Cigar Czars

 

Review of Diesel Esteli Puro Cigar

By: Gary Manelski

Diesel Esteli Puro cigars first became available at cigar retailers in September 2020. These cigars are a collaboration between AJ Fernandez and General Cigar, and are made in Nicaragua with tobaccos from AJ's farms in Esteli. Diesel Esteli Puro cigars are available in three sizes:

  • Robusto (5.25 x 54) – SRP per cigar $8.99
  • Toro (6 x 54) – SRP per cigar $9.49
  • Gigante (6 x 60) – SRP per cigar $9.99

For more information about these cigars, please see the press release.

The Robusto size was sampled for this review. Before lighting up my first sample, I was anticipating another very bold cigar similar to the Diesel Delirium that I reviewed back in March 2020. Although both Diesel cigars were blended by AJ Fernandez and have some similarities as described in the press releases, the tobaccos used for each cigar are not the same. In addition, the Delirium was a limited edition release, while the Esteli Puro is a full-time addition to the Diesel lineup.

I was pleasantly surprised by the Diesel Esteli Puro Robusto. It was a very balanced smoke and not at all overpowering nor excessively bold. The body hovered near the upper limit of the medium-to-full range. The smooth texture of the smoke may have tempered or masked some the boldness, making the Esteli Puro more palatable to a wider range of cigar connoisseurs, and not to just a small group of hardcore cigar extremists.

The cigar began with a sweet peppery taste, but the pepper faded after the first few puffs. After that, very enjoyable rich and naturally sweet tobacco flavors were accompanied by notes of cedar and exquisite spices lurking in the background.

The cigar was very well made and had a great draw, even burn, and held a long ash. No relights were needed, but I did apply a couple of minor touch-ups along the way. It took me an hour to smoke the cigar down to two inches remaining.

Overall, I found the Diesel Esteli Puro to be a great cigar worthy of an excellent rating of 4.5 points on a 5-point scale. The Robustos are a very good value at $8.99 per stick. Not intended for newbies, these cigars are strongly recommended for cigar aficionados.


Disclosure: Review samples were provided by the manufacturer.

Diesel Esteli Puro Cigar
Diesel Esteli Puro Cigar

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