Diamond Crown Natural by J.C. Newman - Cigar Reviews by HB Cigars

JC Newman makes some absolute banger cigars, so when they add a cigar to the Cigar Rights of America pack I pay attention. The Diamond Crown Natural represents JC Newman's collaboration with Carlos Fuente Jr., created in 1995 to celebrate the company's 100th anniversary when most businesses were still figuring out email. This was the cigar that revolutionized the industry by introducing 54 ring gauge as standard sizing - what's now considered average was genuinely large for the '90s when 50-52 was considered hefty. Stanford Newman's goal was simple: make the best cigar in the world where price and time were no object, which is the kind of mission statement that either produces excellence or spectacular failure with no middle ground. The proprietary CFW (Connecticut Fermented Wrapper) undergoes five years of aging and double fermentation, which is more patient than most relationships last these days.

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🔥 THE VITALS 🔥

Cigar: Diamond Crown Natural (Classic)

Master Blender: Carlos Fuente Jr. collaborating with Stanford Newman - When two cigar dynasties decide to prove they can make something genuinely premium instead of just charging premium prices

Size: Various (54 ring gauge standard across line)

Country of Origin: Dominican Republic

Wrapper: Connecticut Fermented Wrapper (CFW) - proprietary 5-year aged, double-fermented

Binder: Dominican

Filler: Caribbean and Central American blend

Price: Super-premium territory (availability through CRA pack 2024)

Aging: 5 years on wrapper alone

🚀 WE ARE LIT!

Draw: Slightly tight but manageable

Burn: Consistent throughout

Smoke Output: Average production

Ash: Solid grey formation

Slightly tight draw provides just enough resistance without requiring PerfecDraw intervention or lung capacity training. The silky wrapper feels exactly like premium Connecticut Shade should - buttery soft with that golden-brown hue that screams "I cost more than your daily lunch budget." Average smoke production means you're not hotboxing the room but you're also not struggling to see if it's still lit. Solid grey ash holds respectably before surrendering. Made at Tabacalera A. Fuente y Cia in the Dominican Republic, this demonstrates what happens when the Fuente family rolls cigars for someone else's ultra-premium brand rather than their own portfolio. The 54 ring gauge that seemed revolutionary in 1995 now feels quaint in an era where 60+ ring gauges are common and people smoke cigars that look like they should come with structural engineering reports.

🎢 FLAVOR JOURNEY

FIRST THIRD: CREAM AND HAY FOUNDATION

cream, sweet tobacco, hay

Cream dominates immediately alongside sweet tobacco and hay that provides grassy earthiness. The opening is refined and approachable - exactly what Connecticut Shade is supposed to deliver when done properly. This pairs amazingly with coffee, complementing morning routines without overwhelming your palate before noon or requiring you to clear your schedule for nicotine recovery.

SECOND THIRD: CASHEW VANILLA COMPLEXITY

cashew, cream, cedar, vanilla

Cashew takes center stage as cream persists and cedar provides woody backbone. Vanilla arrives adding sweetness that elevates the profile beyond basic Connecticut territory. This section shows what five years of wrapper aging and double fermentation accomplish - complexity and balance that justify the premium positioning without feeling like you're just paying for marketing.

FINAL THIRD: CHARRED ELEGANCE

Charred cedar dominates while leather provides classic cigar character and cashew maintains nutty presence throughout. The finish is composed and clean, ending exactly when it should rather than limping to the nub. This concludes the experience with refinement that matches the opening promise.

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🏆 THE VERDICT

A- TIER

Flavor: A

Construction: A-

Availability: C+

Price: B

Final Rating:

Exactly what a Connecticut Shade should be. The Diamond Crown Natural delivers refined complexity through cream, cashew, vanilla, and cedar without aggressive strength or overwhelming spice. Pairs amazingly with coffee, making it ideal for morning or early afternoon smoking. The slightly tight draw prevents a perfect construction score, but overall execution matches the super-premium reputation.

📊 BOTTOM LINE

The Diamond Crown Natural proves that JC Newman's 100th anniversary celebration wasn't just commemorative marketing but genuine quality achievement. Five years of wrapper aging and double fermentation create smoothness and complexity that separate this from standard Connecticut Shade offerings. The collaboration between Stanford Newman and Carlos Fuente Jr. produced exactly what was promised - a super-premium cigar where price and time were genuinely no object. At A- tier, this represents Connecticut Shade excellence that justifies premium positioning through execution rather than just fancy packaging and heritage branding.

TLDR: Five-year aged Connecticut Fermented Wrapper over Dominican guts that delivers refined cream, cashew, and vanilla complexity - proof that when cigar dynasties collaborate seriously, results match the pedigree.

