Sometimes a name says it all. The three words Diamond, Crown, and Maximus are the perfect terms to associate with the cigar I am reviewing today. This is a rare gem that can almost exclusively only be found in Diamond Crown Lounges, but our friends at JC Newman have graciously allowed us to feature these beauties in some of our top cigar stores. Now please, before you rush out to your neighborhood ABC, let me first say that we don’t have them yet. I know they are coming soon and will be placed in ten humidors throughout the state. We will try and make sure all parts of Florida are covered, but as I stated before these cigars are in extremely short supply.

The Maximus is encased with a gorgeous sun-grown El Bajo Ecuadorian wrapper. The vitola I have chosen, the Robusto 5 x 50, is the personal favorite of co-owner Bobby Newman. Bobby was nice enough to send me some of the Robustos after I raved about the Toros he gave me at a dinner he hosted in Las Vegas last month. They are pretty tight-lipped about the binder leaf and the blend in the filler, only saying that is from the Dominican Republic, but I can tell you—whatever it is, it works.

The cigar starts off quite nicely, with a hint of cocoa and some mild pepper notes. In my opinion, it starts off on the medium side, but builds into a full-body cigar after the first third. Complexity is a word that often gets overused in describing cigars, but this one truly lives up to that billing. The spice flavors come from both sides of the flavor wheel. Usually when I get black pepper, the sweeter side of the spice spectrum is generally not there. This one has both pepper and some nutmeg flavors. It’s amazing how both of these flavors come together along with the coffee and light cocoa flavors.

Diamond Crown Maximus paired with a Unibroue La Terrible

As the cigar builds in strength at the halfway point, these wonderful flavors are still there and well balanced and the smoke remains cool and very pleasant. In my observations it’s not uncommon for a full-bodied Robusto to get a little harsh on the back end. This is a pleasant smoke through the end.

I would have loved to pair this with a nice oatmeal stout, but not having one on hand I opted for a Unibroue La Terrible Black Ale. I expected the Belgian Style dark ale to be a little fuller, but its sweet finish added something I didn’t expect to the Maximus. I perceived it to bring out the sweet flavors in the cigar. I always caution those pairing beer with cigars to make sure the strength of your cigar is dialed down a little from the strength of the beer. This was not the case here, but it managed to work anyway. Maybe it was the “farmhouse ale” qualities in the finish of this beer that made the difference.

For those who are not fans of craft beer and prefer a more traditional pairing, a Vintage Port would be my suggestion. A few months ago I was fortunate to have one that was 30 years old and what I wouldn’t give to have a little bit of that now to go with this great cigar. I am very fortunate to have a few more of these cigars in my humidor so maybe I can find someone willing to make a trade.

Whether it’s with port, a great beer, or just a glass of water, I definitely recommend these cigars. I have smoked some great cigars in my day and this one certainly resides amongst the best.

Long Ashes,

Chris Gwaltney, ABC Fine Wine & Spirits North Florida Regional Manager and Certified Cicerone and Tobacconist