Diesel

Diesel was born in 2009 as a collaboration between master blender AJ Fernandez and Justin Andrews, then of Cigars International, who asked Fernandez to create something bold and unapologetic. The brand launched as an internet and catalog exclusive, built on the philosophy that a great cigar should push limits rather than play it safe. Fernandez, a Cuban-born third-generation tobacco man who established his Estelí factory in the mid-2000s, brought his deep command of Nicaraguan leaf to every Diesel blend. The early line in this database features a Brazilian wrapper over Nicaraguan filler and Dominican binder, a combination that delivers rich, dark, full-flavored smoking. What began as a catalog brand quickly grew into one of the most respected value-forward lines in the premium market, with Diesel's portfolio expanding significantly under the Fernandez and Andrews partnership over the following decade.