Blind Cigar Review: Diesel | Whiskey Row Sherry Cask Holiday Edition

Cigar Info

General Cigar came out with new Diesel Cigar for the holiday season in 2020: Whiskey Row Sherry Cask Barber Pole. Released in only one size, a 5” x 56 double robusto the blend uses the Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper from the original Sherry Cask cigar along with a portion of Connecticut Shade wrapper. The box is a branded and bonded tiny whiskey barrel. Justin Andrews came up with the idea for this cigar and it was blended by AJ Fernandez. Whiskey Row Sherry Cask Barber Pole was rolled at Tabacalera AJ Fernandez in Estelí.

The Diesel Whiskey Row Sherry Cask blend uses a unique and proprietary aging process created by AJ Fernandez that barrel-ages the Brazilian Alagoas Arapiraca binder leaf in Rabbit Hole’s Pedro Ximénez Sherry barrels before being rolled. The wooden whiskey barrel boxes each contain ten cigars and include a lid that can also be used as an ashtray while smoking. This is a limited production cigar, but specific production numbers weren’t given. Each box sells for $124.99.

Vital Stats:

Vitola: Double Robusto
Length: 5″
Ring Gauge: 56
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Wrapper: USA Connecticut (Broadleaf & Shade)
Binder: Brazil Arapiraca
Filler: Nicaragua
Factory: Tabacalera AJ Fernandez Cigars de Nicaragua S.A.
Blender: AJ Fernandez and Justin Andrews
Number of reviewers: 5 – Ryan H. (Ryan H.) John A. (Bostoneo) Alan (Eulogy) Doug S. (Unpossible_1) Mickey T. (irratebass)
Price: $12.99
Age: 6 Months
Release Date: October 2020
Contributed by: General Cigar Co.

Initial Impressions

Appearance: 93

“I enjoy the look of a barber pole finish even if I am not always a fan of the profile. There’s something about the craftsmanship that makes it look special. The darker wrapper has a nice soft leather feel to it and the stripe looks more Connecticut versus candela. There’s a very large triple cap and it appears to be very well made.” –Alan (Eulogy)

Aroma: 89

“Very dirty rich mud. The foot is more of aged tobacco. Wrapper also has the smell of white sugar.” –Ryan H. (Ryan H.)

First Third

Flavor: 90
Strength: Medium
Body/Complexity: Medium

“Very spicy, with spicy being such an understatement. The draw is perfect though I thought with such a hard bunch the draw wouldn’t be so perfect. The cigar is medium-plus in strength. Some chocolate and campfire notes appear. Burning hay room note. Some cream joins as well.” –Ryan H. (Ryan H.)

“Off the bat, strong notes of full-bodied leather and black pepper blast the mouth in full force. The profile remains pretty much the same with the exception that the profile’s body tones down to a nice medium body. It’s also worth noting that the draw and burn on this third is phenomenally good and ideal.” –John A. (Bostoneo)

Second Third

Flavor: 93
Strength: Medium
Body/Complexity: Medium

“Flavors flip flop and the creamy coffee takes over with red pepper in the background. Retro lets me know the red pepper is not going anywhere though.” –Doug S. (Unpossible_1)

“Strong notes of coffee creep into the profile of this samples profile of full-bodied leather with a hint of black pepper in the background. This profile continues throughout the entirety of this third.” –John A. (Bostoneo)

Final Third

Flavor: 90
Strength: Medium-Strong
Body/Complexity: Medium-Full

“When that sweetness returns it really makes the cigar seem fresh and new all over. When it goes away it leaves me with roasted nuts, a bit of spice with cinnamon notes.” –Mickey T. (irratebass)

“A new contender enters the ring, honey roasted peanuts. Delicious sweet and nutty goodness. There’s quite a bit going on here and I can’t complain one bit.” –Doug S. (Unpossible_1)

Overall Impressions

Draw: 96

“A little tighter and this would score a perfect number.” –John A. (Bostoneo)

Burn: 91

“Pretty much razor-sharp from beginning to end. Even more impressive when I consider that the draw was super loose and a lot of barber pole cigars have burn issues.” –Alan (Eulogy)

Construction: 93

“Looked great with the barber pole design. The seams were almost invisible and the large triple cap was very well applied. There had to be an issue due to the almost nonexistent resistance on the draw.” –Alan (Eulogy)

Overall Strength: Medium
Overall Body/Complexity: Medium-Full
Experience Overall: 94

“Loved this cigar. Earth on the front cream and burnt molasses on the finish. Definitely a multi box cigar. Very balanced and enjoyable minus the first 1/2 inch this cigar is stellar.” –Ryan H. (Ryan H.)

“One thing I expect from a cigar is a great draw, burn, and construction… this sample had all three alongside a decent flavor profile of leather, black pepper, black coffee, and roasted peanut shells. While it did seem a bit linear, there were minor changes along the way giving it a little bit of complexity during the smoking session. Other than that, it was a great cigar that can easily be enjoyed by medium and full-bodied smokers alike!” –John A. (Bostoneo)

“The flavors were good but I found that it lacked any meaningful profile transitions. The draw was far too loose and it caused the burn to be very quick. Still, it’s a pleasant smoke that looks cool.” –Alan (Eulogy)

“Visual appeal of barber pole style cigars aside, this cigar offered some great transitions for me. A bit of spice, a bit of sweetness, and some savory notes as well. Some of the notes I picked up reminded me of a barber pole styled cigar I’ve had, so it will be interesting to see the reveal.” –Doug S. (Unpossible_1)

“This was a great cigar! I really enjoyed the 1st third the best, but the rest was a very enjoyable experience as well. I got a lot of sweetness when the lighter wrapper showed up with floral and vegetal notes. When the darker wrapper came around I was picking up nuts, bread, spice, and cinnamon. This was a great cigar. The size was perfect as well…..what is this, and do I have room for a box???” –Mickey T. (irratebass)

Smoking Time (in minutes): 71

To view the complete scores and notes, click here.

Blind Cigar Review: Diesel | Whiskey Row Sherry Cask Holiday Edition