Diesel Whiskey Row Shipping Next Month

The barrel-aging process has come to the Diesel brand.

On June 4, General Cigar Co. will begin shipping the Diesel Whiskey Row, a new four-size line that uses a Mexican San Andrés binder that is aged in barrels that previously held Rabbit Hole bourbon. The cigars are being rolled at Tabacalera AJ Fernandez Cigars de Nicaragua S.A.

Those barrels first shipped to Abdel Fernández’s factory in 2016. The company says Fernández developed a special technique in terms of placing the leaves in the barrels and rotating them to allow for better airflow.

Elsewhere, Whiskey Row uses a five-year-old Ecuadorian habano wrapper and fillers from three regions in Nicaragua—Condega, Jalapa and Ometepe—aged five to eight years.

“The partnership between Diesel and Rabbit Hole speaks of going against the grain in traditional industries,” said Justin Andrews, senior brand manager for Diesel, in a press release. “Rabbit Hole doesn’t claim to use 12 year old juice or have a 6th generation master distiller, much like Diesel doesn’t claim to be an old Cuban brand or have tobaccos that have been aged for 20 years. Both Rabbit Hole and Diesel are young, energetic brands with a unique go-to-market strategy. We knew the first time both companies sat down, there was a tremendous amount of synergy.”

It’s offered in four sizes, each in 25-count boxes:

• Diesel Whiskey Row Robusto (5 1/2 x 52) — $7.49 (Boxes of 25, $187.25)
• Diesel Whiskey Row Toro (6 x 54) — $7.99 (Boxes of 25, $199.75)
• Diesel Whiskey Row Churchill (7 x 49) — $8.49 (Boxes of 25, $212.25)
• Diesel Whiskey Row Gigante (6 x 60) — $8.99 (Boxes of 25, $224.75)

The company says it will host select events with Rabbit Hole Bourbon beginning in July.