Camacho Special Editions Diploma

Great cigar when you want lots of head on flavor without complexity. Perfect size to smoke on a cold evening. Great presentation.

This is my 2nd review on these "True Gems"
This is from the 1st production, I guess I got them about end of 2002. Like my original review these have matured after 5+ years into a Bad Ass Vitola. The flavor and aroma are tops, Honduras after the mid way they develope that "Cubanesque" essence. A true keep, well balanced with staying power, full flavored. They are not for new jacks. Wow, these need to be enjoyed after a "T-Bone" or the likes. They will get your system going. "High Octane" Sit Down and enjoy "SLOWLY" Will Knock On Head and Say Hello. A keeper in any D'or. The originals are true Gems.

AWSOME. Full flavor right off the chute. Meaty,rich and carmeled spice. I smoked my 3rd one the other day and am looking for more boxes. I scored a box from JRs Dutch auction and wish Id have bought more.(75.00) This cigar needs to be respected I smoked my last one a little fast as I was in a hurry and boy did I get buzzed. Highly recommend.

I smoked one of these for the first time at Fuego, Sosa's Cigar bar in Orlando. I am a Camacho fan but this stick was great, plenty of flavor with pepper upfront, the construction was great and it really made my night out. It didn't seem to loose it's strength and had hints of chocolate/coffee on the back end. Highly recommend this one from the Camacho Family. The ohly regreat I had was that I paid $12.00 a stick, chalk it up to vacation expense.

This is a fairly full bodied cigar with a great deal of spice but quite smooth. The first one I smoked a while back was good but time in the humidor has made the flavors meld some…the rest comfortably helped the cigar. I decided to try this one after sampling a VS Corojo that just wasn’t as good. If in a hurry you may want to put this cigar on hold for a while. It needs a break between puffs (so do you) to really bring out the strong sweet coffee flavors. As with a good cup of coffee, you may also want to sit down. Appearance was good with the construction, ash and aroma very nice. I thought the draw was little to firm but after an inch or so it started to mellow out. Lots of smoke! This is an easy cigar to recommend.

When I first tried this cigar, it blew my tastebuds out of my mouth. Very strong cigar, and w/o taste buds, how could I tell if it was really all that good? After good long spell in the humidor, I've found that this cigar lost some power, but it gained smoothness and the nutty flavors that were masked before, came through. With time, these really become a super cigar. I wonder what another year in the humi will do?

First, go eat a big sushi lunch, then go sit on deck and light this up. Can't be beat! 1/2 hour after it was done I am still buzzed. Coffee, spice and cedar flavors highlight the beginning, BIG whammy follows, all right from the first inch. About 1/2 way in flavors fade a bit. This is not a nubber, but close. Aroma and draw are excellent but I did need to relight a couple of times.

I would have to say this is probably Camacho's best cigar; it's certainly better than the regular corojo line and some of their other stuff. The cigar has a real dark look and bouquet to it(very similar to the 11/18 as well). Starts off extremely strong with a peppery and earthy taste. Gives a serious buzz to even the experienced smoker. It's similar to the 11/18 but the taste is stronger.
However the flavor really starts to fade by the halfway point, which is not unusual for strong cigars, but you're pretty much left with a sort of mild musty taste (in other words, it starts to taste like the regular corojo line).
The construction is OK but suffers tunneling much like other Camachos. Probably a lot of careful aging at slightly lower than 70% humidity would help this problem I suspect.
All in all this is a great, strong cigar but it loses it punch too fast to me. If it kept its initial flavor profile the whole way down, this would be one of the best cigasr ever.

Among the last from a box with over two years rest. Time treats these well. Flavors in the first half are more delicate than the balls-out reputation of this smoke would have you believe. Bready, with nice hints of coffee & cream. I've learned to nurse these to prevent the second half from turning skunky. Still, the subtleties of the first half vanish abruptly when the pepper rolls in. It finishes dry, with a slightly astringent aroma. On balance, these are good but hardly special at $6 a throw. When I can still find H2s at $2.25, I can't see buying more of these.

Really nice full flavored smoke!
I love them and everyone I've smoked is the same and that means alot to me!

The Diploma can be strong...but not overly, and when it's on, as was the one I had earlier, it's a wonderful thing. This one had a smooth draw, good burn, and tons of spicy, leathery tart smoke with a hint of "twang" on the finish. Construction and looks were spot on. This wasn't a terribly complex smoke, and that was fine by me; I didn't want the profile to change. It was consistently delish from start to finish.

This is a powerful smoke for it's size and a taste one too. I do enjoy this smoke, but only on a full stomach. It had a leather, creamy taste to it. and the construction was very good on mine, no burn issues at all. Not for the mild to mid cigar lover though.

