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| Davidoff Nicaragua Diadema Fina |
In 2014, the Davidoff Nicaragua Diadema Fina became the fourth regular production size and the fifth vitola made in the Davidoff Nicaragua line. The Davidoff Nicaragua made its debut in 2013 and became the first Nicaraguan puro to carry the Davidoff name. Not only was this one of the most anticipated releases of 2013, but the cigar became a success for Davidoff from both a commercial and critical standpoint. Following that level of success, it was no surprise that there would be a line extension. For this first regular production line extension, Davidoff opted to produce a 6 1/2 x 50 perfecto called the Diadema Fina. This new size would become the longest offering in the line. Recently I have had an opportunity to smoke the Davidoff Nicaragua Diadema Fina. This cigar goes right to the top in terms of the offerings produced in the Davidoff Nicaragua line.
Since Davidoff CEO Hans-Kristian Hoejsgaard came on board in 2011, he has pushed innovation as a company theme integrated into its corporate strategy. The Davidoff Nicaragua brand was no exception. This would represent the a challenge for Davidoff Master Blender Henke Kelner who up until this point had not blended an all Nicaraguan Davidoff. It would be a challenge that Davidoff and Kelner would live up to.
Without further ado, let’s break down the Davidoff Nicaragua Diadema Fina and see what this cigar brings to the table.
Blend Profile
The Davidoff Nicaragua Diadema Fina shares the same tobacco components as the rest of the Davidoff Nicaragua line. This is highlighted by the 10 year old Habano Rosado wrapper.
Wrapper: Habano Seed Nicaragua Rosado – Aged for 10 years
Binder: Habano Jalapa
Filler: Esteli Viso, Condegas Ligero, Ometepe Viso and Esteli Ligero
Country of Origin: Dominican Republic (Cigars Davidoff)
Vitolas Available
As mentioned the Davidoff Nicaragua Diadema Fina is the fourth regular production vitola. The Belicoso was a limited release in 2013.
Diadema Fina: 6 1/2 x 50
Short Corona: 3 3/4 x 46
Robusto: 5 x 50 (Tube packaging)
Toro: 5 1/2 x 54
Belicoso: 5 1/4 x 52 (Limited Production)
Appearance
The Habano Rosado wrapper of the Davidoff Nicaragua Diadema Fina has dark cinnamon color. Upon closer examination, some darker marbling can be seen on the surface. The surface of the wrapper has some oil on it. There are also some visible veins and very thin wrapper seams. The cigar is tapered at both the header and footer. The footer is open while the tip is more tapered with a small cap.
The Davidoff Nicaragua Diadema Fina uses the same band design as the rest of the Davidoff Nicaragua line. This is a black and silver colored version of the Davidoff White Label design. The background is black with the font text and surrounding trim in silver. The Davidoff scripted logo is on the front. To the left of the logo is the text “DIADEMA”. (Note: each of the vitolas have text with the vitola name in this location except for the Belicoso which just has “GENEVA”). To the right is the text “GENEVE” (on all of the vitolas).
There is a secondary band just below the primary black and silver Davidoff Nicaragua band. It is orange-rust colored with black font and black trim. On the band it says “NICARAGUA” in black font. To the left and right is an image of three mountains (that actually look more like pyramids). These represent mountains of Nicaragua, but they can also represent the original theme that Davidoff had launched around this line called “EXPLORE, ADVENTURE, DISCOVER”.
Preparation for the Cigar Experience
Since there was a small cap on the Davidoff Diadema Fina, I pretty much clipped the small cap of the cigar. This provided a small smoking area on the tip; but since I was striving to take advantage of the tapering of this cigar, this is what I wanted. Once the cap was clipped, I moved on to the pre-light draw. The dry draw provided notes of burnt cedar that delivered both sweetness and spice. The dry draw also provided some notes of black pepper. Overall I considered the pre-light draw of the Davidoff Nicaragua Diadema Fina to be satisfactory.
I also was pleased this cigar had an open footer as this usually helps the burn get on the right track. After carefully toasting the footer area of the Davidoff Diadema Fina, it was time to move on to the smoking stage and see what this cigar would have in store.
