Diplomaticos No4 EMS ABR 08

[Geo17pip]

Dip #4 OPM ENE 09

Got this box from Czar after being inspired by the video in this link

Didnt care for the Monte #4 I had recently tried and PLPC is my favorite PC currently, but at this price point, I had to try these, especially since I enjoy the Dip #1

Construction was superb, wrapper was an oily Maduro color and some veins

Smoke time was 52 mins

Initial puff was pepper and toast

Flavors included Pepper, toast, hint of sweet dry flavor(cant pin point exact flavor)

Ash was Grey-White flakes

The purpose today was to test one and then let them rest for 6 months to re-visit , definitely tasted young as it was produced this year but long term is pretty good with this smoke I am thinking

8.9/10 with a potential of 9.2 down the road..........for the money, its a no brainer

Bart

How would you say the strength was, light-medium-full? Please explain the dry flavor. How would compare this cigar to the Punch PC? Great review guys!

[Bartolomeo]

How would you say the strength was, light-medium-full? Please explain the dry flavor. How would compare this cigar to the Punch PC? Great review guys!

Med-Full for me, maybe due to being so young

Hard to describe the dry sweetness, sorry

Have not tried the Punch yet

Bart

[ballzac]

I went to Baranow's to get this cigar after seeing this review. I'm a beginner, so don't really know how to talk the talk. The guy asked me what brand it was and I said "Diplomatico". I didn't say it with an 's' on the end because you guys don't, and I figured that must be how you say it. He said that Diplomatico was the name of the cigar and asked me who makes it. I said that I thought Diplomatico WAS the brand. He went to the computer and came back and said it was Padron. He showed me a cigar and it was completely different to this one. It was much bigger, darker, and more expensive.

I described this one, and he pointed to an empty box (also Padron) and said that they don't have any in stock. I asked if he had anything similar and he gave me a Cuesta Rey Centenario #5. I didn't notice until I got home that it's Dominican. I guess it doesn't really matter, but I just thought that he give me a Cuban. Anyway, the cigar was quite pleasant. The burn was a bit lopsided, but I had to suck on it pretty hard to get much smoke out of it, and that probably contributed to the uneven burn.

So yeah, the flavours in the cigar were nice, but lacked depth to me. I wanted something with a bit of balls, but this was quite 'thin' in flavour, even though it had some complexity WITHIN that 'stratum'. I couldn't help feeling a little let down that I didn't get what I went in for, and this marred the experience for me a little bit. My birthday's coming up soon and I'm going to get a Partagas P2. I think I might go to another shop, as I couldn't handle the same thing happening with the Partagas.

EDIT: Also, I think it's a shame that there is a notion that beginners need to be educated with bland example of a product. Not just talking about cigars here. When I first got into whisky, I was warned off the Islay malts and was told that they were for 'more experienced' drinkers. This just sparked my interest even more and I bought a bottle of Ardbeg 10 to see what a 'challenging' whisky tastes like. I was absolutely blown away, and my whole world suddenly expanded ten-fold. I have a feeling that, knowing I was a beginner, the guy at Baranow's thought I should have something 'mild' and unchallenging. Not that I expected the Diplomaticos 4 to be the equivalent of an Islay malt, but I think it may have done more for me than the Cuesta Rey.

[partagasd4]

Are there any of these left? I want to try one!

[ballzac]

Okay, so I managed to find this at Alexander's. Absolutely loved it. I think it is a great educational cigar for me as a beginner. There were plenty of flavours in there that I could recognise, and also many that I don't have the vocabulary to describe. I spent the whole hour that it took me to smoke it, thinking about what I COULD describe, and trying to find words for the elements that I could NOT. As a novice, you can take my words with a grain of salt, but I have years of experience tasting beer, and a little bit of experience with whisky, so I think I can transfer a lot of that palate to cigars and pick out a few things.

The construction was not as good as the Cuesta Rey. The Cuesta Rey was flawless. The Diplomaticos was a little drier, and had a small crack. It was a little squared off. The draw was perfect. After I lit it, I could immediately recognise spices in it. Indian spices. In particular, I got turmeric and fenugreek. This was balanced with a pleasantly mild cocoa flavour. Through the first third, the spices intensified, completely overpassing any cocoa. Some cassia reared its head, along with some char grilled veggies (this could be the capsicum that Rob speaks of in the review). Heading into the second third I had bready, cookie dough flavours, that blended with the cassia really well. The turmeric and fenugreek remained, but also partly transformed into cummin. There was some toasted oak, and somewhere between the oak and the spices there was a flavour that I have trouble putting a name to. It was kind of 'rubbery', but I don't mean this in any negative way. It is similar to the impressions that oak can give in a good chardonnay. It could almost be described as 'leather'. Maybe this is the 'gym shoe' flavour that I have heard mentioned. Heading into the final third, the cigar started to swell and the crack in the wrapper turned into a large split. It still smoked well though. The final third was less complex, but there was so much in the first two thirds, that I didn't really think it had anywhere to go anyway, and I was quite happy with the way it mellowed out. At the end I was left with a strong impression of the spices that had been there through the whole experience. The oak/leather flavour intensified towards the end. I had trouble letting this one go, as I was enjoying it so much, but everything must come to an end.

Very happy, and not at all disappointed. It seemed very well balanced to me, and complex in flavour. It was a real journey for me, and I can only hope that my future experiences with cigars can be as profound.

I love the mellow, almost intoxicating, effect of the nicotine from a cigar. As a former cigarette smoker, I detest the addictive rush that is gotten from a cigarette. With a cigar it is totally different. I can enjoy that nicotine, but not feel the need to keep filling that nicotine void. It is similar to the effect of chewing pituri. If anyone is unfamiliar with pituri, it is a native Australian plant that was used as a drug and a currency by the Aboriginies. Chewing a little with lime or acacia ash is very pleasant, but must be used with care because, having ten times as much nicotine as Nicotiana (tobacco) species, it can have such an intense effect as to cause hallucinations. Anyway, sorry for the offtopic

[CUBANO]

Have a box with code OPM 03/09. They have been great smokes. You can depend on burning even, and very tasty. Will miss this one once they are gone.

[Zombie1a]

I just got myself a box of 25 of these Dip 4's dated April 09 and I agree with everything you say in your video review after lighting one up. I thought it was a sweet and savory smoke with about half a dozen flavors weaving in and out of the smoke. I have had so many awful smokes from Cohiba to Bolivar that tasted of ammonia and grassy cardboard that smoking this was a real treat.

It is such a shame that the Dip 4's are been discontinued this year as I enjoyed this smoke more than cigars that I have had that cost twice the price or more. Great smoke.

[tugboat]

Great review.

Especially when I noticed I have the same box codes and date.

Will have to try one now. Hope they are as good.

[mazolaman]

It's between these and the Boli royal for my favourite cigar.

I love these.

So why the bloody hell are they getting rid of them!!!?????

[CanuckSARTech]

Are there any of these left? I want to try one!

I checked with Lisa myself about these a couple days ago, and no, Czar is all sold out of them.

They've been discontinued by Habanos S.A. (for whatever freakin' reason?!!!?!), so they're already getting pretty scarce and hard to find. Only a few retailers have many left.