Initial Thoughts
I’ve had this Camacho Diploma in my humidor for quite a while. In fact I’ve had it in there so long apparently Camacho discontinued it… Sounds about right now, by the time I finally get around to smoking it all the information about it seems to have vanished from interwebs.
Apparently this cigar had been around for awhile and developed quite the following. Similar to it’s brother the Camacho Corojo which also got a big face lift from the brand’s marketing department. Supposedly this cigar came out at the 2014 trade show, which sounds about right. I think I’ve had it sitting in my humidor for well over 2 years. None the less, some stores online still carry it and are selling boxes at deep discounts. So if the review seems to align with your flavor palate then I would recommend going to try and find a couple of cheap boxes to have on hand.
Looks
Similar to all the other Camacho cigars that have had a face lift the Camacho Diploma is now bold and bright with it’s packaging as well. The Diploma was upgraded to a larger than life band that is purple, silver, and black. Overall the cigar looks great. Beautiful dark chocolate Habana 200o wrapper. Very few veins appear on the wrapper and it is fairly smooth and velvety to the touch. I would have to say that the makeover of the design was quite drastic but it looks great now. Definitely an eye grabber on the shelf of any humidor.
Smoking
The smoking experience through the entire cigar was fantastic. The draw was nice and smooth and never hit any resistance. It was easy to sit back and relax with this Camacho Diploma and enjoy a nice spring evening here in Nashville. I was never able to get a great picture of the ash though. It always seemed to fall off when I positioned it for a picture. Oh well, other than that it was a very pleasant smoke!
Flavor
Now here is the exciting stuff! On the pre light I was able to pick up a good dose of mocha, like a chocolate donut. Some thin hints of earth and coffee.
Once the cigar got going I picked up a solid dose of black pepper and a nice solid punch of tobacco as well. Overall the flavors were very balanced and moved in and around the common notes of pepper, earth and mocha. Some of my favorite combinations honestly. I love having that bit of sweet mocha battling the spice from the pepper. Makes for an exciting few hours!
Would I Buy It Again?
Well possibly, but seeing as how they’re discontinued that’s going to be tough!
Is It an Every Day Smoke?
Not for me, it’s a little bit too much of a full body cigar for me.
Would I Buy a Box?
Potentially, Cigars International has boxes of 10 right now for 50% off which is a great deal.
Conclusion
Overall this Camacho Diploma is a really solid cigar. I had a great smoking experience and I would love to try another one. I think it’s a powerful or as the brand says ‘Bold’ cigar. It offers some nice complexities between the mocha, earth and coffee notes that dance around. So if you see some around your local shop you should pick up a couple. Or if you’re looking for some great deals check out the online retailer and get some deeply discounted stock!
