Diplomaticos No.4 ARA FEB 01

[Colt45]

I was able to smoke this cigar courtesy of a generous member of the board.

An oil free tan wrapper, a bit rough to the touch. Nicely constructed with a great

draw, nice volume of smoke, but a somewhat erratic burn.

It started out sweetish tobacco with allspice from the spice rack. After the first

inch or so came a distinct flavor of anise - think sambuca, but not as dense or

syrupy. Rubbing my tongue against my palate brought out this sensation even

more.

The spice becomes white pepper, but without any hard edge. There is now a

buttery mouth feel, which reminds me of a box of SLR A from '02.

At midpoint, the pepper increases while the anise subsides slightly. Every now

and then BAM! a hit of cherry.

With a third to go, sambuca comes back full force, tinged with cherry. Sweet

tobacco shows itself again, with the spice element still prominent. Hints of

apricot on the final puffs.

This cigar was deceptively near full in body, deceptively complex from beginning

to end, with a spicy, lingering finish. It was one of the spicier cigars I've had in some

time, but not oppressively so.

Near the very end, I found myself staring at it, literally nearly burning my fingers.

For me, a unique cigar, and I'm grateful for the opportunity to smoke it.

I'd be very interested to hear comments on more recent vintages.

[Smallclub]

I have a PEL NOV 02 box which turned out to be much more interesting than what I expected.

The cigars are very spicy and rustic, the taste is somewhere between RyJ, Monte and Punch. They are very satisfying and show a huge potential for more ageing.

[Professor Twain]

Great review Colt. Yes, these cigars have a lot of spiciness to them, I have never detected the anise, but I note a lemony taste in addition to the spices. Dip 4s and 5s seem to be somewhat off the radar screen but I really love them.

I haven't smoked many 06 or 07 Dip 4s or 5s and would also love to hear any comments from people who have.

[kirill]

» I have a PEL NOV 02 box which turned out to be much more interesting than

» what I expected.

» The cigars are very spicy and rustic, the taste is somewhere between RyJ,

» Monte and Punch. They are very satisfying and show a huge potential for

» more ageing.

That's interesting, because I the '02 box a finished last December, I would not have described as neither rustic nor overly spicy. From my still quite vivid memory (and some tasting notes for my re-buy list) most of them were very smooth. Vanilla was the most dominant aroma, there was also that buttery mouthfeel that Colt45 described and some nice spices notes in the range of cardamom/ginger/cinnamon lingering in and out.

I've also tried singles from presumably more recent vintages, whenever I found them in shops. My impression was that they tend to be stronger while young and to provide more of a cedar wood aroma with less sweetness and more dominant spices.

Still better IMHO than the Montecristo 4's (and cheaper).

[greenpimp]

Nice review. I've really started to like this cigar.

[Colt45]

After I posted my notes I went and searched for reviews on this one. There weren't many, and none

mentioned anise / sambuca.

For me, it was an unmistakable element. I can definitely agree on calling this one a zesty, spicy cigar.

[CIGARHead]

» I was able to smoke this cigar courtesy of a generous member of the board.

» An oil free tan wrapper, a bit rough to the touch. Nicely constructed with

» a great

» draw, nice volume of smoke, but a somewhat erratic burn.

» It started out sweetish tobacco with allspice from the spice rack. After

» the first

» inch or so came a distinct flavor of anise - think sambuca, but not as

» dense or

» syrupy. Rubbing my tongue against my palate brought out this sensation

» even

» more.

» The spice becomes white pepper, but without any hard edge. There is now a

» buttery mouth feel, which reminds me of a box of SLR A from '02.

» At midpoint, the pepper increases while the anise subsides slightly. Every

» now

» and then BAM! a hit of cherry.

» With a third to go, sambuca comes back full force, tinged with cherry.

» Sweet

» tobacco shows itself again, with the spice element still prominent. Hints

» of

» apricot on the final puffs.

» This cigar was deceptively near full in body, deceptively complex from

» beginning

» to end, with a spicy, lingering finish. It was one of the spicier cigars

» I've had in some

» time, but not oppressively so.

» Near the very end, I found myself staring at it, literally nearly burning

» my fingers.

» For me, a unique cigar, and I'm grateful for the opportunity to smoke it.

» I'd be very interested to hear comments on more recent vintages.

Colt45.

I had a box of '02 (gone now) that were damn near to what you describe -- I didnt have the cherry notes you had. I ordered another aged box that smelt like someones old wet shoes. Obviously not stored properly. Since then, I havent had one. I too would be curious as to the recent production because they were little firecrackers.

[El Presidente]

Great review Colt..I will try and review a recent release tomorow. At their best you have nailed the description.

[wp2]

Great review Colt. I love these little babies, though I've never gotten any Sambuca from them. Of course, mine are '04, so in a couple of years...

[El Presidente]

Colt...I had an early 07 Friday afternoon. Has all the hallmarks of a great dip down the line. Medium full body and all dark coffee with hints of glazed fruit sweetness at this stage. Should develop well.

[bassman]

Smoked several Dip #1s, 2s & 4s over the years & thought they were all pretty bland. Last night though, I smoked a #4 that was surprisingly delicious. Sweet & medium bodied, it was consistantly flavorful to the nub. No idea of the vintage, but I would guess fairly recent.

[Colt45]

Thanks for the follow-ups, guys. I'll keep my eye on these.

[Matt3]

I smoked a #4 once. It was gifted to me and I thought it was so bland and lacking in flavor that I only smoked about 1/2 of it.

Then again, it was gifted to me and I have no idea of it's authenticity. Judging by your review it probably wasn't real. I will have to give these another try.