Harsens Island, Michigan is located at the top of Lake St. Clair near the mouth of the St. Clair River. Less than an hour from Detroit, the only way to get there from the mainland (other than boat or small plane) is by five-minute ferry ride. With no fast-food restaurants, no gas stations and only one bar open year-round (two in the summer), Harsens Island nonetheless remains popular for its hunting, fishing, wildlife, freighter watching, and a host of other sights. The largest freshwater delta in the Great Lakes Basin, the majority of the island and surrounding areas are protected wetlands. With only 1,300 year-round residents occupying 19 square miles, and because of the absence of any bridge, the island retains an isolated charm. And the locals like it that way!
If my fellow cigar-smoking brethren are reading this and exclaiming, “Dang, that sounds like a great place to have a family cottage – I’d go there every weekend and smoke cigars!” You’d be correct. And that is how I came to find myself this past Memorial weekend, Saturday night; just a mile from my cottage at the Sans Souci (French for “without a worry”) Bar located along the shipping channel of Harsens Island, with a Diamond Crown Robusto in my hand just begging to be smoked. (Note: As of May 1 the State of Michigan smoking ban went into effect. You can’t smoke inside the Sans Souci, of course, however outside of the bar just beyond their property line you can smoke at one of the many picnic tables located along the waterway).
Pre-light/pre-cut inspection proudly displayed a solid fireplug of a stick with a smooth, shiny golden wrapper. This 5-year old wrapper undergoes multiple fermentation processes, giving it a unique taste filled with sweet, rich flavors. The cigar band is an unassuming affair of muted red, yellow, and gold colors, with the titular crown in the center. Mouth salivating, I made my customary perfect cut and took a pre-light draw. The cold draw flavor profile presented itself as a bit nutty with a touch of cedar. I had a good feeling about this cigar. When Diamond Crown cigars first came out they wanted to be a thick cigar for the experienced aficionado, so all Diamond Crown cigars were created with a minimum 54 ring gauge. They claim the larger ring would “allow for their proprietary blending of 6-7 individual tobacco leaves; an extremely complex mix of Dominican tobaccos.” That sounded good to me. Grabbing my trusty Xikar double-jet torch lighter, I settled in and lit the fuse…
Ah sweet nectar, once again I suckle at your teat ™! Introductory puffs rewarded me with a mouthful of rich creamy smoke that coated the palate. I detected almond with maybe a touch of black cherry vying for my attention. I ambled into the sweet spot, and a buttered toast note entered the mix along with hints of black pepper. For a supposedly medium-bodied cigar this Diamond Crown Robusto was bursting with flavor. The draw remained ideal and the burn rapier-sharp as I entered the home stretch. Just beyond the break wall, barely visible in the moonlight and a stones-throw away, an iron ore freighter slipped silently up the channel. A ghostly behemoth bound for the Great Lakes and parts north. Into the finish I was rewarded with a smooth blend of toast, wood, cedar and coffee. As I savored the final puffs beneath a canopy of stars, I settled into a nice peaceful repose, reflecting upon the true meaning of Memorial Day: commemorating the men and women of our military who have made supreme sacrifices on our behalf.
To sum up: At around $12 for a 4 ½ inch Robusto the Diamond Crown begins to creep beyond my fiscal comfort range. However, for a medium-bodied cigar it boasted a tapestry of delicious flavors; it had some depth but was not overpowering. A gift from the missus, this particular stick rested for near 90 days in my humidor, and had no construction, draw or burn issues. While probably not an everyday smoke for me – and that’s based solely on price – I will most certainly revisit this brand again.
Grade: A-
Happy Memorial Day!
If my fellow cigar-smoking brethren are reading this and exclaiming, “Dang, that sounds like a great place to have a family cottage – I’d go there every weekend and smoke cigars!” You’d be correct. And that is how I came to find myself this past Memorial weekend, Saturday night; just a mile from my cottage at the Sans Souci (French for “without a worry”) Bar located along the shipping channel of Harsens Island, with a Diamond Crown Robusto in my hand just begging to be smoked. (Note: As of May 1 the State of Michigan smoking ban went into effect. You can’t smoke inside the Sans Souci, of course, however outside of the bar just beyond their property line you can smoke at one of the many picnic tables located along the waterway).
