Diamond Crown is one of the well-established super premium brands in the cigar business, a collaboration between giants Arturo Fuente and JC Newman. The Diamond Crown is Stanford Newman’s vision of premium, with fermented Connecticut wrappers and impeccably built.

The No. 4 Maduro showcases that dark, silky wrapper, which has a sweet, rich taste on the tongue. On lighting, there are notes of toasted bread and fig and Christmas spices. The burn on this, as expected, is razor-sharp as the cigar builds in strength. Interestingly, I caught a raspberry flavor profile on occasion that was a welcome surprise.

I paired the No. 4 Maduro with a glass of Chicken Cock Straight Bourbon. On the nose, Chicken Cock is very sweet, very corn-forward. The flavor is orange with some vanilla syrupy-ness. The Chicken Cock highlights the No. 4 Maduro’s sweeter notes, and this is paring a great balance between jammy sweet notes and bright vanilla.

This is a late evening snack to be sure, something to be enjoyed in place of dessert and to finish a delicious and meal. There is a lingering richness throughout the smoke and this bourbon makes a brilliant complement to the pairing.