Pre-light Experience

The wrapper covering this figurado is medium brown with some darker splotches. There are a few slightly raised veins and the seams are smooth and very well hidden. The head is finished off with very well applied caps. There are two bands with the primary being gold with a large 50 on it and the Davidoff name below it. The secondary band is a white strip band with the range of years covering the 50 year anniversary. The aroma from the wrapper is musty barnyard and with the foot opening being so small, there’s nothing really to detect from there. The pre-light draw brings some light graham cracker sweetness with a very mild cinnamon.

Pre-light Experience

This figurado is constructed well and it has a nice firmness throughout. The wrapper has a dark natural coloring to it, really sporting an antique brown color and it is consistent throughout. There are some veins present as well, mostly small to medium in size, but they have no impact on the cigar. There are visible seams but this is a well constructed diadema. The wrapper is giving off an aroma of hay, earth, citrus and sweet smoky spices while the foot is showing notes of earth, raisins, bread and cocoa.

Pre-light Experience

The wrapper on the Davidoff Diademas Finas Limited Edition 50th Anniversary has a velvety tan color. The cigar has a primary and secondary band in a striking reflective gold with white accents. The aroma on the wrapper is fresh sweet cedar with light leather underneath. I’m not able to detect anything new from the foot.

Pre-light Experience

The Davidoff Diademas Finas Limited Edition 50th Anniversary has a Colorado Claro wrapper shade with the feel of a finely graded sandpaper. Veins are neatly pressed, seams tight, bunch and roll firm and even and head finished off with a well applied deep cap. Nosing the wrapper gives an abundance of cedar and roasted nuts. Nosing the foot tells namely some white pepper and the same roasted nuts. Cold draw gives hay, cedar, nuts and cardboard.

First Third

The cigar begins with a profile of light and sweet cedar that has a very mild spice to it. At a half inch in, when the cigar reaches the end of the taper, some earthiness joins the profile. At an inch in, there’s the addition of some mustiness to go along with the light and sweet cedar, spice and earthiness. The retrohale has a bit of effervescence to it along with the light cedar note. At the two inch mark, some nuttiness joins in to go along with the musty and slightly sweet cedar and earthiness. The strength in this third was mild-medium.

First Third

The Diadema Finas starts off with a blast of red and white pepper spice and orange pepper qualities on top of that. As the cigar opens up further, there are some rich earth notes present and it is topped off by this creamy, nutty and creme brulee profile. It’s got depth and complexity and is stunning. It has a fantastic start as a cigar and that taper makes a difference. It is a medium-full cigar in terms of body and flavors, and I would say the strength is at a medium level.

First Third

My first few draws consist of sweet bready notes with brown sugar, and that sweet cedar from the pre-light. The initial puffs take me back to the classic Davidoff profile of the past. There is some mild chocolate after the Diademas Finas settles in a few minutes later. Each puff finishes very clean with no flavors lingering on the palate. A few minutes more and some mild cedar seeps into the post draw, along with the chocolate which now begins to coat my palate. A general sweetness starts to carry into the post draw mixing in with the cedar. At the halfway point, some creaminess joins in with the cedar flavors and picks up to a medium strength level for flavor.

First Third

There’s a lot going on within the first third of the cigar. The first quarter inch or so smoking through the tapered portion of the cigar is all about classic Davidoff hay and cedar. Past that mark, citrus, coffee and minerals join the cedar and hay. Retrohaling brings a nice sharper white pepper and bread. The finish is fairly long with minerals, cedar and bread. Strength and body is medium.

Second Third

As the second third begins, a large amount of cream enters the profile and takes the lead over the musty cedar, earthiness and nuttiness. At a half inch in, the spicy cedar increases to become even with the cream while the mustiness and earthiness are faint in the background and the nuttiness has left the profile. The retrohale still carries the effervescence along with some musty cedar. At an inch in, the earthiness picks up a bit just leaving the mustiness as a supporting note while the creamy and musty cedar still has the lead. At two inches in, the cedar transitions to a toasted oak note along with some cream and mustiness while the earthiness is not far behind. The strength in this third was slightly below medium.

Second Third

When I get into the second third of the cigar, I find that it becomes a little bit more woody and showing some of those rich earth qualities as well. There are some chocolaty aspects present and they are a milk chocolate like profile. The orange peel notes have faded some, but there is still citrus present with a new spiciness that is more smokey. It has this Hungarian paprika quality and it has a soft sweetness to it that blends well with the flavors. I would classify the cigar as still being medium-full in body, and the strength has picked up some as well, smoking at a similar level. The flavors are right there as well and this is a really enjoyable second third.

Second Third

As the Diademas Finas transitions into the second third, the chocolate evolves into cocoa and picks up in intensity. The post draw took on a slight palate drying characteristic near the end of the first third and carries through here. Once the second third settles in, there is some mild spices pushing through on the retrohale, harmonizing with the sweet cedar. At the midway point, a toasted bready note is more defined, along with cinnamon spices on the retrohale.

