ABOUT THE CIGAR
The latest and highly anticipated Canadian Regional is finally here! Diplomáticos Norteños 2018 Canadian Regional Edition was produced in commemoration of the 30th anniversary of Havana House Cigars and Tobacco Merchants (exclusive distributors of Habanos cigars in Canada). Diplomáticos was the first new brand of Cuban cigars after the Cuban Revolution produced commercially for public sale in 1966.
The cigar will be available at all Habanos specialists on September 19, 2018. In the province of Quebec, the Norteños will retail for Approximately $47 CAD.
Also of note, the Diplomaticos band on this new edition is different than the previous releases. The carriage image is embossed in gold as are the gold colored border lines. It looks very classy, yet not over done as with some of the other new bands we see.
On September 12, Havana House hosted an exclusive party at the Island Yacht Club in Toronto where guests were introduced to this new release. I had the chance to sit down and review the cigar. My notes are below.
BOX DATE 2018
SIZE: 4.88 inches in length by 50 ring gauge. This is a Robusto size cigar.
PAIRING. Evian. Simple, I really wanted nothing to get in the way of the flavours of this cigar. However, while smoking, there are a few drinks that would pair nicely with this cigar. See recommendations below.
1st part.
Great start! The construction is wonderful, smooth and easy draw. I can feel the smoking the experience for this Robusto size cigar will be top notch. Let’s hope the remainder of the boxes produced were rolled with this high standard. In terms of flavour, there are pronounced herbaceous notes, similar to a lemongrass scent. Very interesting. It is not a full bodied cigar, however, a solid medium bodies with a fair intensity.
2nd part.
The strength of the cigar has remained consistent and is now giving off notes of raw cashews. As the cigar evolves, so do the flavours. An aftertaste of mild pepper is coming through.
3rd part.
As you would expect, the intensity has built up, however, the strength profile remains medium bodied. Roasted almond notes are on the palette. The last part is giving off a rich vanilla type flavour, making the evolution of the cigar very complex.
Summary
This was a beautiful cigar experience. Considering it’s very young age, the Norteños had a great evolution. One of the true pleasure of enjoying a cigar is picking up different flavours as you are smoking it. The Diplomaticos Canadian Regional did not disappoint and is ready to be enjoyed now.
Rating: A solid 8 on 10.
SUGGESTED PAIRING
I do not recommend anything too strong with the Diplomaticos, it will over power this tasty cigar. I believe a Dolcetto D’Alba red wine would pair nicely, as would a refreshing classic Daiquari.
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