La Flor Dominicana Capitulo II - Cigar Reviews by HB Cigars

La Flor Dominicana, a brand that's all over the place with blends, prices, and how good their sticks are. Let's see if the Capitulo hits. Released in 2014 at the IPCPR Trade Show, this represents Tony Gomez's second blend - the son of company founder Litto Gomez proving he can also roll cigars while navigating the pressure of nepotism and family expectations. The Capitulo II (Spanish for Chapter 2, pronounced cap-ee-TOO-lo dos) follows up the successful Chapter One by changing the entire blend while keeping the same massive 6.5 x 58 Chisel format. They couldn't call it "Chapter Two" because some other brand already used that name, so Spanish it became. The Chisel cap is LFD's signature shape - a wedge-shaped head that looks like a flathead screwdriver and creates multiple cutting options for people who enjoy debating cigar minutiae at parties nobody wants to attend.

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🔥 THE VITALS 🔥

Cigar: Capitulo II

Master Blender: Tony Gomez

Size: Chisel 6.5 x 58 (box-pressed) Kazu like shape

Country of Origin: Dominican Republic

Wrapper: Nicaraguan Colorado (reddish-brown, oily)

Binder: Ecuadorian Habano

Filler: Dominican Ligero (packed full)

Price: $10-11 per stick

Aging: Regular production, sold in 10-count boxes

🚀 WE ARE LIT!

Draw: Variable but functional

Burn: Inconsistent throughout

Smoke Output: High volume when it cooperates

Ash: Light colored with dark brindle markings, flaky

The construction let this down from start to finish. The filler was overfilled - someone at the factory apparently didn't get the memo about leaving room for airflow and just kept packing tobacco until the cigar achieved density approaching a neutron star. This caused burn problems throughout the entire smoke, creating uneven burn lines that looked like mountain ranges despite never needing actual corrections. The oily Nicaraguan Colorado wrapper is gorgeous - one of the oiliest wrappers you'll encounter - but beautiful packaging can't save overstuffed guts. The Chisel cap provides multiple cutting options, though the proper method is punching straight through to create maximum airflow, which this overfilled specimen desperately needed.

🎢 FLAVOR JOURNEY

FIRST THIRD: PROMISING START

leather, sweet earth, dried fruit, light pepper(retro)

Leather and sweet earth dominate alongside dried fruit that adds complexity. Light pepper on the retrohale provides spice without aggression. The opening shows what this blend could deliver if construction cooperated - flavors are clear and distinct despite the burn struggling to keep pace. Full-bodied from the start with high nicotine content that announces itself like an uninvited guest who brought their own six-pack and intends to finish it.

SECOND THIRD: HOLDING PATTERN

earth, leather, dried fruit, nuts

Earth takes over as leather persists and dried fruit maintains presence. Nuts arrive adding textural character, but the profile doesn't develop so much as maintain existing flavors. The overfilled filler continues causing burn issues that distract from what should be an enjoyable middle section. Complexity exists but accessibility suffers when you're constantly monitoring uneven combustion.

FINAL THIRD: DIVERGENCE

earth, charred wood, chicory, toast

Earth and charred wood dominate while chicory and toast provide roasted character. The finish departs from earlier thirds rather than building on them - like the blend gave up trying to tell a cohesive story and just introduced new characters hoping nobody noticed the plot holes. Flavors are fine individually but the progression feels disjointed.

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🏆 THE VERDICT

C+ TIER

Flavor: B

Construction: C-

Availability: B

Price: B-

Final Rating:

I wanted to like this stick, especially given the high nicotine content and Tony Gomez's pedigree, but construction failures sabotaged the experience. Overfilled filler created burn problems throughout that distracted from otherwise solid flavors. At $10-11, the price is reasonable but quality control should match the cost.

📊 BOTTOM LINE

The Capitulo II proves that even brands with legendary reputations can miss quality control basics like proper filler density. Overstuffing tobacco doesn't create more flavor, it just creates burn problems that ruin the smoking experience regardless of blend quality. The Nicaraguan Colorado wrapper is gorgeous, the Dominican ligero filler delivers nicotine strength, and the Chisel cap provides unique aesthetics - but none of that matters when construction fails from first light to final puff. Tony Gomez's second blend shows promise in flavor composition with leather, earth, dried fruit, and charred wood notes, but execution at the rolling table betrays the concept. At C+ tier, this represents disappointing mediocrity from a brand capable of excellence when they get production right.

TLDR: Overfilled Dominican ligero in a beautiful Nicaraguan wrapper that burns poorly throughout - proof that packing more tobacco doesn't equal better cigars, just construction headaches and wasted potential.

