12/22/2014

Cigar: Diesel Hair of the Dog Torpedo
Size: Piramide, 5.7”x56
MSRP: $8.00
Strength: Full
Wrapper: Ecuador Habano
Origin: Nicaragua



Prelight: I’m having a bit of difficulty finding information about this particular vitola in the HOTD line. Mine is about 5.7” long by 54-56rg, but it seems that it should be 6.2” according to many etailers. This probably came in some sort of sampler, offering a unique size. (Mine came from a BOTL, so I’m not sure the origin.) Anyhoo, it’s the size of a d.X, but has the band of a HOTD. The wrapper is smooth, has no large veins and smells very floral. The shoulder has a bit of a crack in it, but I’m hoping it doesn’t affect the burn too bad. The foot is nicely packed and smells like powdered cocoa. The cold draw is a little on the loose side, but has a pleasantly sweet flavor – almost fruity, with a hint of wood.



1/3: The cigar starts off with a spicy kick, especially through the nose in the retrohale. Already I’m expecting a spicy Nicaraguan AJ special that’s going to put me on my butt. But, a creaminess starts to develop quickly and soon takes over, paired with earth and oak. The body seems light though, not at all what I was expecting. It’s almost watered down, but still delicious.



2/3: The second third is a delectable creamy oak, and the flavor is increasing, but still a lot milder than I expected. The ash is nice and solid, but for some reason seems to keep falling before it gets a full inch long.



3/3: The final third sees more creamy oak, with a continued increase in body. There is some vegetal flavors coming in towards the nub, but they are not bitter – actually quite pleasant.

Overall: I’m putting this cigar in the box-worthy category. Once it hit that sweet spot of creamy oak, I didn’t want it to end. (I’ll soon be doing a review of a long salomon sized version to see how it compares.) The construction was fine and the cigar burned well despite the crack at the shoulder. If the draw was just a bit tighter, I would have been in Heaven. I highly recommend giving this cigar a try.