Diamond Game Cigars

Diamond Game Cigars is a cigar listed under the Esplanda brand. The details on file don't give a wrapper, filler, origin, ring gauge, length or strength, so check the box or band for those. What follows is general guidance for storing, cutting and pairing a cigar like this, not a measured profile of this one. Start with storage, because it affects flavor more than most people expect. Cigars of this kind generally keep best in a humidor held around 65 to 70 percent relative humidity and roughly 65 to 70°F. A cigar that has dried out burns hot and tastes thin, and one that is too damp draws tightly and smolders unevenly. Before lighting, make a clean cut with a guillotine or punch cutter, and just clip the cap without cutting into the shoulder, which can unravel the wrapper. Toast the foot with a butane or cedar flame before you draw, so the end lights evenly. Then take slow, unhurried puffs, about one a minute, so the smoke stays cool and the cigar doesn't turn bitter. For pairings, expect a cigar like this to suit a few reliable partners. Aged rum and bourbon are the classic choices, and they work best served neat or with a single large cube in a rocks glass, so the ice doesn't dilute them. A snifter or tulip glass is a better fit for brandy, cognac or an aged rum, because it holds the aroma while the cigar burns. If you prefer something non-alcoholic, black coffee, espresso or strong tea cleans the palate between draws. Unsweetened dark chocolate and roasted nuts also sit well beside tobacco and don't compete with it. Give it time. Plan on 45 minutes to an hour for most formats, and set it down in a wide, deep ashtray instead of tapping it constantly. Ash usually holds longer than people think, and letting it fall on its own protects the burn line.