Diplomaticos No. 2 (FEB05)

[cigardawg]

OK, with all this talk of Diplomaticos lately, I have now been forced to tap into the No. 2s that I have in my possession. I kept 10 of these from a box split that I did last summer. Here are my thoughts:

Diplomaticos No. 2

Box Code: xxx FEB05

Vitola: Piramides (6 1/8 x 52)

This was a great looking cigar with a very oily, medium-brown wrapper. The wrapper was free of veins and the seams were nice and tight. The head was neat. This torpedo was very aromatic, having a fantastic nose of sweet hay (actually, smells like sweet-feed), cedar, and spice (something sweet and some white pepper at the foot). I clipped just a tiny bit off the head and was treated to an easy pre-light draw.

The draw remained very easy and smoke production was out of this world. Each puff brought huge mouthfuls of thick smoke. The burn was very even until the third ash. It then started to go wonky on me…a few puffs, however, and it straightened out nicely. There was a very noticeable resin line just above the burn-line. The ash was light to medium gray in color and very firm. Toward the back end, the cigar heated up just a bit, but this was to be expected from the easy draw. I just backed off and smoked it nice and slow…no problem.

The cigar started off with a bit of harshness. There was some definite pepper upon initial lighting mixed primarily with wood and herbaceous notes. Harshness and pepper settled after about ¼ of an inch and the wood and herbaceous flavors became dominant. As the smoke progressed, the cigar took on a slight toasted characteristic and melded into a straight medium-bodied profile. As the cigar burned toward the mid-point, it picked up a creamy character to smooth out the other flavors. At the mid-point, the cigar picked up just a bit of body and some tanginess could be detected on the finish. More distinct tobacco flavors were also noted after the mid-point. As the cigar continued to burn down, more toasted grassy flavors were introduced…quite yummy. As the cigar closed out, it developed a more woodsy character…still toasted nicely, however.

All in all, a very enjoyable cigar. For me, though, the flavors in this specimen were not distinct and distinguished. I feel that for my palate, these 05 Dips just need a bit more age on them. I believe that in the next 2-3 years, this cigar will really shine. I rate this cigar a B+ (87-89).

[El Presidente]

Another great review Dawg!

It is interesting how these Feb 05 Dip 2's compared to Shrinks 06 review (and subsequently mine).

Feb 05 was the cusp of many changes in Habanos with that period to March 05 seeing the introduction of aged Ligero in production.

If I was to hazard a guess I would suspect that your Dip 2 was prior the change. Only guessing however.

[shrink]

Very thoughtful and detailed review, Dawg!

Your take on the early '05's parallels mine, except that mine had a pretty strong citrus finish. I think you will find that the '06's are superior in most respects. Both Rob and I found them to have a more spicy, full-bodied opening, followed by a more mellow, smooth woody, paprika-like center. The '06's are my choice for aging. I also have some '05 No. 1's on order. Rob prefers 'em over the No. 2. We'll see...

[cigardawg]

» Very thoughtful and detailed review, Dawg!

»

» Your take on the early '05's parallels mine, except that mine had a pretty

» strong citrus finish. I think you will find that the '06's are superior in

» most respects. Both Rob and I found them to have a more spicy, full-bodied

» opening, followed by a more mellow, smooth woody, paprika-like center. The

» '06's are my choice for aging. I also have some '05 No. 1's on order. Rob

» prefers 'em over the No. 2. We'll see...

There was a tanginess on the finish as it went past mid-way, but I couldn't quite pin it down as being citrus. My citrus-taster might have been broken, though.

I was looking for the paprika in this cigar...never found it. Sounds like I might have to try some 06s.:-P

[Mel]

I have some 05 that I like better than some 01. In this case fresher is better.

[Well Armed]

Diplomaticos are making a comeback! They must be tired of being known as "Frenchie" cigars.

[stever]

Great reviews by El Pres, Shrink & Dawg on the DIPs and excellent discussions.

How does one know when Habanos is changing the mix and whether such a change bodes well?

Does mixing aged tobacco together produce a different result than mixing the same unaged tobacco and then aging the cigar? The former is obviously more immediately smokeable, but will the later benefit from flavors that may develop simply because the tobaccos age together in the cigar?

[shrink]

» Does mixing aged tobacco together produce a different result than mixing

» the same unaged tobacco and then aging the cigar? The former is obviously

» more immediately smokeable, but will the later benefit from flavors that

» may develop simply because the tobaccos age together in the cigar?

Steve, I have read discussions of this very subject. The general opinion is that, although there are advantages to rolling with aged tobacco (i.e. it's easier to achieve the right balance of volado, seco and ligero; and the construction is often better), that the benefits of allowing the tobaccos to "marry" as they age (contributing to integration and complexity), probably is better in the long-run, if you plan to age the cigars any considerable length of time.

[stever]

Shrink,

Thanks for the info. The conclusion in favor of "marrying" was what I was suspecting. However, there is a lot to be said for immediate gratification. :-D

Won't it be interesting to sample a cigar rolled with unaged tobacco -smoked after appropriate aging, of course- and the same vitola rolled a few years later with the very same tobacco, but that now has been aged? I'd want to track at point the smokes hit their prime and also what their final flavor profile is. Can Rob use his Habanos contacts and make this happen? ;-) :

[Colt45]

» The conclusion in favor of "marrying" was what I was suspecting.

One thing to keep in mind is that tobaccos in a cigar "marry" regardless

of how long the individual tobaccos have been aged before rolling.

That is, individual bales are fermented and aged, then blended together

for rolling. These different tobaccos will then "marry" over time after rolling.

To me, the aging before rolling helps reduce the impurities (for lack of

a better term). It definately helps make a cigar more approachable in youth.

This is, of course, just my opinion.