One of the more remarkable stories in the cigar industry over the past six years has been the Diesel brand of cigars. Diesel is a brand that was initially a catalog brand developed in collaboration with AJ Fernandez. In 2017, the decision was made to transition Diesel to a brick-and-mortar line under the General Cigar portfolio. At the time, Justin Andrews was tasked to make this transition happen. Since then, the portfolio has introduced several regular production and limited edition releases. The 2023 Premium Cigar Association (PCA) Trade Show was the fourth one for Diesel. It’s the first time the brand has been at PCA/IPCPR since 2019. It is also the first time Diesel was showcased at PCA/IPCPR under the Forged Cigar Company banner. This year, the focus was on a new regular production line, the Diesel Vintage Series.
The Diesel Vintage Series began shipping to retailers just before the PCA Trade Show. With a price range ranging from $7.79 to $9.29 per cigar, it is in the wheelhouse of many of the Forged releases, which are priced under ten dollars.
Diesel Vintage is a project developed between AJ Fernandez and Justin Andrews. The cigar features a Mexican San Andres wrapper over a Nicaraguan binder from Estelí and Nicaraguan tobaccos from Jalapa ranging in age from five to eight years. The cigar is available in five sizes: Gigante Nub (4 1/2 x 60, SRP $8.79/cigar), Robusto Gordo (5 x 56, SRP $7.79/cigar), Toro (6 x 52, SRP $7.99/cigar), Double Corona (7 3/4 x 49, SRP $8.79/cigar), and Rabito (6 x 46, SRP $9.29/cigar). All sizes are presented in 20-count boxes except for the Rabito, which is in ten-count boxes.
Also making a return is the Diesel Sideshow Sampler. The Diesel Sideshow was first released in 2022 and is intended to be an end-of-year holiday release. This contains seven limited edition cigars of the Diesel Unlimited Blend in seven artisan-style vitolas. The blend features an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper over a San Andres binder and Nicaraguan tobaccos from Estelí and Condega. Pricing has been set at $99.45. The samplers are scheduled to ship on October 18, 2023.
Photo Credit: Scandinavian Tobacco Group
The seven vitolas include:
Frog Boy: 4 1/2 x 60
Pin Head: 5 x 54
Two-Headed Nightmare: 6 x 60
Bearded Lady: 6 x 46
Elephant Man: 6 x 52
Bohemian Twins: 7 x 38
Strong Man: 7 x 58
Photo Credit: Scandinavian Tobacco Group
Interview with Justin Andrews, Scandinavian Tobacco Group
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Product Reports
Diesel Vintage Series Announced
Diesel Sideshow (2022)
Photo Credits: Erron Nielsen for Cigar Coop, except where noted
Originally posted on July 25, 2023 @ 1:17 pm