Tag Archives: diesel

by | October 24, 2021 · 11:12 am

A Visit To Best Cigar Pub with The Cigar Hacks and Diesel Sunday Gravy News

Nearly Four years ago when I went to New Hampshire for the Cigar Authority’s 400th show I met Dave, who was launching a new podcast called The Cigar Hacks. They do a panel style podcast, (often large) with a cast of characters which has morphed over time. They concentrate on promoting events and shops local to them in the New Hampshire and Massachusetts areas, along with events at other places they have visited in their travels. They also do a blind review of a cigar just about every week. I find them entertaining, as long as they don’t get too political. Dave has also managed to get his hands on a stretch limo, which they call the Oscuro III, as there have been others before this one, which the load up into to visit the various shops and lounges in their area. Like Pennsylvania, New Hampshire is loaded with cigar shops, because there’s no cigar tax. This is one of the reasons that the Hacks made a trip to the northern part of my state of PA to visit a few stores. There are also a few friends of the show, and fellow Hacks, I guess, in PA who hosted the New Englanders.  These guys like to party too. I decided to drive up to Best Cigar Pub in Drums, PA to surprise them. I beat them there by about twenty minutes,  which allowed me time to hit the humidor where I picked up some of the new CAO 60 Torque for some reason. What compelled me to get, and light up, an 8″ x 60 cigar, I can’t tell you, I suppose I wanted something that was going to fill the right amount of time for me, nd it was new and I really couldn’t find anything else I wanted to smoke in the humidor at the time. I really wasn’t paying too much attention to it, but it wasn’t bad, I smoked the second half on the ride home and it was actually quite tasty. More on that cigar another time, but it’s easily a three hour cigar. I ended up being a guest on the podcast episode that they recorded there, which should be released tomorrow, so if Podcasts are your thing, check out The Cigar Hacks where ever fine podcasts are sold. If you’re in the northeastern part of PA, you need to visit Best Cigar Pub. It’s quite the place. They have a full bar and restaurant, along with a well appointed humidor and an outstanding staff. I’d stop in more often if it weren’t an hour and forty minute drive! It was great to finally meet the Hacks from NH/Mass, Joe and his family, and Alex from PA. 

There have been some news items that have come across my desk over the last week that I have passed on posting because they were shop exclusives or “just shipped” or stuff like that. I figure others are passing that info along, my readers don’t need to see it here. However, one I didn’t get a chance to pass along, and it was sent kind of late, as the cigar had already started to show up in stores I’m led to believe, is this one: 

DIESEL LAUNCHES SECOND “SUNDAY GRAVY” EXPRESSION

Diesel is rolling out the first follow-up to Sunday Gravy with “Pecorino,” a three-country blend that’s just begun shipping to retailers nationwide. Pecorino takes its name from a deliciously rich and flavorful Italian cheese often substituted for a more expensive variety. Here again, the culinary world and the cigar category collide, as Sunday Gravy Pecorino offers a satisfying smoking experience at a surprisingly affordable price.

Blended by AJ Fernandez and Justin Andrews and handcrafted at Tabacalera AJ Fernandez in Esteli, Nicaragua,  Diesel Sunday Gravy Pecorino features a Mexican San Andres wrapper over a Cameroon binder and bold Nicaraguan Esteli Habano filler. This is a medium-plus smoke brimming with character. The Mexican wrapper delivers a peppery note and when combined with the subtle sweetness from the Cameroon binder and the boldness of the filler, the experience is unique and dimensional. 

Justin Andrews said, “AJ and I had a lot of fun blending Diesel Sunday Gravy Pecorino. And as often happens over  Sunday sauce, we brought our opinions to the table. ‘Pecorino’ represents what he and I both believe is the best of our palates: AJ’s nod to a bold smoke is there on the Nicaraguan ligero filler and my style is represented through the complexity and balance of the Mexican San Andres wrapper. This is the perfect cigar to enjoy, share or gift this holiday season and the size makes Pecorino the perfect smoke for any occasion. ”

Pecorino is being released in a robusto gordo size only, which both AJ and Justin agree is the best expression of the blend.

Pecorino (5” x 56); SRP per cigar $4.99

Diesel Sunday Gravy Pecorino will be available nationally from October-December 2021, or until the cigars are sold out. The next Sunday Gravy blend will be released in January, 2022.

Diesel cigars are produced by Scandinavian Tobacco Group and distributed by Forged Cigar Company.