I am a huge fan of full flavored cigars. This stick seems like it was just going for power (which it didn't totally achieve) with out the flavor. I had the maddie of this so I might try the natural. The flavor was real earthy in the beginning but turned bitter about a 1/3 in.

They look gorgeous. For the first half, they're rich and a little bready. But in my experience, the second half consistently turns bitter, muddled and generally a bit rough. Not a bad smoke, per se, but not in the top half of my rotation, either.

They are very consistent from box to box.Full bodied with tobacco taste predominate.Also some notes of chocolate and walnut.Construction is always superb.

Camacho have power...and this one has a V12 engine with nitrous. Sit and enjoy this one at night with a beer and friends. Perfect burn and a nice looking wrapper. The flavor was fine, but hard to discern with all of the power around it. Not for newbies!

This is one macho cigar. The construction was close to perfect. The burn was a bit rebellious at times, and it needed a little maintainence at 1/3 and 2/3 the way through, but so what? It was well worth both the cost (about equal to a grande latte and a biscotti, for a sense of perspective) and the occasional touch-up. Awesome, powerful flavor without being harsh or bitter. It was kind of like a creamy, leather milkshake with a fistful of RedHots thrown into the blender. It seriously left me a bit buzzed by the nub, which is what I smoked it down to. It was a terrific smoke, and a prophetic experience, as I see a box of these in my future.

Although somewhat lacking in depth, these cigars are definitely quality. Spicy and medium+ in body at light, they are consistently smooth and medium/full but have a sort of indistinct earthy (corojo) flavor. The burn quality is mediocre at best, frequent small runs make them mildly annoying.

Nice construction and appearance. Draw was a bit too loose, and burned unevenly. Flavor was nice, though. Hints of cream, butter and salt, that eventually gave way to a leathery finish. Smoked about 3/4 before I dumped it because of my aggravation with the poor burn. Good taste, but for $7.00, there's better to be had.

Well....I just bought 2 boxes. Love these. Definately would go head to head against anything Cuban ive smoked and I smoke at Casa De La Habano regularly when I travel on business.

This is a sleeper/

About 2 years ago, I was gifted one of these by a friend who brought over the box with the last 2 he had. I loved the packaging! Pre-light, the aroma was sort of musty like an ISOM . I smoked this puppy to the nub, and was one of about 8 cigars that I broke out the roach clip for. It is amazingly complex , spicy, full bodied, and well made. Upon finishing the stick I had to pick up a box and I did....ultimately I got 3 boxes and for the price, it was a daily enjoyment for me for a while. You cannot go wrong with the value of this smoke.

A good looking cigar with a very simple lable, the draw and burn were both top-notch. Full bodied with just a monstrous rush of power down to the end, although it was so strong that I couldn't detect any subtleties through the smoke. Good flavor, just needed more balance in that area. Not for beginners.

For fans of corojo only. It's a nice looking stick, rough but shiny. A thin brown band that simply says "Diploma" is elegant in its modesty. Full bodied killer corojo from start to finish. There's a unique cereal element to the aroma, but this is a thundering smoke that tends to overpower any nuances. For good clean fun pit this against your favorite Habano in a blind taste test.

IF THESE WERE OFFERED IN A BLIND TASTE TEST, I WOULD BET THE HOUSE THEY WERE CUBANS. GRANTED, I'VE ONLY SMOKED HALF A DOZEN CUBANS IN MY LIFE BUT THE WERE ALL SO DISTINCT IN TASTE AND FEEL, THESE CAMACHOS HAVE THE EXACT SAME QUALITIES. FOR THE $7 IT'S WORTH EVERY PENNY. ALREADY ASKED FOR A COUPLE BOXES FROM SANTA...

Very spicy beginning but the taste and aroma just kept coming on strong as it burned. Didn't find my sample hard to keep lit as some recent reviewers did. Was somewhat creamy and smooth throughout. No astringency. An all around nice smoke, but not a good value.

the Monarca. This thing is strong with decent flavor, but the Monarca has much more rich flavor to go along with the strength - period. Diploma has some burn problems that can be easily remedied with a good torch. ElkTwin obviously got a dud - probably too wet especially with the unraveling having occured. But hey, who cares, the Monarca is better.

I love Padron 3000 & Oliva "O" Maduros. This Diploma Natural is wonderfully complex and one of my favorites.Caribe's best product. Diplomas need to rest 30 days to get over shipping and to settle down.Cigar tends to be dry- best kept at 65 degrees.Can be a little young.After a rest- just sit back and enjoy. I give it a 10 plus..

The full body smoke that is straight and to the point with a simple band that any one would just pass on by unless you know your smokes. The foot lit well and held a ok ash with some burn trouble. The notes were strong and rich with wood and espresso and a nice finish to it with a hickory cream and earth. A good stick to have at the end of a hard day at work.

Geez, tried the Maduro and the Natural, both had serious draw and construction issues, good flavor, also could neve keep it lighted. very disappointed.

