Diamond Crown Maduro
Diamond Crown belongs to J.C. Newman Cigar Company, Tampa’s oldest premium cigar maker. The modern line was created in 1995 for the company’s 100th anniversary, when Stanford Newman asked Carlos Fuente Sr. to help build an ultra premium cigar with no regard for cost or time. It has been made ever since at Tabacalera A. Fuente in the Dominican Republic.
The brand launched with two versions of the same core blend: Classic, under a Connecticut Shade wrapper, and Maduro, under a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper. The Maduro uses a Dominican binder and a selection of five filler tobaccos from the Caribbean and Central America. The Broadleaf wrapper is double fermented, and the cigars are inspected multiple times, then aged after rolling. A 54 ring gauge was central to the original idea, so most sizes in the Maduro line sit in that range, including the No. 3, No. 4, No. 5, and related shapes. It remains a regular production line in the Diamond Crown family.
Stogie At A Glance
Check out our curated playlist for the Diamond Crown Maduro here.
Review
First Third
The light opens with umami, light leather, and nutty black coffee. Pepper is almost absent. The aroma is classic cigar, with leather and a very slight dried fruit note joining early. Savory cedar carries through from the start.A toasted nut note arrives halfway through the third. Cedar and coffee stay on the finish. Strength is milder than expected. The palate rotates between cedar and leather, then a berry note returns, clearer and more enjoyable this time. A touch of white pepper appears on the finish. Cedar and leather mix on the palate, with coffee behind them. Near the end of the third, pepper is still extremely light. Berry comes forward again, with cedar and coffee on the finish.
Second Third
Second ThirdBerry starts to mix with cedar. Pepper moves from nearly nonexistent to slightly present, a smooth shift from the first third. More pepper shows on the palate, still light. Chocolate enters in the second half of this third. Coffee gets stronger, with a nutty, almost tangy finish. Creaminess comes in with the chocolate, and spice on the finish grows a bit. Dark flavors swirl: coffee, chocolate, and a barnyard note that had been in the background now sits more clearly with them. Pepper on the finish remains very light. Strength stays medium.The palate stays smooth while tanginess builds on the finish. Leather returns, along with spiced cedar. By the end of the third, pepper is still light. Creaminess and chocolate remain. The berry note turns sweeter. The close of the third is chocolate and black coffee, with very light pepper on the finish.
Final Third
Pepper finally moves toward a normal presence, and the tanginess rises with it. Leather and black coffee sit on the palate, with a slight chocolate note. Coffee and leather both get stronger. Pepper on the finish is still very light. Strength remains medium.Chocolate shows on the palate and in the aroma. Pepper finally appears on the retrohale, a welcome addition, and the nutty note gets louder. Baking spice and black coffee lead the finish, with slight white pepper. Leather becomes more pronounced, with a faint bitterness added to the profile. A savory sweet note appears in the aroma that is hard to name but enjoyable. Black coffee dominates the finish with the faintest white pepper. Sweet tobacco comes through toward the end. A soft vanilla note joins the aroma. Sweet tobacco and black coffee stay on the palate, with little spice on the finish. At the very end, leather is strong. Strength moves from medium to medium plus. Not full, but clearly more than the start.
Overall this is a measured maduro. Pepper stays in the background for most of the smoke and only settles in late. The core is cedar, leather, coffee, and chocolate, with berry sweetness early and cream later. Strength never runs away from the flavor. It is a long, even profile that stays smooth until the last third adds more leather, coffee, and a modest lift in body.
Score
94/100