Diesel threw their hat in the ring of the annual Tobacconist Association of America releases a few years ago with the Atonement release. For 2024, it was rebranded “Tempest”…actually the original name before they changed it to not run afoul of Alec Bradley’s copyright…but since STG owns both brands now…well. This soft-box-pressed toro cigar uses Nicaraguan and Honduran fillers, a binder from Nicaragua, and an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper leaf. Like everything else in the Diesel catalog, it is made in the AJ Fernandez factory in Nicaragua.
The milk chocolate brown wrapper leaf was silky and smooth with a strong earthiness on the nose. The foot had a deeper mix of earth and chocolate notes, and I found the cold draw to be very easy with a touch of hay.
I fired up the cigar and found it to be every bit a “Diesel” right from the get-go…full-bodied, spicy, and chugging out copious amounts of smoke. There was a very good mix of earth and cedar on the palate, as well as black and red pepper in various amounts. The retrohale had much more pepper, while still getting some of the wood notes into the act. What I found lacking was much in the way of sweetness…which is why I decided to pair this cigar with a Dr. Pepper Blackberry Zero…the best of the Doctors, in my opinion…and very sweet on its own.
While I normally sip some kind of bourbon with my cigars, this Dr. Pepper Blackberry was somewhat inspired…the dark fruit sweetness went well with the cigar, never overpowering it, but really making it more enjoyable to smoke.