About Diesel Sunday Gravy

Diesel Sunday Gravy launched in August 2021 as a full-time line of seasonally-released, Nicaraguan-forward smokes, blended and handcrafted through Diesel’s winning partnership of AJ Fernandez and Justin Andrews. Blends will be released quarterly, sold until their limited supply is deleted and offered at an unbelievable SRP of less than $5.00 per cigar.

About Diesel

Handcrafted by artisans in Esteli, Nicaragua, Diesel cigars are “bold by design.” The brand challenges the current conventions of the handmade cigar category through the bold, unapologetic style of its Cigar Master, AJ Fernandez. Diesel cigars are unified by their deeply complex flavor which is achieved through AJ’s steadfast adherence to time honored cigar making techniques and his insistence on using the highest quality tobacco. The Diesel portfolio includes Hair of the Dog which was released in 2019; Whiskey Row which launched two expressions, one in 2019 and one in 2018, and Diesel Grind which debuted in 2017. For more information, visit www.dieselcigars.com.

I’m starting to see a pattern, are they naming these after tomatoes? I don’t like tomatoes, but I don’t mind a good sauce (my wife’s Italian, I only hear her refer to gravy when turkey is involved). I’m picky, I don’t like chunks or skin in the sauce. I did smoke a couple of the San Marzanos, and they were pretty good cigars. The wrapper is Ecuadoran Habano, the binder is Nicaraguan Esteli and the filler is Nicaraguan Jalapa. These are inexpensive cigars by today’s standards and are definitely on the high side of quality when it comes to cigars in that price range. The flavor is fairly linear, not an overly complex cigar, but the flavor is good, thankfully no tomato flavors (which reminds me, I grew some Habano 2000 in the greenhouse this summer and a tomato plant was in there too, think they cross pollinated? Wasn’t that a Simpson’s episode?). If you are looking for a good, inexpensive smoke, pick some of these up. I’ll be looking forward to trying the subsequent releases, which are actually limited, when they are sold out that’s it.

That’s all for today, until the next time, 

CigarCraig 

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by | June 13, 2021 · 10:03 am

A La Gloria Cubana Media Tiempo, a Karl Malone Cigar and a Diesel Crucible

Last Sunday we were dropping off our grandkids at their house, and stopped in to the nearby Wooden Indian Tobacco Shop for a quick little shopping trip. Up until very recently, the Wooden Indian was only doing curbside service, so it had been nearly eighteen months since I’d been in the store. Dan and Deanna were working the store, and left us to browse the large walk-in humidor.  I managed to find a few cigars I hadn’t smoked yet and smoked a few of them this week. The first of which was the La Gloria Cubana Media Tiempo. I picked up the Toro, naturally, attractively priced in the neighborhood of $7.50 (in PA). This is an interesting blend in that it features the Connecticut Habano Media Tiempo, which are the leaves that sometimes sprout above the ligero, Ecuador Sumatra wrapper, Connecticut Broadleaf binder, and fillers from Honduras Nicaragua and the DR. You’d think the Media Tiempo would be stronger than Ligero, but the cigar is actually a medium bodied cigar, they’ve managed the proportions in such a way as to balance it very nicely. I really, really enjoyed this cigar, I think it’s one of the better La Gloria Cubana Cigars to come out in recent years. I really like the LGC Esteli too, but this one is quite good, harkening back to the LGCs of old. I’ll be adding more of these to my La Gloria humidor (and yes, I have one humidor that just contains La Glorias, and old Foundry cigars).  

 

