Diesel Wicked

Diesel has long been one of my favorite “bang-for-your-buck” cigar brands. The Diesel lineup is well-known and respected by consumers who live to smoke full-bodied cigars. Building upon the success of the original Diesel, the Unholy Cocktail, the Diesel line has grown and expanded over the years, highlighting the quality tobaccos grown in Nicaragua by AJ Fernandez. The cigar I am reviewing today, the Diesel Wicked, is featuring a different tobacco – the Pennsylvania Broadleaf Maduro wrapper leaf. Can this leaf, grown within a 2 hour drive of the CI Hamburg Superstore, stand up to its Nicaraguan-grown counterparts? This guy is about to find out.

First off, the presentation of the cigar was well-thought out. The broad red band on the lower third of this torpedo pops against the dark, oily PA Broadleaf Maduro ligero wrapper, with Wicked spelled out in an old-style font reminding me of the branches of a gnarled old tree. Didn’t the Salem Witch hunters burn suspected witches at the stake beneath big, old, gnarly looking trees? If not, the band has sure gotten me visualizing something like that! The aroma of the wrapper leaf reminds me of the smell of the soft, dark leather of a couch or chair, very inviting. The foot offers a soft salty aroma, along with dark tobacco, pepper, and muted leathery notes. 

After making an angled cut with a twin-guillotine cutter, I invoke protection against any evil spells that might be cast upon me, then proceed to set the foot aflame. Immediately, I am greeted with leather, soft saltiness, espresso beans, and subtly sweet spice on the palate. Retrohales deliver black pepper, red pepper, and hints of cedar. I’m surprised by the difference in the experience of the smoke on my palate versus my nose. There is absolutely no doubt that this cigar is full-bodied. No doubt at all. As I continue with the first third of the cigar, I can tell that the flavors are beginning to creep up in intensity, yet they continue to be balanced. The draw has just the right amount of airflow, being neither too loose nor too tight for my liking. As the end of the first third approaches, the ash is still in one piece, attached, and has that “stack of dimes” appearance all the way to the razor-thin burn line. 

Getting into the second third, it’s clear that this cigar increasing in flavor and strength. The leather and espresso bean notes are more pronounced on the palate, joined by a soft damp earthiness. I’m wondering if my protection against evil spells is working, because the earthiness seems to make the leather and espresso notes even more enjoyable. The red pepper on the retrohale is beginning to overtake the black pepper note, but now there is a sweetness to the cedar keeping it in check. Smoke production is impressive, even while resting on the ashtray finger, as a constant thin stream of dense smoke keeps rising from it between draws. I think I’m falling under this cigar’s spell… 

Entering the final third, the build in flavor and strength continues to grow. The leather is still front and center on my palate, but the espresso bean seems to have shifted into the retrohale, replaced by a soft, sweet, dark tobacco note and a hint of black pepper on the palate. This sweetness on the palate is bewitching, as the taste honestly reminds me of the aroma of black cavendish pipe tobacco. How is this happening? Does PA Broadleaf Maduro ligero have magical powers? 

I finally finish the cigar after an hour and a half. The Diesel Wicked has proven to me that PA Broadleaf can definitely stand up to the hearty, bold tobaccos grown in Nicaragua. Next time, I won’t ask for protection from the Wicked. I’ll just ask for a nice peaty scotch to enjoy with this refined, delicious cigar. If you don’t know if you like PA Broadleaf, try the Diesel Wicked. You’ll be under its spell soon!