Pre-light Experience

The Diesel Estelí Puro Robusto is mostly covered with a normal sized band that is black and silver and has the brand name and logo on it, along with the line name. Just under the band is a cedar sleeve that runs to the foot and has a glossy black band at the bottom. The line name and brand logo is printed vertically on the cedar. Sliding off the cedar sleeve reveals a dark brown wrapper with some veins that are medium in size but well pressed. There is a fine tooth throughout and the seams are only really visible due to the thickness of the wrapper. The head is finished off with a well applied double cap. The cigar is very firm. As you can imagine, the wrapper smells of cedar from the sleeve while the foot actually brings a more detailed and fuller sweet cedar along with a pepper zing. The pre-light draw brings a light and airy musty cedar along with a mid-level spiciness on my lips.

Pre-light Experience

Finished with a dark and oily wrapper, the Diesel Estelí Puro Robusto is Maduro in coloring. It is silky in texture and sports few veins, those present being small in size. It is firm throughout and a well rolled cigar. I am picking up aromas of tobacco, strong earth, wood and spiced meat on the foot, and the wrapper is delivering some similar qualities with leather present as well.

Pre-light Experience

Diesel Estelí Puro Robusto has quite a number of design elements going on. There’s a black foot ribbon that holds on a cedar sleeve with Esteli Puro etched onto it. The UPC sticker appears designed to come off in one piece on the cellophane. The cedar sleeve fortunately slides off easily, revealing a silky smooth dark wrapper. The cigar has aromas of cedar and a faint glue or adhesive note. The foot smells like fresh plum and light cedar.

Pre-light Experience

The Diesel Estelí Puro Robusto has a uniform Colorado Maduro wrapper shade. Veins are well pressed, seams tight, bunch and roll even and head well wrapped. Aromas from the wrapper give barnyard and dried nuts. Aromas from the foot tell barnyard, cedar and floral perfume. Cold draw tells cedar and hay.

First Third

The cigar begins with musty wood and light cinnamon. At a half inch in, the cinnamon has transitioned to a dull and long lasting black pepper and is just behind the musty wood. The retrohale begins with black pepper zing and then musty wood comes through. As the third comes to a close, the profile remains musty wood with dull black pepper right behind. The strength in this third was slightly above medium.

First Third

The first third opens up by delivering peppery spice notes that are paired with some leather and meaty qualities. I am getting some wood and dry earth notes as well, and the finish is that of nuts and toast. It is a full flavored cigar thus far and the body and strength are smoking at that full level as well.

First Third

The first third opens with far less intensity than I was anticipating. A soft combination of baking spices and cedar, with some momteraily intense baking spices finishing the draw. Light hay and light plus cedar make up the post draw. A few puffs in and the intensity I was expecting comes through in the form of full bodied spices and black pepper accents. The intense spices back off to medium plus by the 10 minute mark. By the 15 minute mark, bread notes come to peek through. A rich sweetness roughly 20 minutes in which balances the intense spices. Shortly after, the baking spices continue to fall in intensity to medium. By the 30 minute mark, the sweetness is pushing into the post draw, with some lingering cedar.

First Third

The first third has a medium plus strength and medium body profile. Flavors consists of a nice fresh seeded red pepper spice, naturally sweet and creamy roasted nuts and subtle barnyard. Retrohaling is great, as it gives the same flavors intensified. The finish gives a tongue tingling red pepper spice and dirt/soil component.

Second Third

As the second third begins, the musty wood and dull black pepper become even. At an inch in, the wood gains a light char to go along with the mustiness. The retrohale maintains the black pepper zing up front followed by the musty wood. The third wraps up with the lightly charred and musty wood even with the dull black pepper. The strength in this third remained at slightly above medium.

Second Third

The second third delivers a flavor profile that is slightly more complex than the first third and enjoyable. I am picking up some cocoa notes and it is paired with some rich earth, strong oak and black pepper notes. The finish is delivering some nutty qualities, and like before the cigar is full in strength and body.

Second Third

Bread, cedar and baking spices at medium strength combine to take the Estelí Puro Robusto into the second third. Some astringency joins the post draw with dry cedar accents. Chocolate joins the retrohale as the second third settles in. Stone fruit sweetness comes through some time later. A moss and toasted earth combination bridge the transition between the second and last thirds.