Last year when I went to the TPE show, Karl Malone was the keynote speaker at the opening meeting, and gave quite a good presentation. He stated right up front that we wasn’t there to talk about sports or basketball, he was there to talk about cigars and the cigar business. Obviously,  his booth at the show was one of the busier boothes, and I didn’t get a chance to meet him or get a sample of the Barrel Aged by Karl Malone cigar, so when I saw them at WI, I grabbed a couple. This cigar is made at La Aurora, and has Ecuador wrapper and binder, and fillers from Peru, Dominican Republic and Nicaragua. I have to say, the wrapper is mottled and not pretty on this cigar. I picked up the Belicoso, which is a 6 ¼” x 52 torpedo actually. Every time I smoke a cigar from La Aurora I mention, almost apologetically, that I’m hit or miss with them. I feel an obligation to like them, but often times I’m not a fan. This was a good cigar. I rather enjoyed it, ugly wrapper notwithstanding. The wrapper being attractive might have put me off if I hadn’t known something about the cigar , honestly, so it’s not unreasonable to think that  appearance is important. Put a different band on this and put it in a bundle and it wouldn’t look out of place. in the parlance of today’s youth, “just sayin’ “. As we know, you can’t judge a book by it’s cover, beauty is only skin deep, and whatever other cheesy cliché you want to use, this was a tasty smoke. It has some sweetness and wood, possibly from the tobaccos’ six months aging in rum barrels, and some earthiness. It definitely had a La Aurora signature flavor that I recognized, and I enjoyed the cigar. Not being a basketball fan, and being generally cynical about “celebrity” cigars, I don’t know how this will do, but after hearing him speak, and knowing that he has a cigar shop and lounge in partnership with his daughter, I trust his commitment. At the least it’s not just some endorsed cigar, he put a lot of family thought and passion into the project.

 

Finally, as I was browsing around, Deanna was putting away some cigars and happend to ask if I had smoked the Diesel Crucible, which is a special edition, the third in the series which included the Hair of the Dog (which I liked), and the Delirium (which I really liked). I was happy that Deanna recommended this cigar for two reasons: first, I hadn’t smoked it and the idea of sampling it appealed to me (duh), and second, my wife had been searching the humidor for cigars with very specific criteria for her cigar band table projects, that being bands with the current year on it. The Crucible just so happens to have a foot band stating Limited Edition 2021. So this cigar ticked two boxes. This is a 6″ x 52 box pressed cigar, Ecuador Habano wrapper, Nicaraguan binder and Honduran and Nicaraguan fillers. The press info states that the cigar “takes a sophisticated approach to strength. There are so many intricacies with this blend, it’s like a new experience with every draw.” per Justin Andrews. I can’t agree, not that I have a sophisticated palate. The initial full frontal palate assault numbed my taste buds. This was extremely reminiscent of the Diesel Esteli Puro in strength. Full on Jalapeńo pepper for the first inch, then it either mellowed out of the palate just surrendered, not sure which. Now, I’m not saying I didn’t enjoy the cigar, but I think it was just unnecessarily strong. I considered a second cigar as it was early yet, but then I thought “why bother”, not going to be able to taste anything, so I went and got a bowl of ice cream and called it a night. I didn’t not enjoy the cigar, once it calmed down I liked it, but I dared not pass smoked through my sinus cavity. Gotta stick with the Delirium as my favorite of the trilogy here, and probably the Sherry Cask as my favorite Diesel overall.

 

Everyone needs to go back to my last post and enter the contest (except those who already have).  Lots of cool stuff there! That’s all for today! 

 

Until the next time, 

 

CigarCraig

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by | November 4, 2020 · 9:17 pm

News: Diesel Whiskey Row Sherry Cask Released For Holiday 2020

In lieu of my regular Wednesday post I’m going to catch up on a few news items from the last few days in a barrage of posts. Lazy, I know, but it’s been a hectic few days. As the Diesel Whiskey Row Sherry Cask is a favorite of mine, I find this one to be particularly exciting.

 

DIESEL RELEASES EXCLUSIVE WHISKEY ROW SHERRY CASK BLEND FOR HOLIDAY 2020

 

Diesel is ringing in the 2020 holiday season with a new twist on its wildly-popular Whiskey Row Sherry Cask blend. Created exclusively for the 2020 holiday season, the barber-pole wrapped cigar comes in just one size, packed in a branded and bonded tabletop whiskey barrel. 

 

The 5” x 56 Gordo bears the blend’s original Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper and is intermixed with a Connecticut Shade wrapper to deliver interludes of unexpected creaminess. The blend was developed by Justin Andrews, blended by AJ Fernandez and is handcrafted at Tabacalera AJ Fernandez in Estelí.

 

Diesel Whiskey Row Sherry Cask calls upon a proprietary aging process developed by AJ to deepen the complexity of the blend by barrel-aging the rare Brazilian Alagoas Arapiraca binder leaf in Rabbit Hole’s Pedro Ximénez Sherry barrels. This process brings forth subtle notes of honey, vanilla and molasses. When blended with spicy Nicaraguan Habano leaves and crowned with natural and maduro Connecticut wrappers, the result is a cigar that delivers all the makings of an ideal smoking experience: spice, creaminess, subtle sweetness and complexity. 