Flavor Profile
The start of the Davidoff Nicaragua Diadema Fina provided a mix of cedar and nut in the forefront. I also detected a natural tobacco note in the background. There also was a black pepper note that was present on the after-draw and on the retro-hale.
As the Diadema Fina progressed through the first third, the cedar notes remained in the forefront. I also found the natural tobacco notes got more prominent and moved toward the forefront. The combination of the sweetness from the cedar and natural tobacco created a “caramelizing sweetness” that (in this author’s opinion) has become a signature flavor of this blend. Meanwhile the nut flavors floated between the forefront and background. The black pepper notes were a secondary note, but remained prominent on the after-draw.
On the second third, the cedar and natural tobacco with the caramelized sweetness was in full effect. The nut and pepper notes were secondary notes. By this point the sweetness was now mixing in with the pepper notes on the retro-hale.
The last third of the Diadema Fina saw a decrease in both the caramelized sweetness as well as the natural tobacco notes. I found more in the way of spice from both the cedar and pepper during the late stages of this cigar. The natural tobacco and nut flavors remained secondary. This is the way the cigar experience came to a close. I was quite pleased with the nub of this cigar as it was a firm and cool nub.
Burn and Draw
The fact that the Davidoff Nicaragua Diadema Fina resulted in a firm and cool nub was a testament to the great construction of this cigar. This was also reflected throughout the whole burn of this cigar. As I mentioned earlier, the open footer helped the burn get on the right track. The burn line took a relatively straight track. There was a slight curviness to the burn line itself, but this was a low maintenance burn that did not require many touch-ups – something quite pleasing for a perfecto. The resulting ash was a silvery gray color with some darker streaks mixed in. The ash remained firm throughout the smoke – and was not prone to any significant flaking. The burn rate and burn temperature were both ideal.
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| Burn of the Davidoff Nicaragua Diadema Fina |
The draw was also ideal. It was not too loose, nor too tight. I particularly liked how the area where the cap clipped remained firm as I drew on the cigar.
Strength and Body
From a strength perspective, I found the Davidoff Nicaragua Diadema Fina to not be an overpowering smoke. At the same time, it had just the right amount of kick. Overall I assessed the Diadema Fina to be a medium strength cigar. As for the flavors, they had some nice depth, but did not weigh too heavy on the palate. I assessed the Diadema Fina as being a medium to full-bodied smoke. When looking at strength versus body, I gave a slight edge to the body with this cigar.
Final Thoughts
I will admit, when the Davidoff Nicaragua came out, I wasn’t quite on board with the buzz with this cigar. I thought it was a good cigar, but not a great one. A couple of things have changed my opinion. First up, I found that this cigar aged nicely – in fact this finished as the #6 Aged Cigar for 2014 on Cigar Coop. Secondly, I had smoked the Davidoff Nicaragua Short Corona – and loved this cigar in the short format. Given how much I liked the Short Corona, I wasn’t sure how the large Diadema Fina would perform. Instead I found this to be equally satisfying to the small Short Corona – yet deliver a different cigar experience. Another thing I am noticing is that the Davidoff Nicaragua blend is one of those blends where each size is really going to deliver its own story. The Diadema Fina also delivers the most complexity of all of the vitolas in this line.
The Diadema Fina is a cigar I would recommend to a experienced cigar enthusiast. I’d probably recommend a novice to smoke the Short Corona before tackling the Diadema, but I certainly would not discourage a novice from smoking the larger size. As for myself, this is a cigar I would definitely smoke again – and its certainly box worthy.
Summary
Burn: Excellent
Draw: Excellent
Complexity: High
Strength: Medium
Body: Medium to Full
Finish: Excellent
Assessment: 4.0 – Box Worthy
Score: 93
References
News: Davidoff Nicaragua Line Expands with Diadema Fina and Primeros Line Extensions
Price: $17.90
Source: Cigars Provided by Manufacturer
Stogie Geeks Podcast: Episode 107
Stogie Feed: Davidoff Nicaragua Diadema Fina
