Cigar: Diesel
Maker: A.J. Fernandez
Size 5×56 (Unholy Cocktail)

Prelight Inspection:
What a wrapper this cigar has! It is extremely dark with a very mottled/speckled appearance. There are some very prominent veins but no holes or tears. It really reminds me of a nice thick chunk of leather. It is presented in a very nice robust size with a smooth torpedo head. This is a very tightly packed cigar but it is obvious from the foot that the different tobaccos were rolled in such a way as to leave air passages. Hopefully the draw will be ok. I really like the small band at the foot. A lot of cigars lately have had large flashy bands that take your eye off of the tobacco. This one is meant to blend in. If you look at the photos you can see that it is even textured to match the look of the maduro wrapper. The aroma coming from the wrapper is a nice mix of earth and leather. The foot yields mostly the same with just a little hint of spice. After the cut I am greeted with a medium/firm draw. It is a little tight for me but definitely manageable. The same notes of earth and leather are present in the draw. Time to start toasting………

1st Third:

This one took a while to light and is burning slow and cool. Right away I am greeted with the earth and leather. This is a very pleasing mix and will make a nice base for the cigar to build from. There is a little spice creeping in but not much. It has a thickness to it that is hard to describe. It adds just a little sweetness on the finish so I think I will compare it to molasses. It’s not too complex at the moment but it is burning great and the flavors that are there are mixing very well and creating a very straightforward and enjoyable smoke.

2nd Third:

I am starting to feel this one a little in my stomach. I have a feeling there are some very well aged/fermented ligeros in there that are keeping the burn slow and creating a full body that creeps up on you. Each puff is started with earth and leather just as the first third but I am detecting something else on the exhale. After smoking 3 for the review and several others before that, I think I have finally picked it out. Initially I got a smooth molasses with a hint of spice. The spice has started to build enough that it is now presenting itself as a cinnamon flavor. The further into the 2nd third I get, the more I can pick this out. I am really enjoying this flavor change and am looking forward to the last third.

Last Third:

More spice! This cigar keeps ramping up the flavor. Now the cinnamon is matching the earth and leather step for step. I am also now getting a little zest on the finish. Due to the strength of the other flavors it is hard to pick out but it reminds me of pecans. This cigar has a very unique flavor profile. I have never tasted a cigar before that left me with such a pleasant aftertaste. It is still not the most complex cigar but it makes up for it with its combined flavor and great burn. Oh, did I mention that I just tapped the ash off! I once saw a picture on the net where they never had to tap the ash off of this cigar. I can believe it. Of all the Diesels I have had not one of them has lost the ash before the 2 inch mark. As I said earlier, the flavor is getting bolder and the spice is ramping up a bit but the burn is still cool. I think I will try to nub this one. However, it is definitely in the strong/full category now. I probably would have had to put this one down a few months ago but I am enjoying the cinnamon spice so much that I can’t resist!

Conclusion:

Many reviews of this cigar have stated that it has a mocha /coffee flavor. I have had many cigars that present those flavors but none of the Diesels have even hinted at it. That being said, I really like the flavors that it has. It has a great earthy base with some leather mixed in. And the cinnamon flavor that develops in the second third is just amazing. I would like to note that this is a cigar that must be smoked at 60% humidity. At first I wasn’t dry boxing it and the flavors were all over the place. Once you bring it down to 60 to smoke you will find it becomes much more consistent. It took me a long time to really appreciate this cigar because it isn’t like mixing up a “cocktail” with tons of different flavors. Instead this cigar reminds me of a steak. There aren’t a whole lot of flavors there but the ones it has mixes in such a way to make it extremely savory. I would definitely suggest you try a few!

Flavor and Taste:  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17 18  19  20

Construction:  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8 9  10

Wrapper:  1  2  3  4  5

Was it Worth the Price?  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 10

Would I Buy an Entire Box?  1  2  3  4 5

Total Score:  43 out of 50