The cigars are presented in a keepsake wooden whiskey barrel that holds ten cigars and includes a lid that doubles as an ashtray. This special offer was produced in limited quantities and will sell for a suggested retail price of $124.99 for the cigars and barrel. Diesel Whiskey Row Sherry Cask ship to retailers on October 26, 2020.

The original Diesel Whiskey Row Sherry Cask launched in 2019 and has received critical acclaim, including a 91 rating from Cigar Aficionado, and inclusion in Cigar Snob’s list of the top 25 cigars of 2019.

 

About Diesel

Handcrafted by artisans in Estelí, Nicaragua, Diesel cigars are “bold by design.” The brand challenges the current conventions of the handmade cigar category through the bold, unapologetic style of its Cigar Master, AJ Fernandez. Diesel cigars are unified by their deeply complex flavor which is achieved through AJ’s steadfast adherence to time honored cigar making techniques and his insistence on using the highest quality tobacco. The Diesel portfolio includes Hair of the Dog which was released in 2019; Whiskey Row which launched two expressions, one in 2019 and one in 2018, and Diesel Grind which debuted in 2017. For more information, visit www.dieselcigar.com.

 

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by | September 20, 2020 · 11:09 am

Diesel Esteli Puro Micallef A Cigars Contest Winners!

Sadly (for me, I seem to be in the minority for some reason), it’s the last Sunday of summer. I am not a fan of Autumn, or Winter, and I only tolerate Spring because it means it’s almost Summer. As I age I am far less tolerant of cold, and I just find the trees losing their leaves and everything turning brown really depressing. Lots of people love it, and that’s good for them, but I’m not a fan. The only leaves I enjoy burning are properly fermented black tobacco leaves, lovingly rolled into beautiful cigars! So kindly STFU about how great Fall is and LMTHA (to use some partial Saka acronyms). 

 

I received some of the new Diesel Esteli Puro Samples a week or so ago from General Cigar Co., for which I’m grateful, and smoked a few this week. I posted the full press release about this here. Here are a few important points:

The wrapper was harvested from La Lilia, the binder from San José and the fillers from several plots including AJ’s celebrated San Lotano farm.

Blended by AJ Fernandez, handcrafted at Tabacalera AJ Fernandez in Estelí, Nicaragua and developed by General Cigar’s Justin Andrews.

I smoked the Robusto, as it’s General’s MO to send samples in that format.  In this case, the Robusto is a generous 5¼ x 54 and comes wrapped in a cedar sleeve from the band to the foot. Warning to those with a sensitive constitution, this cigar starts off very strong! The first inch or so is a pepper blast with a load of nicotine. I’d almost call it hot. I was taken aback, honestly, and I like stronger cigars for the most part. It settled down after a while, but remained full bodied, and I really rather enjoyed the two samples I smoked. I have a couple more, I think I’ll take the cedar sleeve off of one, and revisit them in several months, smoking one that has been stored with, and one without the sleeve and see what differences I find. I often regret storing cigars long term with the cedar sleeves, and I leave them as they are out of sheer eyes laziness mostly. If you like strong cigars, this would be a good one to try! Lots of rich tobacco flavor under the pepper!

 

I visited a couple of my area CigarCigars shops yesterday, and I wish I had hit one more to complete the trifecta, it slipped my mind to do it. I had hoped to visit with my friend Kevin, who is retiring as manager of the Downingtown store in a week or so, but he wasn’t working, so bought some cigars, and stopped at the Frazer store on my way home and bought a few more cigars. Both stores had a mask policy, and social distance practices arranged in their lounges and were open for business. The Frazer store even had a sign on the door saying if you’re sick, stay home. Happy to see that they are taking proper pandemic precautions. The Downingtown store had good foot traffic while I was there, the register was ringing. One of the cigars I bought there was the Micallef A. I’ve even hearing a lot about this cigar recently, it was apparently a cigar that was named through a contest held among the ambassadors, of which I’m one (but I didn’t vote).  You’d think they’d be able to come up with something better than “A”, but they actually settled on “Ambassador”, which makes more sense. There was a little bit of a copyright issue with that (I’m guessing Joya with L’ambassadeur?), so they just went with “A”. Now, when I think of a cigar called “A”, I expect a 9¼ x 48 cigar, but this is a 6¾ x 54 cigar with a Nicaraguan Sumatra wrapper that’s fermented to a dark Maduro. It also has a Sumatra binder and Nicaraguan and Dominican fillers and is made in their factory in Esteli by the Gomez Sanchez Family. Lotsa Sumatra there, and I like Sumatra, and the price is right at around $7.50 here in PA. I lit one up and it was good. Lots of sweet, dark coffee and cocoa notes that I like, but I couldn’t help but think there was some youth, or at least that some age could certainly be of benefit. I liked it well enough, there was just something a little bit out of balance that some humidor time will address. I’ll have no problem experimenting with this one though, the construction was perfect, and at that price, it’s a no brainer.

