Diamond Crown Black Diamond Marquis (Original Blend) Review
By By Anthony's CIgars on Aug 19, 2022 in Cigar Review
Presmoke: Some Nostalgia comes along with this cigar as it was the first $20 cigar I ever bought. Now it seems as though the blend that I have come to love is disappearing. So I wanted to do a review before I couldn’t have it again. The original blend is a very dark cigar with an incredibly toothy and oily wrapper. The silver band contrasts so well and I will miss the distinct look of this cigar. The cold draw has earth wood and nuts for the flavors.
Initial light: The light up is heavy on the pepper and fresh cut wood. There is a hint of sweet earth and soil in the background along with a smoothness to the flavors that I wasn’t expecting which allows for a creamy mouth feel. The retrohale is sweet and creamy wood, a white pepper and a smooth wet leather. There seems to be a citrus flavor for just a second before the finish of earth and cedar with the slightest twinge of spice.
First Third: The profiles cream and wood really start to take over with some incredible balance. There’s a bit of pepper on the back of the throat on the finish but it can be pleasant so long as I have some water with me. The retrohale is much the same with wood, earth, cream sweetness, and that brief moment of citrus. The finish is dry earth and wood bark. The cream sweetness begins to take over with a slight black pepper as the primary flavors. There’s a dry leaf note replacing the earth and with the wood slowly receding. However, to profile it dries my mouth quite significantly and the burn is beginning to need touch ups.
Second Third: Running into the second third is a huge blast of creamy cedar, an oak sawdust, a bit of pepper, and a touch of meatiness. The retrohale gets a more lemon citrus, nuts and dry wood treatment, with a lot of the sweetness now replaced. The finish however is very unique, with dry espresso beans on cashew nuts. In fact, as the third continues that cashew nut flavor becomes the primary on the retrohale, even as a bit of creaminess comes back into play. The profile toys between dry and woody or creamy earth as the second third comes to a close.
Final Third: Creaminess seems to have won the battle as the final third begins, with a new chocolate cake note coming in along with the cedar coming back full force. There’s still some dryness to the profile, but mostly through a slight black pepper on the back of the throat. The retrohale is dominated with a vanilla sweetness and cashew finish. Near the end now, something strange has happened to the profile, as the flavors have disappeared and are replaced with a white bread and tonic taste. While not bad, the sudden disappearance of the flavor profile is quite strange and now outside of a cashew finish on the retrohale, there isn’t much to go off of. If I take a very large retrohale there’s a slight cinnamon tingle that is barely detectable, yet very pleasant when it is.
Final thoughts: This cigar isn’t what I remember having smoked it 3 years ago. I recall it being a powerhouse kick to the face. It now seems to be a more refined, smooth and subtle cigar. Unfortunately the transitions are small and the profile can be fairly linear and dry. I didn’t understand why J.C Newman decided to redo the blend and make it stronger based on my memory. But having just smoked this cigar, I see that there is a lot of potential for this, but the current blend just isn’t what it needs to be to justify the price. A bit more strength and a fair bit more complexity would make this cigar out to be one of the absolute best in J.C. Newman’s catalog. I’m excited to try the new blend.
Overall: 84
(Reviewed by Denver)
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