Diesel Esteli Puro Toro (6 x 54)

W– Esteli, Nicaragua

B– Esteli, Nicaragua

F– Esteli, Nicaragua

Origin – Tabacalera AJ Fernandez, Esteli

Showcasing a tobacco blend comprised of 100% Nicaraguan leaves from  Esteli farms, the Diesel Esteli Puro is handmade by the pros at Tabacalera AJ Fernandez in – you guessed it – Esteli, Nicaragua.

The wrapper used on the cigar originates from the “La Lilia” farm (which was named after AJ’s grandmother), the binder is from the San Jose farm, and fillers are from various plots including AJ’s famed San Lotano farm. This cigar can accurately be described as “extremely Nicaraguan”, and I was looking forward to torching it up.

The stick had a rather regal presentation, with its shiny main band, branded cedar sleeve, and black foot band. Pre-light draws were earthy with a bit of a coffee bean flavor.

Once lit, the Esteli Puro greeted me with a light and crisp taste of cedar and earth with some lively white pepper on the finish. I was getting dense plumes of rich smoke with each puff and neat, gray ashes were hanging on nicely.

Burning into the second third, the profile “thickened” a bit as a pronounced dark woodiness took center stage. The pepper had vanished completely and ancillary notes were of cacao, coffee, and a dark breadiness along the lines of pumpernickel.

In the final portion of the cigar the main flavors shifted to tones of rich earth with creamy and leathery undertones and hints of salt. The smoke remained smooth, full, and rounded until we inevitably parted ways.

The Diesel Esteli Puro poured out dense, full flavor that was so thick you could cut it with a chaveta. For as full in flavor as it was, the strength of this cigar was quite manageable for me, manifesting as a solid medium body. I had read that this was a pretty spicy smoke, so I was surprised to find pepper relegated to only the first third in this particular cigar. But, what it lacked in spice, it more-than-compensated for with a powerfully-lush smoothness that pushed the profile forward with each draw.

If you’re a fan of rich Nicaraguan character but sometimes find Nicaraguan cigars to be too spicy, this is the cigar for you. Grab a box of Diesel Esteli Puro and let it steam-roll your palate into blissful submission.