 

Contest

I almost wrapped this up without selecting winners for the CigarProp Smoke In Battle of the Bands Samplers. If you aren’t a lucky winner, or even if you are, I’d recommend going and buying one or three of these samplers, you really can’t go wrong. The only way you can justify not buying one is if you are opposed to lining Abe Dababneh’s pockets, and if that’s the case, well, I guess I can’t help. I met Abe before I ever even though about launching this site, so we go back a ways. Anyway, We need two winners. The random number generator tells me that the winners of CigarProp Smoke In Battle of the Bands Samplers are: Xolatol and Gregg Hearl! Please send me your contact info and proof that you’re of age so we can get these samplers to you!  

 

I had to take a break from writing this to take a call from Jose Blanco, among other topics discussed, I confirmed with him that plume is, in fact, real, and will have some other theories I have related to that whole controversy verified (or disproved) in the future. That’s all for today, until the next time, 

 

CigarCraig

 

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by | August 7, 2020 · 7:06 am

News: Diesel Announces Launch of Esteli Puro

Here’s some news from General Cigar. I am going to have to get out and shop for some new cigars one of these days! Diesel’s offerings have been hit and miss with me lately, I either really like them or I don’t. This one sounds promising. I kinda like the large ring gauges across the range.  

 

DIESEL PRESENTS “ESTELí PURO”

 

A highly-anticipated release from Diesel is set to make its debut next month. Called “Estelí Puro,” the full-time addition to the Diesel lineup was created in collaboration with AJ Fernandez. 

 

This tobacco-forward release is poised to become a core product in the Diesel portfolio.

 

The collection harnesses the strength and complexity of Estelí’s renowned tobacco which comes from the darkest and most dense of Nicaraguan soils. Each of the tobaccos that comprise Diesel Estelí Puro were hand-selected from AJ’s farms to meet specific requirements set forth by the Diesel team. The wrapper was harvested from La Lilia, the binder from San José and the fillers from several plots including AJ’s celebrated San Lotano farm.

 

Senior Brand Manager Justin Andrews said, “Estelí Puro represents the future of Diesel in that the story of the blend is told by the tobacco itself. With Estelí Puro, we made a collection that is completely unique in its bold flavor profile, yet has many of the attributes that have made the other Diesel expressions a cigar of choice among dyed-in-the-wool smokers. This is a cigar that demands the smoker’s full attention with deep and balanced flavor, a strong presentation and an attractive price point.”

 

Blended by AJ Fernandez, handcrafted at Tabacalera AJ Fernandez in Estelí, Nicaragua and developed by General Cigar’s Justin Andrews, Diesel Estelí Puro is made with hand-selected leaves that are cultivated, processed and aged by AJ’s team. Heady aroma and spice dominate, lending body and dimension to the cigar, and delivering a smoke for experienced palates.

 

Diesel Estelí Puro will be available in three sizes, sold in 20-count boxes and will begin shipping to retailers on September 1.

 

Robusto 5.25” x 54 — SRP per cigar $8.99

Toro 6” x 54 — SRP per cigar $9.49

Gigante 6” x 60 — SRP per cigar $9.99

 

About Diesel

Handcrafted by artisans in Estelí, Nicaragua, Diesel cigars are “bold by design.” The brand challenges the current conventions of the handmade cigar category through the bold, unapologetic style of its Cigar Master, AJ Fernandez. Diesel cigars are unified by their deeply complex flavor which is achieved through AJ’s steadfast adherence to time honored cigar making techniques and his insistence on using the highest quality tobacco. The Diesel portfolio includes Delirium which debuted earlier this year; Hair of the Dog which was released in 2019; Whiskey Row which launched two expressions, one in 2019 and one in 2018, and Diesel Grind which debuted in 2017. For more information, visit www.dieselcigar.com.

 

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