The Diesel Delirium was released on March 2nd and was predicted to be an instant sell-out. As I reported earlier, the Diesel Delirium is available in one size; Toro (6” x 52), which will sell for an MSRP of $10.00 per cigar. Only 5,000 boxes of ten cigars have been produced.
I was fortunate enough to receive some samples from General Cigar Co. for this review.
Specifics
The Delirium was blended by A.J. Fernandez and manufactured at his Tabacalera AJ Fernandez in Esteli, Nicaragua. The blend consists of an Ecuadoran Sumatra wrapper, a Connecticut Broadleaf binder and a filler blend of Nicaraguan ligero and Ometepe.
Appearance
There’s nothing like a tug of war with a foot band
The cigar is beautiful to look at. The wrapper is a deep Maduro color that almost borders on Oscuro. There were a few predominant veins and the seams were barely visible (most likely because light cannot escape that dark wrapper.)
The double cap was smoothly applied to the cigar and it also sports a finished foot.
The cigar’s main band has a simple design. It has a black base color with a red stripe, gold stripes and DELIRIUM diesel written in gold lettering. The matching foot band had 2020 Limited Edition also in gold.
The Experience
The cigar feels very dense, firm and a little heavier compared to other cigars of this vitola.
Giving the cigar a sniff, I picked up on an earthy/leathery aroma on the wrapper and a sweet barnyard scent from the foot.
OK, enough of this touchy, feely stuff. Time to cut and light this cigar.
Pre-light
I gave the cigar a straight cut and checked out the pre-light draw. There was a slight firmness to the draw, which was perfect and I tasted savory tobacco.
I removed the foot band easily which is always a bonus. There’s nothing like a tug of war with a foot band and losing by tearing the very bottom of the wrapper leaf.
I started to toast the foot with my lighter and a very familiar smell hit me. As the tobacco was warming, I sensed the aroma of baking bread. It’s the same aroma I encounter when roasting coffee beans, just as they are leaving the yellow stage and transition to tan.
1st third
So now, I’ve got the cigar lit and I’m about an inch into the smoke. You can tell AJ Fernandez had a hand in this blend. On my first retrohale, I experienced what I think of as a signature of his cigars; the strong “pinch” in my sinuses and nose. This sensation did not change at all during the entire smoke.
As far as flavor for the first third, the cigar had a solid tobacco taste and a long finish.
2nd and Final Thirds
The second and final thirds were very similar and brought forth deep roasted coffee notes along with rich tobacco.
Overall combustion with this cigar was very good. The burn line was razor sharp with a thin carbon ring. The ash was firm, predominately gray, with black flecks. The cigar produces an excellent volume of smoke.
In fact, as I was observing the burn characteristics while I smoked, one word and image kept popping up in my mind:
[su_box title=”Final Thoughts” style=”glass” box_color=”#b9b1ae”] This cigar is one of the best I have smoked in a while. It’s medium-full in strength and full bodied. I found this smoking session to be a very enjoyable experience.
I rate the new Diesel Delirium a 95.
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