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My Father Cigars Garcia & Garcia Toro Deluxe - Cigar Reviews by HB Cigars

Who's your daddy? Is it My Father? Wait, what? I'm confused now. The naming convention here requires a flowchart to navigate - it's My Father Cigars making a Garcia & Garcia line named after José "Pepin" Garcia and his son Jaime Garcia, who are also the My Father behind My Father Cigars. Corporate branding meets family tree meets existential crisis. Released in 2016 as their "rarest creation to date" and "most elegant cigar the family has ever produced," this limited production blend features the notoriously difficult-to-grow Pelo de Oro tobacco. Pelo de Oro translates to "hair of gold" and represents one of the most finicky tobacco varietals in existence - it's the high-maintenance supermodel of the tobacco world, requiring perfect conditions and constant attention. At $35-45 per stick, this occupies premium territory where every inch counts and disappointing thirds feel like financial crimes.

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🔥 THE VITALS 🔥

Cigar: Garcia & Garcia Toro Deluxe

Master Blender: José "Pepin" Garcia and Jaime Garcia - Father-son blending duo who named a cigar line after themselves because apparently "My Father" wasn't meta enough

Size: Toro 6 3/4 x 54

Country of Origin: Nicaragua (Estelí)

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano Rosado

Binder: Nicaraguan Criollo 98

Filler: Nicaraguan including rare Pelo de Oro

Price: $35-45 per stick (mortgage optional, dignity negotiable)

Aging: Several years on the tobacco blend

🚀 WE ARE LIT!🚀

Draw: Excellent throughout

Burn: Consistent and even

Smoke Output: Above average clouds

Ash: Spectacular formation and hold

Construction is flawless across every metric - perfect draw, razor-sharp burn, impressive ash that holds like it's got separation anxiety about leaving the cigar. The Ecuadorian Habano Rosado wrapper shows a reddish-brown hue with silky texture and visible oil content, looking exactly like premium tobacco should. Made at My Father Cigars S.A. factory in Estelí, this demonstrates what happens when a family operation with decades of expertise decides to pull out all the stops on a limited production run. The inclusion of Pelo de Oro filler tobacco justifies some of the premium pricing - this varietal is notoriously difficult to cultivate and rarely used because it's basically the agricultural equivalent of a drama queen that refuses to cooperate unless conditions are perfect.

🎢 FLAVOR JOURNEY

FIRST THIRD: PEPPER ASSAULT THEN PROMISE

fermented tobacco, white pepper, vanilla, cedar

Fermented tobacco and aggressive white pepper dominate the opening alongside vanilla and cedar notes that struggle to compete. The first inch is way too peppery - like someone forgot to calibrate the spice levels and just committed to the mistake. After that rough start settles down, vanilla sweetness emerges properly and cedar provides woody backbone. This opening requires patience and faith that things improve, which at $35 per stick feels like paying premium prices to beta test someone's blend before they dialed it in.

SECOND THIRD: REDEMPTION ARC

cream, Tobacco Sweetness, cedar, citrus

Cream takes center stage as tobacco sweetness develops nicely alongside cedar that maintains presence. Citrus appears unexpectedly, adding brightness that elevates the profile beyond typical Nicaraguan power cigar territory. This section delivers on the premium pricing promise - complex, balanced, refined. The pepper calms completely, proving the aggressive opening was temporary rather than permanent character flaw.

FINAL THIRD: FULL CIRCLE COMPLEXITY

charred cedar, edar, white pepper, light cream, leather

Charred cedar dominates while white pepper returns alongside light cream and leather that provide classic cigar character. The finish brings things full circle to where they started but with refinement rather than aggression. Cedar intensifies throughout, maintaining consistency while the pepper plays supporting role instead of lead bully.

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🏆 THE VERDICT🏆

A- TIER

Flavor: A

Construction: A

Availability: B+

Price: B

Final Rating:

What an interesting stick. The first inch nearly derailed everything with excessive pepper, but once settled, a beauty emerged that justifies most of the premium pricing. Construction is perfect, flavors transition thoughtfully, and the rare Pelo de Oro tobacco adds genuine complexity. At $35-45, it's expensive but delivers quality that mostly matches the cost.

📊 BOTTOM LINE

The Garcia & Garcia Toro Deluxe proves that My Father Cigars can deliver premium experiences when pulling out rare tobacco and limiting production. That aggressive first inch of pepper nearly ruins the investment - at $35 per stick, every inch counts and starting poorly feels like robbery. Once the pepper settles, the blend reveals cream, tobacco sweetness, citrus, and refined complexity worthy of the price tag. The Pelo de Oro filler adds unique character that separates this from standard Nicaraguan power cigars, while the Ecuadorian Habano Rosado wrapper provides silky smoothness. Perfect construction across draw, burn, and ash formation shows factory expertise. Limited production keeps availability moderate without being impossible. The A- tier rating reflects exceptional quality hampered by that rough opening - starts like a C-tier pepper bomb before transforming into an A-tier experience that makes you forget the initial assault.

TLDR: Expensive father-son blend featuring rare Pelo de Oro tobacco that starts with excessive pepper before revealing refined complexity - at $35+ per stick, that rough first inch feels like paying full price for beta testing.

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