Diamond Crown Maximus Toro #4 – I Paid $16 For This?
Written: Feb 15 '07 (Updated Feb 15 '07)
Product Rating:
Weight:
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Pros: Complex flavor, good, but not great.
Cons: Very pricey, overhyped, underwhelming for the price.
The Bottom Line: I rated this cigar as 'above average' yet wouldn't recommend it to a friend as I think it is way over priced for the quality of the flavor and rolling.
mongkut's Full Review: Diamond Crown Maximus Toro 4
Sitting in my favorite cigar bar (MFCB) a few weeks ago, the owner approached me with a new stick he had just received. He had a kind of conspiratorial look on his face as though he was letting me in on some new discovery. “You need to try one of these.”, he said. Well the wrapper was certainly impressive so I thought what the heck, if the owner says it’s good I’ll give it a shot. Next time I’ll think twice.
The Cigar
The Diamond Crown Maximus Toro #4 is a 6 x 50 Toro with a El Bajo Sungrown wrapper and Dominican binder and filler. The El Bajo Sungrown wrapper is grown for Diamond Crown by Oliva in Ecuador. The Diamond Crown line is J.C Newman’s super premium brand and is handmade by Arturo Fuente with whom Newman has partnered. The Maximus line is a very full bodied, full flavored line. They are considered very limited production cigars and the distribution is also very limited. Although this cigar is much hyped it has received only lukewarm reviews with a weak 85 rating from Cigar Aficionado and an even lower 80 rating from cigar.com. Burn time should run about 40 to 60 minutes.
The Brand
J.C. Newman Cigar Company was founded by company namesake, Julius Caesar Newman, in 1895 and is the oldest family owned cigar company in America. The company started in Cleveland, Ohio but in 1954 made the move to the famous cigar center of Ybor City in Tampa where they are still located to this day. In 1986 J.C. Newman formed a close relationship with Tampa’s Carlos Fuente and his company Tabacalera A. Fuente, manufacturer of famed Arturo Fuente, Opus X, and Hemmingway cigars. Today the two families have a partnership that includes the manufacturing of all J.C. Newman premium cigars and the distribution of A. Fuente products. Along with manufacturing premium cigars J.C. Newman also markets several high-end accessories under the Diamond Crown name including what many consider to be one of the best humidification systems.
My Experience
I’m always a little leery of heavily hyped super premium cigars as in my experience they often disappoint. The unlit Maximus had a nice aroma of spice, cedar, and a little leather. I was surprised somewhat that for a super premium I could see an imperfection or two in the wrapper. I carefully toasted the foot and wasn’t that enthused with the aroma of the smoke. My first draw was very tight and I tried to carefully draw the flame into the foot without drawing to deeply. Most cigar smokers know that a deep draw can often cause the cigar to have a bitter taste. Even with my attempt to be careful I was still hit with bitter undertones. The flavor itself was somewhat complex with a little spice, cedar, and maybe vanilla, but unlike the Padron 1964 I enjoyed so much, the more expensive Maximus was very underwhelming. I was also a little discouraged that the stick burned very unevenly which is usually a sign of poor rolling. Overall I tend to agree with the previous ratings that the Maximus is a good, but certainly not outstanding smoke. And at around $15 per stick it really needs to be outstanding.
Pairing
The Diamond Crown Maximus is a full flavored cigar and as such can hold up to a stronger beverage. Unlike sweeter maduros which pair well with fine aged rums and ports, I would recommend a good single malt scotch or bourbon with this cigar.
Price
I paid $15.95 for my stick and I’ve seen them advertised as low as $10 on line, but that seems very sketchy. I would say about $15 is about average and boxes of 20 seem to run about $240 to $275.
Recommended:
No
Cigar Name: Diamond Crown Maximus Toro #4 Cigar Rating: A solid performer Price per cigar ($US): 15.95
Maximus takes Diamond Crown to another level. This rare cigar celebrates the 100th anniversary of JC Newman cigars. Developed with the guidance of C...More at Tinderbox.com
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