Diesel Vintage

Purchased: 1 Single Toro (6 X 52)
Store: West Coast Cigars
Price: $8.99
Buy again? Yes.

As I was leaving West Coast Cigars late last night, I mentioned to Shane working there that I wanted to take a couple home. So, we went into the humidor. My goal going there last night as was the other night when I went to Club Havana, was to pick up stuff I hadn’t tried yet. So my mind was open. Earlier in the evening I had smoked an LFD La Nox (I’ll write about that one as I took notes).

Anyway, the first stick I chose was a Knuckle Sandwich Maduro. Okay, okay… I’m a Triple-D fan, so when I saw the box, I wanted to give it a shot. Besides it was in CA’s top-25 of last year, which doesn’t mean all that much other than those guys liked it a lot. But still, I wanted to give it a try to see what all the hype was about. Then Shane asked me, “Have you tried the Diesel Vintage yet?” I said that I haven’t been a big fan of Diesel in the past but was interested in his take. He said he hadn’t tried them himself, but they had been flying off the shelves. The regulars love it, he said, and for a $9.00 cigar it was a steal for what it apparently brings to the table.

Intrigued, I picked one up. I lit it up this morning to write about the experience. Now, halfway through this stick, I’m thinking that I probably should’ve picked up a few more, and I will definitely be picking up a box! This is a cigar that punches WAY above its weight class! Though it’s a collaboration between AJ and Justin Andrews, this cigar demonstrates the genius that is AJ Fernandez. Props to Justin Andrews for the collab with AJ!

A value cigar like this shouldn’t be this complex. Typically, value or budget cigars are one- or two-trick ponies. Not this. And while it’s not nearly as complex as a BWS Hawaiian Hornet which changes every half inch, the transitions this cigar goes through are amazing.

To be honest, at light-up, it’s a little underwhelming. It’s almost as if the cigar is saying, “Yup, I’m a budget stick.” The taste isn’t bad, there’s just not much to it. Some toasted nuts and a bit of coffee, and a mild black-pepper finish. But about a half inch in, it starts getting a little creamy. Fresh roasted dark coffee beans show up, along with some forest floor and a subtle, fruity sweetness. These flavors intensify to a small degree in this section. But the smoke is as smooth as can be. I know I’m going to be in for a great ride!

By the second third, the sweetness diminishes and is replaced by a pleasing wet earth, barnyard note, and the finish adds a sour note to the black pepper. The black pepper doesn’t increase at all. The cigar hits its stride here and the strength is now at its rated medium-full. But here’s the kicker: No big nicotine hit! The smoke is strong, but there’s minimal nicotine, which is a surprise for me because my previous experience with Diesel has been high amounts nicotine. With the Vintage, there is some nicotine, but it’s just enough to make me nice and mellow.

Into the last third, the cigar got a little plugged because I used a punch and that can get a little constricted after a while. But I ran my punch into the hole again, and it opened right up. The black pepper at this point asserts itself on the finish. It has become nice and spicy but not overwhelmingly so. The coffee flavor has intensified to a thick Turkish coffee. Yet all this is balanced by a pleasing creaminess in the mouthfeel and finish.

This is a nice, slow burner. It took me over an hour to get to the final third. While the cigar has a nice, solid feel to it, it hasn’t burned all that evenly and I’ve had to make a couple of adjustments. But that’s entirely forgivable as the taste of this cigar far outweighs any minor burn issues. Plus, it probably didn’t help that I was smoking outside with a slight breeze so that’ll throw off any burn.

I’m well into the final third right now, and I’ve already moved it up to second in my to-buy list, right under the Tatuaje Nicaragua 7th Habano and Broadleaf. Talk about flying under the radar! Like the Tatuaje Nic, I’ve seen very little discussion about this cigar. Katman reviewed it this past September and rated it a 94. I totally agree with his assessment. As I always say, “Good is good no matter the price!”

Down to the nub, and though the wrapper cracked a bit, the cigar is still smoking fine, and I just got a flavor that I can only describe as “fruitcake” on the finish along with some graham cracker. Fuck! This is delicious!

I’d like to thank Shane at West Coast Cigars for suggesting this stick to me. I’m going to run down there again today before band rehearsal to pick up a few more. CP sells a box of 20 for $105 but they’re sold out of them right now. I can wait it out till they’re back in stock.