Diesel Whiskey Row Sherry Cask Robusto (5 x 52)

Video review HERE.

Diesel Cigars and Rabbit Hole Bourbon have reignited their partnership with Diesel Whiskey Row Sherry Cask, a new, three-cigar collection shipping to all channels on June 3, 2019.

Diesel Whiskey Row Sherry Cask is a cigar with epic depth and sublime flavor. Developed by Justin Andrews, blended by AJ Fernandez and handcrafted at Tabacalera AJ Fernandez in Esteli, Diesel Whiskey Row Sherry Cask features Nicaraguan-aged tobaccos cultivated on three continents. This exciting new collection once again calls upon a proprietary aging process developed by AJ to deepen the complexity of the smoking experience by barrel-aging the binder leaves.

Diesel Whiskey Row Sherry Cask is centered around a rare Arapiraca leaf from Central Brazil’s Alagoas region. This binder leaf was selected for aging in Rabbit Hole’s Pedro Ximénez Sherry barrels to bring forth subtle notes of honey, vanilla and molasses. When blended with spicy Nicaraguan Habano and crowned with a lustrous Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper, this Maduro cigar is a study in contrast, as cigar meets bourbon, salty meets sweet and earth meets spice.

Justin Andrews, senior brand manager for Diesel cigars said, “With Diesel Whiskey Row Sherry Cask, we set out to expand the Diesel portfolio by offering cigar and spirits lovers a deeper sensory experience and I believe we have delivered that in spades. This new blend is perfectly suited to pairing with a fine spirit, stands up equally well on its own, and has all the makings of another runaway success for Diesel.”

Kaveh Zamanian, founder and whiskey maker of Rabbit Hole said, “For our second collaboration with Diesel, we selected our rich and aromatic Pedro Ximénez sherry casks for AJ to use in the tobacco aging process because we knew they would lend a stunning complexity to the blend. ‘Sherry Cask’ speaks to the power of our partnership with Diesel and our collective focus on combining heritage technique and refined innovation to heighten the experience of fine cigars and spirits.”

Diesel Whiskey Row Sherry Cask will be available in three sizes, each presented in 20-count wooden boxes that give a nod to Rabbit Hole’s unique branding.

Blend info:

Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf

Binder: Arapiraca

Filler: Nicaraguan

Vitolas available

Robusto (5” x 52); SRP per cigar is $8.49 (REVIEWED TODAY)

Toro (6” x 50); SRP per cigar is $8.99

Gigante (6” x 58); SRP per cigar is $9.49

The cigar is well made with a smooth wrapper. It has an average feel in the hand for a robusto.

The test draw after cutting the cap was very good. The initial flavors at light up were cedar, a tart black cherry, nutmeg, cream, light chocolate, and black coffee almost to the espresso level. There was white pepper which I rated at a 7. I wonder if the black cherry notes are coming from the sherry casks. The sweetness in the cigar comes from the black cherry and the chocolate. There is little to no brown sugar sweetness.

At the first third (20 minutes) the flavors are intriguing. There is a nice medium level sweetness from the black cherry and the chocolate. The cigar is medium bodied. The finish is one of sweet cream and nutmeg with a nice amount of lingering black pepper. At this point the pepper on the front end has changed over to a black pepper. You still have the cedar, sweet and tart black cherry, light cream, nutmeg, sweet chocolate, and black coffee. The cigar seems to grown on me. This is a very different tasting cigar. I rated the first third at 91.

At the second third (51 minutes) the flavors have not changed that much. The sweetness may have ticked up a tad but not much. They seem to be a little bolder. The cigar is still medium bodied. The finish is unchanged. The cigar did not change significantly so I maintained the score of 91.

The cigar lasted 1 hour 2 minutes. Obviously my thirds were not equal but in the end it did not matter. The cigar continued just like it had been going. The flavors were just about the exact same in flavor and intensity. The cigar ended at medium bodied. The finish had a little cedar to go along with the sweet cream and nutmeg. The lingering black pepper remained good. After smoking this cigar I wanted another one because it was interesting. I enjoyed the black cherry notes. Pretty good cigar. I rated the final third at 91. You can purchase these cigars HERE.

Overall Score: 91