Second Third

The second third continues to hold strong with coffee, cedar, baking spices, hay and bread. The finish is long and quite clean with the same lingering minerals, cedar and bread. Strength and body remains unchanged at medium.

Final Third

As the final third begins, the profile keeps the toasted and musty oak as the cream recedes quite a bit. Earthiness still has a healthy presence as well. At an inch in, the oak loses the toast and becomes fairly charred. The mustiness remains in the profile while the earthiness is gone. The retrohale is full of oak, earth and mustiness. At an inch and a quarter, the cream picks back up to smooth out the char a bit. At the beginning of the taper, the cream is up front with the charred and musty oak slightly behind. The strength in this third remained at slightly below medium.

Final Third

The final third shows a lot of the same traits that are present in the second third with some losses and additions. The orange peel, citrus and paprika notes have faded and are replaced with this oat bread like flavor profile. There are some solid cedar and grass notes as well, and they are present with this earthy and creamy milk chocolate flavor. The body of the cigar has dropped down to a medium level and I would say the same for the strength and flavors as well. It finishes super smooth and makes you ready for another cigar.

Final Third

The flavor profile still consists of creamy cedar with toasted bready notes moving into the last third. The post draw palate still has a measurable amount of drying cedar. As the last third establishes itself, some mild, musty earthiness comes through and joins into the flavor mix.

Final Third

The last third picks up some char to the cedar note and the spice in general takes an upswing. These things throw off the balance a bit and makes especially the bread note shift into the background. Strength and body finishes medium.

Burn

The burn was slightly wavy at times but never needed any attention. The first ash dropped at the two and a half inch mark and then dropped off in one inch marks thereafter.

Burn

The burn was solid throughout on the diadema. I think it smoked best in the first third and got a little wavy as the cigar progressed but it required no touch-ups and presented no problems. If you are looking for perfection, it wasn’t there, but overall it had a nice burn. Ash was light gray to begin with, charcoal gray in the second and final third.

Burn

The burn line remains quite consistent throughout the smoking experience, with ash holding on well over 2 inches.

Burn

Burn performance was just one notch shy of perfection. The only downside was a couple minor touch-ups required. Other than that, burn line was pretty even, ashes held on rock solid, 2 inch average ash retention and a cool burning temperature.

Draw

The draw was perfect with just the right amount of resistance that I prefer.

Overall

The first third had a good build up of flavors and complexity and then it all came together in the second third. The final third dropped off significantly in the enjoyment of flavors and complexity. The profile was centered around cedar and then oak along with cream, mustiness and earthiness. Construction was fantastic and required no attention. This is a well done anniversary cigar and is something special that I expect for such an occasion. While the price point is quite high, it is something worth the experience and the occasion. I would gladly smoke more of these and would urge people to seek these out to try them.

Draw

I prefer my draw to be a little more snug, but for a lot of people I think they would say the draw was great. Smoked cool from start to finish. Can’t ask for more than that.

Overall

I have smoked a handful of these and every one gets better. They are really mellowing out nicely in my humidor and now that they are on shelves they are smoking great! It is a complex cigar, one of the more complex offerings from Davidoff and does 50 years justice. I loved the citrus and paprika notes that were present in the cigar for the first two thirds and with huge transitioning in the final third it makes me want another. The Davidoff Diademas Finas Limited Edition 50th Anniversary had depth, complexity and transitioning, and when you have that you can’t ask for much more. This is truly an example of a great cigar. This is what you want in a cigar.

Draw

The draw is slightly into the tight range, but moves into the perfect draw spectrum once the cigar has burned to the Diademas shoulder.

Overall

The Davidoff Diademas Finas Limited Edition 50th Anniversary is unquestionably one of the top cigars I’ve had the fortune of smoking in 2018. The smoking experience is elegant, and while the strength of the cigar never goes above medium, the flavor profile is medium-full with layers of nuanced complexity.

Draw

Perfect draw on this diademas.

Overall

This cigar is every bit worth the $36 price tag. The flavors were engaging, transitioned well, complex and nuanced. Quite honestly, anything less than this will be a miss to pay proper tribute to the original Davidoff Diademas, in which I had the pleasure of smoking throughout the last 2 to 3 years. Although not a very fair comparison of original vs new (12 year age difference) both are great, but the original has developed into a silky smoking experience in which I’m hoping the new will get there someday. For a price tag this high, I typically will say try it perhaps on a special occasion. But in the case of the Davidoff Diademas Finas Limited Edition 50th Anniversary, try it period.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

7.07

Cost/Point

$5.09

Scoring System

Seth Geise

SCORE

8.95

Cost/Point

$4.02

Scoring System

John McTavish

SCORE

8.23

Cost/Point

$4.37

Scoring System

Jiunn Liu

SCORE

8.13

Cost/Point

$4.43

Scoring System

Team Cigar Review: Davidoff Diademas Finas Limited Edition 50th Anniversary