From the Jamastran valley in Honduras comes Camacho cigars, and this particular specimen is special to the line. In an interview for Cigar Aficionado magazine Christian Eiroa says that he developed this vitola for himself, because it’s what he likes to smoke–stronger cigars.

The Corojo line is just that– solid corojo, and the Diploma is made from the corona leaf–ligero– which at the top of the tobacco plant receives the most sunlight, absorbs the most nutrients, and is the strongest leaf on the plant. Maybe the strongest leaf on the planet.

So I knew what to expect when I introduced flame to the foot of this stout fellow– and I wasn’t disappointed. This is a thunderous smoke. The band is elegant in it’s understatement– I think the diploma is for a degree in industrial demolition.

Which isn’t to say that there’s nothing more to this cigar– there is a deep richness, and an interesting cereal element. The aroma is actually fairly delicate. But unless you’re a fan of heavyweight cigars, these subtleties will be overpowered.

I’m a fan of Camacho, especially the Havana line. The Corojo Diploma is a special smoke, but in the 7 to 8 dollar range I’ll be reserving them for when I’m craving a powerhouse cigar.