Second Third

The second third is a continuation of the first third. Still medium plus strength and medium body with a freshness and boldness in seeded red pepper spice, followed by naturally sweet and creamy roasted nuts and faint barnyard. The finish picks up slightly more spice than the first third, but it doesn’t get overbearing.

Final Third

As the final third begins, the lightly charred and musty wood has a slight lead over the dull black pepper. The retrohale remains the black pepper zing ahead of the musty wood. At three quarters of an inch in, the profile has become fairly dry. At an inch in, the char has picked up a fair amount. As the cigar wraps up, the charred and musty wood is up front with the dull black pepper in the background. The strength in this third bumped up to medium-full.

Final Third

The final third is very similar to the first and I am getting a flavor profile that focuses on leather, meaty qualities and some black pepper. I am getting some dry and rich earth qualities, and the finish is toasty and nutty. Like it has been throughout, the cigar is full in strength and body.

Final Third

Toasted earth carries the profile into the last third. Sweet stone fruit takes up the middle, with dry cedar on the post draw. Toasted earth joins the post draw and moves up to medium strength as it settles in.

Final Third

The first inch or so of the final third is the same as the first couple thirds. But past that point, the sweetness and cream of roasted nuts is lost, making the profile lopsided to just the red pepper spice. Further, a hint of wood bitterness shows, further deteriorating the flavors. Strength and body is unchanged at medium plus and medium.

Burn

The burn line was fairly wavy at times but always self corrected. The ash held on in inch and a half increments.

Burn

Burn was very good throughout. Well constructed cigar.

Burn

The burn was quite straight, with the ash holding on in 1-1/2 inch increments. The burn became uneven at the halfway point requiring a single touch-up. The burn was uneven again in the last third, but self corrected.

Burn

Surprisingly (knowing the high pedigree of cigars rolled at AJ’s), the burn had its share of issues. Multiple touch-ups and a complete re-light due to a portion of the cigar struggling to burn through.

Draw

The draw was a bit tighter than I prefer, but didn’t cause any issues with the smoking experience.

Overall

The flavor profile of the Diesel Estelí Puro Robusto was pretty basic and linear throughout as it was focused around musty wood and dull black pepper with some char joining later. The final third saw the char build up and drop the enjoyment level a bit. The dull black pepper really took a toll on my tongue as the smoking session progressed. This fits in line with most of the Diesel portfolio and fans of the brand will likely enjoy this release. For me, it was too monotonous and not something I really want to go through the experience of again.

Draw

The cigar had a great level of resistance. Smoked well from start to finish.

Overall

The Diesel Estelí Puro Robusto is a strong cigar and with that comes some pronounced Esteli flavors. The cigar produced what Esteli tobacco is known for and that is strength and body. With that were meaty, leather and dry earth flavors with touches of nuts and wood. I can’t recall the last time I smoked a cigar composed of strictly Esteli tobacco, but it was a fun experience. It is not a cigar that speaks to me as a smoker, I look for a little bit more complexity and balance, but for those that want strength, body and powerful flavors, this will do well. It is definitely a Diesel in terms of the profile delivered, and while it is not my favorite Diesel, I can see this becoming popular among many.

Draw

The draw was perfect, right in the center of the ideal zone of resistance.

Overall

The Diesel Estelí Puro Robusto was a medium-full to full bodied experience that didn’t skimp on complexity through the first and second thirds. This is the essence of the Diesel brand that I came to enjoy many, many years ago. What I appreciated is that the cigar brought intensity and strength, but didn’t do it at the expense of a range of flavors. As is typical with cigars coming out of Tabacalera AJ Fernandez, the construction and draw were near flawless. Smoking time was a fairly slow 1 hour and 59 minutes.

Draw

The draw on the other hand was perfect.

Overall

The Diesel Estelí Puro Robusto was a pleasure to smoke. Bold in big red pepper spice, but well rounded out by a sweet and creamy roasted nuttiness. This is no doubt the best Diesel release to come out in a while. The only surprising let down was the burn issues, which is almost never heard of from AJ’s factory. But for the flavors the Esteli Puro gave off, I’d gladly battle the burn issues.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

5.15

Cost/Point

$1.75

Scoring System

Seth Geise

SCORE

5.50

Cost/Point

$1.63

Scoring System

John McTavish

SCORE

6.72

Cost/Point

$1.34

Scoring System

Jiunn Liu

SCORE

6.52

Cost/Point

$1.38

Scoring System

Team Cigar Review: Diesel Estelí Puro Robusto