Diesel Cigars and Rabbit Hole Bourbon and Rye have announced their third collaboration: Diesel Whiskey Row Founder’s Collection Boxergrail. The two men working behind the scenes were two masters of their respective crafts: AJ Fernandez and Kaveh Zamanian, founder and whiskey maker of Rabbit Hole.
Diesel Whiskey Row Founder’s Collection was developed by Justin Andrews, blended by AJ Fernandez and rolled at Tabacalera AJ Fernandez in Estelí, Nicaragua. The cigar features a new proprietary aging process developed by AJ.
The focus of this limited-edition blend is on a proprietary Nicaraguan Habano binder leaf selected for aging in the handcrafted wood fired, toasted and charred #3 new American oak barrels that aged Rabbit Hole Founder’s Collection Boxergrail Rye Whiskey. The barrels are said to impart nuances of caramel, black pepper, vanilla and a hint of citrus on the binder leaves. The rest of the blend uses a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper and Nicaraguan Habano filler tobacco.
With Diesel Whiskey Row Founder’s Collection, we set out to take our partnership with Rabbit Hole to a deeper level. Aging tobacco in rye barrels is completely unique in the handmade cigar space and I believe that we have created a cigar that will stand apart in a crowded marketplace. AJ, Kaveh and I agree this blend is one of the most versatile and provocative cigars we’ve ever smoked, and we believe it’s because we were guided by a mutual commitment to innovation. By giving the binder leaf its own personality and introducing the complexity of rye whiskey, we’ve created what we believe to be the ultimate cigar, one that pairs beautifully yet also makes a statement on its own.
Justin Andrews
As a longtime cigar smoker, I believe that pairing cigars with whiskey is an art. It is for this reason that I instinctually selected our highly-regarded Boxergrail Founder’s Collection Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey casks for this collaboration. I knew that these exceptional barrels would lend intriguing notes to the tobacco and would elevate the smoking experience. Given Rabbit Hole’s focus on bringing one-of-a-kind innovations to life, it is a pleasure to have played a role in introducing rye barrel aging to the handmade cigar category. I’m looking forward to sharing this great blend with cigar and whiskey enthusiasts across the country.
Kaveh Zamanian, founder and whiskey maker of Rabbit Hole
This Diesel Whiskey Row Founder’s Collection comes in just one size called the Boxergrail. It is a toro that measures 6” x 52. The cigars are presented in boxes that mirror the packaging of Rabbit Hole Boxergrail Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey. The cigars will sell for $15.79 each, or $157.90 for a ten-count box and will ship on May 1st, landing at retail in time for Kentucky Derby weekend.
Diesel Whiskey Row debuted in June 2018 and marked the first collaboration between Diesel and Rabbit Hole. It was the first cigar to feature a binder leaf aged in Rabbit Hole’s bourbon barrels. The partnership expanded in 2019 with the launch of Diesel Whiskey Row Sherry Cask.