. Newman and Carlito Fuente reintroduced it to celebrate our company’s 100th anniversary in 1995.”
When describing creating Diamond Crown with Stanford J. Newman, Carlito said, “I made this cigar for a man I loved.”
In 1995, Stanford told Marvin R. Shanken, “I didn’t care how long it took, how much it cost, or even whether it would sell. I simply wanted to make the best cigar in the world.” Diamond Crown was a revolutionary brand. It was the first cigar rolled with a 54 ring gauge and launched the trend of larger cigars. Stanford and Carlito chose this thicker size because it created room for 6 to 7 filler leaves in each cigar, enabling them to create a luxuriously smooth and creamy cigar that is still full of flavor.
“Diamond Crown had the most ornate cigar packaging in the 1990s,” said Newman. “Cigars were wrapped in tissue paper. The labels and bands were printed with gold foils and bronzing by Vrijdag in Holland, and each cigar box was packed in the same luxurious outer carton as top-shelf liquor bottles. In the past 30 years, cigar packaging has greatly improved, and it is time for us to ensure that Diamond Crown has packaging that once again matches the prestige of the cigars.
Diamond Crown cigars are handcrafted by Tabacalera A. Fuente in the Dominican Republic. The new packaging features distinctive white boxes with a piano finish. Diamond Crown’s new cigar label and bands feature diamonds and other jewels that sparkle in the light. The number of cigars in each box has increased from 15 to 20 while the price of each cigar remains the same.
“To be clear, the cigars have not changed,” said Newman. “Since 1995, we have sold tens of millions of Diamond Crown cigars. Diamond Crown continues to be very popular, and the Fuente Family’s outstanding quality and consistency has never wavered.”
Blend and Origin:
WRAPPER: Connecticut Shade (Natural) CFW
BINDER: Dominican
FILLER: Selection of 5 different fillers from the Caribbean and Central America
FACTORY: Tabacalera A. Fuente
AGE: 5 years
Available vitolas:
No. 2: 7 1/2″ x 54
No. 7: 6 3/4″ x 54
No. 3: 6 1/2″ x 54
No. 6: 6″ x 46/54
No. 4: 5 1/2″ x 54 REVIEWED TODAY
No. 8: 5″ x 58
No. 5: 4 1/2″ x 54
No. 9: 6” x 50 (Belicoso)
The cigar is very well made and has an average feel in the hand.
The test draw after cutting the cap was good with a touch of firmness. The initial flavors at light up were peach, apple, brown sugar, cinnamon, earthy black coffee, and light leather. There was black pepper rated at 7 1/2. Nice start.
At the first third (32 minutes) I had the same notes. The earthy black coffee with leather notes is quite prominent. The split is about 40% sweet notes with 60% dark notes. The cigar is medium bodied. The finish is light, almost a residue, of peach/apple with black coffee and very good lingering black pepper. I rated the first third 93.
Moving through the second third (58 minutes) the earthy black coffee with leather notes went up. The sweet notes are now sort of a quasi peach and citrus peel. The cigar is medium bodied. The finish is unchanged. The cigar got darker. It's mostly earthy black coffee. The leather is quite light. I rated the second third 91.
The cigar lasted 1 hour 33 minutes. The sweetness made a little improvement. It basically got halfway between the first and second third. The earthiness pulled back a little. The cigar is medium bodied leaning a little toward medium to full. The finish is black coffee with very good lingering black pepper. I rated the final third 92.
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