Diesel Grind was originally a Brick and Mortar exclusive sold by Cigars International and distributed by Meier & Dutch. This yeah, a re-blend was shown of at the IPCPR Trade Show and would also receive wider distribution.
This cigar was reviewed blind (no bands) by a panel of at least 4 reviewers. They did not know what they were smoking beforehand. The scores are an average of all the reviewers' scores with outliers removed. All of our cigars reviewed are shipped to the panelists with Boveda packs to ensure optimal smoking experience.
Diesel cigars are made by AJ Fernandez and has been in the Cigars International/Meier & Dutch catalog for many years. Both companies are owned by General Cigar's parent company, STG (Scandinavian Tobacco Group), so the expansion was smooth.
The new 2017 Diesel Grind usesa Nicaraguan binder and filler, covered by Habano leaf. The cigar is described as a powerful, but smooth smoke. The cigar is positioned as a value-priced cigar priced from $5.99 to $6.99.
It is available in 20ct boxes, and comes in three sizes: Robusto 4.88 x 50 ($5.99 MSRP), Torpedo 6.12 x 52 (6.99 MSRP, or Toro 6 x 50 ($6.49 MSRP). The blend is said to have a lot of strenght, but remain smooth the whole time.
“Right from the beginning, this cigar was rich with lots of campfire and spice to it. It instantly reminded me of a JdN antano cigar that I love to smoke. It transported me to memories of sitting around a campfire and eating smores with my kids. Very nice overall beginning.” –Steve (ThaGreatWazoo)
“Good stuff right out of the gate. Big spicy flavor with lots of booming smoke. A little crisp with some herbaceousness going on as well. Fifteen minutes in the herbal components are definitely more prominent, kind of along the lines of oregano/marjoram. Bad news is that the draw is becoming a bit of an issue, and burn is pulling to one side pretty noticeably. Still tastes really great, we'll see how much of a problem this becomes. ” –John I. (John I.)
“By the mid way point the burn has corrected itself, and the draw has returned to being just about right. Flavors continue to impress, there is some cinnamon showing up, and deep rich earthy flavor continues to be prominent. ” –John I. (John I.)
“Smoky campfire flavors carryover into the second third. Spiciness from the beginning of this cigar have subsided and an earthy, leathery taste has taken center stage. Definitely full flavored with a very strong nicotine kick. This cigar was meant to be enjoyed slowly. Not for the novice smoker. ” –Adam B. (Bushboy)
“Earthy and oaky. Flavors have remained pretty consistent throughout with not much transition. Strength of this cigar has been slowly building and has peaked towards the nub with a nice kick of nicotine to the face. Damn this thing is strong. ” –Adam B. (Bushboy)
“The final third continues that trend of earthiness and spice. Cigar is performing well and not getting too hot. ” –Zane G. (Zane)
Overall Impressions
Draw: 89
“Tad on the tight side in the beginning but quickly loosened up. ” –Zane G. (Zane)
Burn: 92
“The burn was simply great. Cut, light, and go and sit back and enjoy the ride.” –Steve (ThaGreatWazoo)
Construction: 91
“The cigar appearance really shines in this cigar. Which shows it was put together nicely. Only had a bit of a burn issue but no other issues with construction. ” –Zane G. (Zane)
“This cigar was simply a dynamite to smoke. From the ease of it to the complex rich flavor profiles, this cigar should be on everyone's smoke list for the rest of the year. I truly feel like this thing will only get better with age and might actually mellow out to the medium range more so and complete the desired profile for every type of smoker. As stated earlier, it reminded me a lot of a JdN antano, though I am not nearly that accomplished as a cigar smoker so I would not bet the bank that this is what it is. Either way, an excellent cigar that I enjoyed thoroughly.” –Steve (ThaGreatWazoo)
“Pretty solid effort. A really darkly attractive cigar with big rich flavors in the earthy/woody range with some interesting side notes of herbs and spices coming in at a few points. I'd love to stick a box of these in the back of my cabinet and forget about them for a year or two. I'll bet they really sing with a little age. ” –John I. (John I.)
“A very solid stick with good transitions of flavors and a well balanced profile overall.” –Stefan (Stefan)
“Very nice cigar that should be smoked with a full belly. This cigar was very strong and left me light headed once twice. Flavors were extremely nice. Pepper start. Leathery, smoky earth finish. I would recommend this cigar and will definitely smoke this one again. ” –Adam B. (Bushboy)
“Very enjoyable cigar. I wouldn't call this cigar super complex but what it was producing I enjoyed. Little stronger than I normally enjoy but for an after dinner cigar I would be on board. ” –Zane G. (Zane)
"Pretty solid effort. A really darkly attractive cigar with big rich flavors in the earthy/woody range with some interesting side notes of herbs and spices coming in at a few points. I'd love to stick a box of these in the back of my cabinet and forget about them for a year or two. I'll bet they really sing with a little age. " -John I. (John I.)
