Pre-light Experience

The wrapper on the Diesel Sunday Gravy San Marzano is various shades of medium brown and has some raised veins present that carry a lighter color to them. The seams are smooth and the caps are applied pretty well. The band has burgundy bordering what looks like an out of focus hand written recipe. The brand logo and line version are in black as the line itself is noted on the front and back. The aroma from the wrapper is a light mix of wood and dry earth while the foot brings dark cherry sweetness, wood and some sharp spice. The pre-light draw brings cedar and light stone fruit sweetness.

First Third

The cigar begins with toasted, dry wood and black pepper. At a quarter inch in, a light mustiness joins in. The retrohale is musty wood, dry earth and a zinging black pepper. At an inch and a quarter, a light, dry earth joins the profile. As the third comes to a close, the profile is toasted, dry wood up front with an even mix of dry earth, mustiness and black pepper a bit behind. The strength in this third was right at medium.

Second Third

As the second third begins, the dry earth becomes even with the toasted, dry wood, creating an overall dryness to the cigar. At a half inch in, the toast has transitioned to char. The retrohale remains musty wood, dry earth and a zinging black pepper. At an inch and a half, the char becomes fairly heavy and some bitterness accompanies it. The strength in this third bumped up to slightly above medium.

Final Third

The final third continues with charred wood and dry earth up front with mustiness and black pepper in the middle and some bitterness in the background. The retrohale remains musty wood, dry earth and a zinging black pepper. At an inch in, the bitterness picks up a fair amount. The cigar wraps up with an even mix of charred and bitter wood and dry earth with mustiness and black pepper a bit behind. The strength in this third bumped up to medium-full.

Burn

The burn was straight the entire way and the ash held on in inch and a half increments.

Draw

The draw was perfect, with just the right amount of resistance that I prefer.

Overall

The flavor profile was focused around toasted wood, dry earth, mustiness and black pepper. The second third saw the toast transition to char and some bitterness joined in and that built up through the rest of the cigar. Construction was perfect. The Diesel Sunday Gravy San Marzano was about what I expected from the brand at this price point, a bundle type flavor profile. While the first third was average, it went downhill from there and isn’t something that was all that enjoyable. If you’re a Diesel fan or a bundle smoker, give it a try, but I can’t see myself coming back to this.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

4.68

Cost/Point

$1.07

Scoring System

Personal Cigar Review: Diesel Sunday Gravy San Marzano