Diplomatico No 2 (OUE OCT 06)

[Shooter]

Thanks for the review Rob---I've always been a fan of the Dip 2 although during that blind taste of '06's I got a dud for sure. Horrible actually. Still, I have confidence in them all in all.

Pics during the review really are nice! Keep 'em coming!

[gyosa]

nice review prez...

i dig the photos also ...... but one question - where's the ALCOHOL ? :-D

ha ha !!

[stonerpc]

Rob you really need to stop showing us your perfect skies and weather, some of us live in new england and thats torture:-(

But seriously your honest reviews are great:-D

[GTS21]

Excellent review, but something is troubling me....was Andy Gibb in the Bee Gees?

[El Presidente]

» Excellent review, but something is troubling me....was Andy Gibb in the Bee

» Gees?

Damn...meant Barry

[shrink]

Superb review, Prez. Damn, it seems that the quality of a lot of '06s have fallen off later in the year. My MAY06 are excellent, very strong with loads of that "paprika" spice that we love.

Overall, it seems safer to buy the early '06s, eh?

[Cam]

rob, what kinda lappy is that i need to update my computer for University, and my review site..

[mark1966]

Nice!

[Jack]

My desire to squeeze two nickles together and save $20 over the cost of Monte No. 2's got me to buy a box of these in '03. I tried to like them, but couldn't so they languished until Saturday when I lit one up and it was finally a nice cigar, but not worth the wait to become one, in my opinion. Box code was Oct 02 i believe.

[El Presidente]

Short week here in OZ with a a four day holy weekend coming up (Friday and Monday Public Holidays) and traditionally the entire country packs the camping gear Wednesday/Thursday and heads camping either to the beach or out bush. This year, I will be staying home in anticipation of Rob Schmidt (Freefallguy) arriving with his two sons for a quick 3 day stopover so I will be playing host as I show them the local delights of Brisbane town and the North and South coast beaches which frame this idyllic paradise :-). Lisa and Minismitty (Simon) refuse to work the Public Holidays......again Actually, my mate Smithy should be flying from his London holiday on Friday night and I look forward to his shagadelic tales :-D

Monday morning here.....gorgeous yet again sitting in the morning sun.

This morning I have selected a Diplomatico No 2 (OCT 06) to review. In 2006 the Dip 2 saw the best of times....and the worst of times. I have had some great examples and some woefull ones with the final score being evenly split. Yet again the early Dip 2's of 2006 were splendid cigars...medium full, spicy with a thunderbolt core of flavour. They fell away mid 06 and this is the first time I have tried a late 2006 box code.

The cigar itself was relatively well constructed. Pale, almost yellow wrapper...a not too pretty cap but well bunched. Smell at cold was dried grass stalks and hint of ginger spice. Clipped the end to find an easy draw ( not thrilled) and a telltale sign of blandness on the palate after the test draw.

I carefully lit the foot and made a commitment to take this as slowly as possible in order to slow the draw.

.......pausing now to crank up the Bee Gees "Saturday Night Fever" .....

Back to the cigar....with Andy Gibb in the background...it should feel inspired ;-)

Obviously the Dip 2 is not a fan as it fails to respond to the upbeat tempo of this classic :-| Mild body.....some clean grass stalks...slight white pepper notes and sweet bugger all else. Damn.

Not to worry as it will surely warm up and reveal its underlying Dip sweet paprika spice and cool milk coffee notes.....anytime now.....just around the corner......maybe the next third...

The Stones "Brown Sugar" now playing....surely this will inspire this flacid excuse of a cigar to reach deep and perform! Nope......not yet.

Finding cream and grass....white pepper gone. I could have put a Davidoff band on this and no-one would know the difference. Very light in body.....little ligero to speak of. "Sympathy for the Devil" was followed by Soundgardens "Black Hole Sun"....but this Dip 2 was more a Bryan Adams fan.....tragedy.

Just when I was contemplating the 4 metre pitch off the deck.....the Dip 2 sensed my mood and kicked in a gorgeous injection of ginger along with the steady dried grass and cream. Now we are talking! Into the last third and it has taken this long for the Dip to develop a personality it could be proud of. The body moved to medium and the white pepper spice returned through the nose. Great combination....white pepper, ginger, cream, hay.

"Sweet child of mine" belts out over the stereo and finally the Dip 2 has responded in the appropriate manner.

I would rate the first 2/3rds of this cigar an 84/100 3/6 smokerings. The final 1/3rd a 90/100 5/6 smokerings.

Overall and 87/100 4/6

The jury is still out.