Vitola: Robusto- 5” x 52 ring gauge
- MSRP $8.49
- Samples provided by General Cigar
Background
It hasn’t even been a year since the Diesel Whiskey Row debuted. In that cigar, General’s Diesel team partnered with Rabbit Hole distillery to age some tobacco in used bourbon barrels—something which is increasingly popular these days. The blending and production of the cigars was handled by A.J. Fernandez and the result was a very good Nicaraguan blend in the “barrel-aged” category. Because of its mix of appealing flavor profile and excellent price point, I’ve come back to it frequently.
Was it a big surprise, then, that the team would reunite? No. I am a little surprised it happened so quickly, though. The new collaboration ships the first week of June and is called Diesel Whiskey Row Sherry Cask. Diesel brand manager, Justin Andrews, worked once again with AJ Fernandez to blend and Rabbit Hole Distillery for barrels. AJ used a blend of Nicaraguan Habano filler, a Brazilian Arapiraca binder from the Alagoas region, and a Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro wrapper. The Brazilian binder leaf was aged in Rabbit Hole’s Pedro Ximénez Sherry barrels. Not noted on the press release is the fact that the barrels starts as Pedro Ximénez Sherry barrels, before going to Kentucky to provide additional aging for Rabbit Hole’s Straight Bourbon Whiskey…so the tobacco will pick up characteristics of both beverages that have spent time in the barrels.
The Whiskey Row Sherry Cask (I’ve also heard it called the Whiskey Row Maduro) is available in 3 sizes from $8.49 to $9.49. They come in 20-count boxes and should be available pretty much wherever General Cigar products are sold…check you local B&M. General Cigar sent me samples for review; this review is based on the 4th time I’ve smoked the blend.h
Prelight
The banding on the Whiskey Row Sherry Cask is pretty much the same basic design as the original Whiskey Row release, although with a different color scheme and different wording. The beige and burgundy work together well, although the brown rabbit on the burgundy almost disappears. The main band has the Diesel name and logo, along with the “Whiskey Row” appellation, while the foot band carries the words “Rabbit Hole PX Sherry Cask,” further detailing what release this is. (As an aside, I was looking through Rabbit Hole’s other spirits for hints at possible future collaborations and barrel-aging projects…they have a Rye Whiskey—yes, please!—and a London Dry Gin—please, God no!)
The Broadleaf Maduro wrapper was a dark chocolate brown color that worked well with the colors in the bands. I love it when it’s obvious that the band designer showed some thought about how well the band would go with the color of the wrapper leaf. The leaf was smooth with a decently oily feel and an aroma of earth and dark roast coffee. The foot of the cigar had earth and coffee, as well, but also mixed in chocolate and vanilla notes.
Once clipped, I had a good prelight draw with just the right amount of resistance. The cold flavors were of chocolate, berries, vanilla, and red pepper. The barrel-aging came through in prelight in a huge way with tons of sweetness.
Flavor
I got the Whiskey Row Sherry Cask fired up and was not terribly surprised that the sweetness continued on initial puffs. The wine flavor of the sherry came through prominently, but also more chocolate and raspberry notes. Pepper spice was more evident on the lit cigar with heat remaining on my tongue during the finish and a retrohale that was almost painfully peppery. Further puffs revealed earth and espresso notes behind the sweeter flavors.
As I got into the second third, the sweeter berry notes had subsided a bit, allowing more earth and coffee flavor to come through, though there was still plenty of chocolate. Pepper heat was still present, but not so painful, while vanilla and sherry notes played around in the background.
The last third had the Whiskey Row Sherry Cask tasting more like a “normal” Maduro blend, with plenty of earth, coffee and chocolate notes, while the berry and vanilla flavors were background accents more than anything else. There was still a bit of pepper spice, as well, but it was much diminished from earlier.
Construction
I had a great draw, very even burn line and solid ash up to half an inch (I dropped the cigar early on and that affected the ash length…but not much).
Value
Very good cigar and very attractive price point.
Conclusions
Whiskey Row Sherry Cask is an excellent follow-up to the original Diesel Whiskey Row, featuring a new blend that is very much aligned with my palate and a completely different take on the barrel-aging component. This is one of my favorite new cigars of the year so far and I can see this blend becoming a regular addition to my humidor.
By-The-Numbers
Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 2/2
Flavor: 4.5/5
Value: 1/1
