Smoked: Diesel Whiskey Row Bourbon Barrel Aged

Smoked at: Sharonville, Ohio

Diesel Whiskey Row Bourbon Barrel Aged is made with Nicaraguan filler, a Mexican San Andres binder and covered in a smooth, oily, medium brown Ecuadoran Habano wrapper. The filler was aged 5 to 8 years. The binder was barrel aged and the Habano wrapper was aged for five years. As usual, AJ takes his projects seriously.

The band is quite busy with blue, grey and brown colors as a backdrop to gold and black lettering and the “d” and the diesel logo with the words “Whiskey Row” under it. And under that is a rabbit jumping into a hole. The footer clarifies with the words “Bourbon Barrel Aged” and the name “Rabbit Hole”– the Louisville, Kentucky bourbon brand in collaborated with this AJ Fernandez Diesel Whiskey Row. The footer actually extends beyond the foot of the cigar. Be careful; removing it. Someone used a bit too much adhesive on the footer, although it may have been just the stick I chose.

Once lit, the cigar’s initial flavors are oak, cedar, spice/ pepper and minor hints of vanilla, caramel, and orchard fruit. Add cinnamon to the pepper in the spice spectrum plus mixed nuts. The sweetness of the tobacco does seem pronounced due to the barrel aging. The cigar doesn’t so much transition as it shifts back and forth with the intensity of the wood and spice/cinnamon/pepper notes. Some sweetness creeps into the second and final third, but it’s a background note. The stick finishes very woodsy and peppery during the final third. The retrohale is sinus-attacking pepper…and some wood. The strength and body are in the medium range.

Tight draw, decent even burn line, fair smoke output, and firm ash that held to an inch before tapping off – only fell off once. But there was one soft spot. The cigar was a little mooshy.

Diesel Whiskey Row Bourbon Barrel Aged Rabbit Hole is not very complex, but somewhat tasty and balanced. I found it interesting, but not much more than an average tasting cigar. The word that comes to mind is “flat.” I did enjoy the taste of the barrel aging.