The cigar is very pretty. It appears well-rolled, with a finely veined
rosado colored wrapper. The bands are interesting. One, a nondescript
Camacho band, is glossy brown and white. The other, a red, white, and
yellow one which says Jamastran Corojo Habano is eerily similar to the
Habanos sticker that ISOM boxes display across the upper right hand
corner. Coincidence? Hmmmm.

Great pre-light draw and taste. The flavor before lighting is spicy and
has a nice tobacco tone.

Here's where it goes funky. The wrapper is apparently a cross between
tobacco and asbestos. It laughed in the face of my blazer. I tried
everything to keep this cigar lit, and ended up very frustrated. As it
burned, the flaky ash exhibited bizzare behavior. Severe tunnelling,
uneven runners, and all around insubordination.

The flavor was strong and one-dimensional. None of the pre-light flavor
made it through, and the cigar left a powerful but flat impression.
Clearly not for the feint of heart, this cigar would be fine if nicotine
is your number one criteria in a cigar.

All my efforts to keep this thing lit resulted in a very unpleasant
taste in the second half. The cigar turned so sour I contemplated
sucking on a lemon just to take the edge off.

Summary: If I had to make a road trip to hell, I would want a suit made
of this wrapper leaf. The large flakes and chunks of ash that fell off
and drifted around my car were quite distracting. The flavor was strong
and unspectacular. On the bright side, I got a decent buzz off it.

Unless someone can convince me I got a dud,
I won't be buying any of these. There are about a hundred better cigars
out there that deliver flavor and don't require the herculean effort to
keep them burning.

Great Construction, mild on the light-up, hints at its harsher side at the end, but I still never want this little guy to end.

This cigar looks awesome, the wrapper is oily and it feels rock solid. But the flavor is harsh, sign of a green 'gar. Age these sticks!

Full bodied with a mix of nutty and spicy flavors. Dark and imposing with a top notch construction. As tasty as any other cigar I've smoked. Not a beginner's cigar.

One of the best cigars I've had! Excellent with respect to the draw, even better w.r.t. flavor.

Nice variation on the box design is a welcome change, as well. However, I wish there were standard 10 and 25 count boxes, instead of 18. Who am I kidding? They're still great! I would recommed this cigar to anyone who enjoys a medium bodied cigar, without bite or bitterness.

As stated. “I didn’t want to post, right off my first sample from the box. They really need to develop, settle like any product, But Shit! Just let them lounge in your D’or into the gems that they really are! A real champ! The clippings of the “Corona” of this initial Corojo crop, “IMHO, “Has done justice to the “Creator, and Blender’s True Intention!” “Trying to recreate the “CUBAN” Essence. Don’t Buy Any, “Less dog’s, Less Flea’s!” YUP!

Sit down when you smoke this one. Powerful flavor; not for the faint of heart. I hard enjoy a more med/full bodied smoke, but this one was almost too strong. Great price

This is a great example of an unheralded cigar offering a great smoke. Toasty flavor and perfect construction makes this a hit.

Excellent cigar. This one could go head to head with any Cuban cigar on the market. Construction, draw, and taste are perfect.
A lot easier to obtain then Cuban cigars also

This is my goto smoke when I'm craving ISOM but need to keep it under $8. Much more consistent than many recent ISOMs also. A friend at my local shop has gone through 10 boxes of these with 5 bad cigars in the whole bunch. Draw is powerful, full of smoke. Tastes great.

bought this one and didn't really know what to expect, man this is one smooth smoke, good overall flavors has a tendency to give you that tobacco juice towards the end but I aint complaining can't wait to try another

Buttery smooth. Medium bodied. Well balanced. Stronger version of Davidoff. Would fit any situation in any time of the day. All rounder.

This robusto had a beautiful wrapper that boredered on perfect. It was as close as I have seen anyone come to the Punch Rare Corojo for flavor, but that isn't saying much. The flavor was nice and cedary and carried a good bit of spice through the first 1/2. The second 1/2 developed burn problems and the spice diminished. The one thing that didn't fade in the smoke was the strength. A solid medium to full boddied smoke.

A very strong medium to full bodied cigar. Lots of power off the bat. Some wood and pepper dominate with some spice towards the middle. Very well constructed, even burn. A truly great cigar, if you can get them out of the box.

This is an oily,full-bodied figurado with a slight box-press and perfect construction!Flavors of straightforward tobbacco are rich and satisfying!This cigar has ALOT of depth!The Eiroa family has a winner here!Great Cigar!

Beautifully made with a wonderful corojo wrapper. Tobacco is well-aged and smoke is rich and well balanced, with a creamy base and cocoa flavors. Full bodied and ready for a good evening.

Enojoyable but not complex. Medium body. Nice burn & construction. Smooth all the way through.