I think diacetyl is a misunderstood boogeyman for many beer tasters, judges or not. I wonder if they keyed in on the beer tasting "different" due to the use of Munich in the grist...couldn't identify what it was so it "had to be diacetyl."
In my experience, there's nothing iffy about diacetyl. Buttery, and slippery. And honestly, not always a bad thing, some beers benefit from it. (Samuel Smith's Nut Brown Ale is a great example.)