Diesel Estelí Puro Toro 6x54
Burn Time: 2 hours (slow smoked due to the strength)

“Breaker-breaker-one-nine, this here’s the CigarMagician coming at ya from the information superhighway, haulin’ another load of cigar knowledge straight to yer’ front door good buddy.” [Translation: Listen up friends, Rich here from the internet with another cigar review directly to you]. “So slide into your home-twenty, slam on the jake brake, and get your ears on”, [Sit down, stop what you are doing, and pay attention] because today I am talking about Diesel, a brand that has been known for full bodied cigars, and this one is no exception.  

More iconic than my “K-Whopper Diesel Big Rig” [Kenworth Truck], the big Diesel brand made by the big guy AJ Fernandez is something to behold. “What’s the 10-20 on the make-up of this machine” [where are the tobaccos for this cigar from]…it is a Nicaraguan wrapper from his La Lilia farm, a binder from his San José farm, and fillers from several plots across Estelí, including the famous San Lotano farm, The Diesel Estelí Puro “delivers on all cylinders” [it’s good].  

Weighin’ in at a full 9 out of 10 body this cigar immediately greets you with black pepper on the smooth, pre-light draw. Additionally I was getting fresh-cut green wood on the pre-light. This ain’t no “plain brown wrapper” [unmarked police car], however it has a nice smooth and brown wrapper, clad in a tasteful black and silver band and a cedar sleeve. The cigar was evenly rolled, no soft or tight spots noted, and the wrapper and cap were evenly applied

Once I got “my heater’s a-glowin’”, [lit the cigar] the black pepper remained and I was greeted with red pepper, and now the fresh cut wood was unmistakable. “Burnin’ more rubber” [enjoying more of the cigar], the first third was giving me everything I really personally enjoy in a cigar: pepper, spice, woodiness, and toward the end of the first third some wet earth like a walk in a forest was developing. The first third did have a relatively long finish of sweet cocoa and natural tobacco sweetness. The retro-hale during at this point is strictly “hammer down”, [full speed, lots of flavor] lots of pepper and spice.

As this cigar was “blowin’ my doors off”, [passing my expectations and many other cigars] the second third began to transition into slightly sweeter pepper, like a farm fresh green pepper, sweet and spicy. The retro-hale settled down a little bit and the finish shortened up a bit as well. I would say it still has a nice amount of pepper on the retro and the finish was still flavorful, but more into a medium finish, still with cocoa and natural tobacco sweetness. The wood note also became more of a charred cedar.  

As I “rounded the bend toward the final yardstick” [got toward the final third of this cigar], did this cigar calm down? “Negatory” [no], it stays pedal to the metal! The pepper and spice remain and I think the dried red pepper is back as well as more noticeable sweet cocoa, possibly even milk chocolate at this point. I will say I found it difficult to pin-point other subtle notes under all the pepper, but I could tell they were there, including a bit of dried fruit and possibly even coffee, however I was really enjoying the spice and pepper. The retro-hale remains fuller and stronger and the finish remains medium.  

If you love full flavored and full body cigars, grab “a few green-stamps from your moth holder” [Grab some money from your wallet] and be sure to pick up a convoy of the Diesel Estelí Puro. I find them best enjoyed with a Rye Old Fashioned or even a Manhattan. The Old Fashioned brings out more of the subtle notes and calms the pepper just a bit, and the Manhattan does the opposite, and mutes the sweetness and really enhances the spice and pepper. I did have to touch the cigar up one time but it immediately corrected itself with a quick touch up. You definitely don’t have to be a Diesel trucker to enjoy the Diesel Estelí Puro, although it would probably help to understand half of the lingo I used.  

So we will see you on the flip side, until then…keep the sunny side up, the rubber side down, and the bugs off your…glass…I’m gone…[Be safe…bye-bye for now]