Pre-light/pre-cut inspection proudly displayed a solid fireplug of a stick with a smooth, shiny golden wrapper. This 5-year old wrapper undergoes multiple fermentation processes, giving it a unique taste filled with sweet, rich flavors. The cigar band is an unassuming affair of muted red, yellow, and gold colors, with the titular crown in the center. Mouth salivating, I made my customary perfect cut and took a pre-light draw. The cold draw flavor profile presented itself as a bit nutty with a touch of cedar. I had a good feeling about this cigar. When Diamond Crown cigars first came out they wanted to be a thick cigar for the experienced aficionado, so all Diamond Crown cigars were created with a minimum 54 ring gauge. They claim the larger ring would “allow for their proprietary blending of 6-7 individual tobacco leaves; an extremely complex mix of Dominican tobaccos.” That sounded good to me. Grabbing my trusty Xikar double-jet torch lighter, I settled in and lit the fuse…
Ah sweet nectar, once again I suckle at your teat ™! Introductory puffs rewarded me with a mouthful of rich creamy smoke that coated the palate. I detected almond with maybe a touch of black cherry vying for my attention. I ambled into the sweet spot, and a buttered toast note entered the mix along with hints of black pepper. For a supposedly medium-bodied cigar this Diamond Crown Robusto was bursting with flavor. The draw remained ideal and the burn rapier-sharp as I entered the home stretch. Just beyond the break wall, barely visible in the moonlight and a stones-throw away, an iron ore freighter slipped silently up the channel. A ghostly behemoth bound for the Great Lakes and parts north. Into the finish I was rewarded with a smooth blend of toast, wood, cedar and coffee. As I savored the final puffs beneath a canopy of stars, I settled into a nice peaceful repose, reflecting upon the true meaning of Memorial Day: commemorating the men and women of our military who have made supreme sacrifices on our behalf.
To sum up: At around $12 for a 4 ½ inch Robusto the Diamond Crown begins to creep beyond my fiscal comfort range. However, for a medium-bodied cigar it boasted a tapestry of delicious flavors; it had some depth but was not overpowering. A gift from the missus, this particular stick rested for near 90 days in my humidor, and had no construction, draw or burn issues. While probably not an everyday smoke for me – and that’s based solely on price – I will most certainly revisit this brand again.
Grade: A-
Happy Memorial Day!
I am a total novice when it comes to cigar smoking. What is the best way to get into the cigar hobby? Buy a sampler pack? My dad use to smoke El Productos when I was just a kid, maybe I should start with those? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. BTW, I cannot afford $12 for one box of cigars let alone just one cigar. Thanks for all your help.
ReplyDeleteFirst off, I would discourage you from smoking the mass-produced machine-made cigars (such as El Producto – with all due respect to your father) you get at the local drug store or gas station. Although they have their fans, these are cigars in the loosest sense of the word: i.e. you can light them and smoke them, but they are filled with chemicals and preservatives. These are the cigars that will leave your mouth feeling like the floor carpet of a movie theatre the next morning. Even with money being a consideration, I would rather smoke one good cigar a week than seven cheap cigars every day. In any event, you are going to want to smoke a hand-made cigar that has been stored in a humidor. I suggest you visit a local tobacconist. Peruse their walk-in humidor, and by all means solicit their advice – they will be happy to help. As far as price goes, many of the big name manufacturers have realized that in this economy they need to offer a fiscally responsible bargain smoke. Hence some of the big cigar companies have recently started producing value brands. Many of these can be found in the $5.00 and under range. Go online and order some catalogs from some of the larger, more respectable companies. They are always having sales and specials; sampler packs, free shipping and the like. Keep in mind that as a novice you will probably want to begin by smoking mild cigars until you get used to the experience. Again, consult with a tobacconist or do some online research. Keep me posted and good luck!
ReplyDelete~Christopher/Cigar Scholar