Two Guys Cigar Blog

Diesel - Unholy Cocktail Review

This is our 2nd guest review and would like to thank Jeff for his time and dedication to the blog!!! Here is his impression of the Diesel:

   Last night I agreed to suffer and review a cigar for everyone else.  I chose the Diesel - Unholy Cocktail, one of the newer cigars produced by A.J. Fernandez.  At present, this cigar only comes in two sizes - 5.0” x 56 torpedo & 4.5” x 60 shorty.  It has a PA Broadleaf wrapper and Nicaraguan filler (Jalapa, Condega, & Esteli).  I must confess that I have had several of these in the past and have enjoyed them since the very first draw.  However, since it is relatively new, the Diesel is ripe for review.

INITIAL IMPRESSION

    This stick has aged about one month in my humidor, with an electronically controlled 70 RH so it is relatively immature.  The dark brown wrapper presents very nicely with little to no veins. It is firm, but responsive to solid compression.  Upon first glance, it does not look like a 56 ring gauge.  Once you take the first draw, this illusion is quickly debunked.  The pre-light smell gives warning that it is a full-flavored stick.  I used a Xikar Xi to cut the tip of the torpedo.  The point, which can not be smoked, is relatively long.  Although you can not enjoy this part, it makes it very difficult to cut past the cap.

FIRST THIRD

    The stick lights easily and evenly.  From lighting, the draw is easy and full. The initial taste is a toasty cocoa/cinnamon with slight leathery undertones that enhance the dominant flavor. After a couple of minutes, it fills your entire mouth with flavor.  The initial third is full flavor and medium-full bodied.  It tends to burn slightly unevenly at times.  That is solved by simply turning the slower burning side downwards in the ashtray and on the draw.  It evens out quickly. It holds its ash well, up to an inch in the first third.  It is very enjoyable up to this point.

SECOND THIRD

     The stick grows noticeably stronger at the 1/3 - 2/3 transition. It also becomes less spicy and more woody (maple) and earthy in flavor.  The body transitions more towards medium and burns much more slowly.  The aroma is very nice during this third and is more encompassing than the body during the initial phase of this third.  The ash begins to flake off after about an inch.  An inadvertent bump while picking it up will cause ash to fall.  About half way through the second third, the body amps back up towards full and the spiciness returns.  The spiciness is different than the original in that it is primarily cinnamon with little to no cocoa. 

FINAL THIRD

    As with most cigars, this third has the fullest body and flavor by far.  It is truly a full/full at this juncture.  It transitions to very earthy/woody flavor with a spicy undertone that was complex and different than any previous combination.  Even though it is stronger than at any time previous, it is also smoother in the final third.  The good draw is even better than the first two thirds and the rate of the burn picks up again.  The ash falls off on its own to about ¼ - ½ an inch. The structure of the stick begins to fall apart during the last ¾ - ½ an inch, at the burn your fingertips juncture.  I finished this stick in about 1 hour and 45 minutes.  That is a bit slow for this stick, but I am a bit slow because I enjoy my cigars and rarely take more than a puff every 1 & ½ minutes instead of 1 minute. I also had to take pictures and make notes.  Fairly, it is a 1 hour to 1 hour & 15 minute cigar. 

OVERALL IMPRESSION

    The Diesel ranks high on my scale.  I prefer full bodied/full flavor cigars so I have a bias towards them.  This cigar is definitely not for neophytes or those who prefer mellow cigars.  This cigar is very dynamic in that it is enticing from lighting to finish with a range of flavors that flow and develop throughout and gives a good change of body that allows for the palate to cleanse a bit and prepare for the final flavor complex and injection of body.  As a good friend of mine would say, it is “eventful”. 

    Although this review is very positive, Diesel is not a super-premium stick.  It is a very good stick that I highly recommend.  It is at a price point ($3.00 - $4.00 per stick) that allows it to be an everyday cigar that delivers much more than a run of the mill stick.  It lives up to the high standard for full/full sticks that A.J. Fernandez is known for rolling.

    by: Jeffery Stubbs