Cigar Review: Diamond Crown Julius Caeser Toro
23 Aug 2017
This Diamond Crown extension was introduced some years back to celebrate the founder of J.C. Newman Cigar Co., which calls itself “America’s oldest family-owned premium cigar makers.â€
Newman promotes Julius Caeser as a high-end premium, packaged in fancy boxes and originally available only at Diamond Crown lounges. In 2014, the robusto was named No. 14 on Cigar Aficionado’s Top 25 list.
But to me it seems the line has never really garnered the cachet of some other top-tier smokes rolled by Fuente, such as Opus X or God of Fire. My belief was reinforced recently when I was able to buy 10 of the toros online for around $50, roughly a third of the normal retail price listing.
The tobacco composition of Julius Caeser is a bit muddled. Newman’s website refers to an Ecuadorian Havana-seed wrapper over a rather vague “robust blend of Central American tobaccos.†That CA rating has it as an all Dominican stick, while others generally list Dominican binder and filler.
The Toro (6 x 52) has a lovely pre-light chocolate aroma from the wrapper. The cap is excellently applied and easy to clip. Performance, as you’d expect, was excellent in all of those I’ve smoked. Straight burn, fine draw, and good smoke production.
I found it to be a little stronger than my colleague when he reviewed the Julius Caeser Pyramid in 2011. I’d call it near the low end of medium. We did agree on the lack of complexity, with little in the way of changes from start to finish, especially after the first inch or so.
But what Julius Caeser produced was pleasant. I got light spice, a touch of cedar, and some deep, woody notes.
If you’re looking for a cigar you can enjoy any time of the day, this could be one to try. At the regular retail price, though, most experienced cigar smokers can probably find other sticks that stand out more. But when it’s marked down, Julius Caeser is well worth picking up. I rate the Toro three and a half stogies out of five.
[To read more StogieGuys.com cigar reviews, please click here.]
–George E
photo credit: Diamond Crown/Stogie Guys
Interestingly, just this morning Thompson sent out the same email-only offer for these smokes: $49.95 for 10 toros with free shipping. Stogie Guys has no business connection to Thompson and gets nothing if you make a purchase. If you want to check it out, I suggest go to Thompson’s web site https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpXJBXS_fiY and sign up for the email specials.
Interesting. I have smoked a few of these, usually at a Diamond Crown-branded cigar bar where it was an exclusive — or so they said. I recall it being OK, but it cost about $20 for 1. That sampler sounds like quite a deal.