Diesel Cigars and Rabbit Hole Bourbon have announced their third collaboration, the Diesel Whiskey Row Founder’s Collection Boxergrail. This is a limited edition cigar done with Justin Andrews of STG, AJ Fernandez, and Kaveh Zamanian, founder and whiskey maker of Rabbit Hole.
Diesel Whiskey Row Founder’s Collection was developed by Justin Andrews, blended by AJ Fernandez and handcrafted at Tabacalera AJ Fernandez in Estelí, Nicaragua. The cigar features a proprietary aging process developed by AJ.
The limited-edition blend is centered on a proprietary Nicaraguan Habano binder leaf selected for aging in the handcrafted wood-fired, toasted, and charred #3 new American oak barrels that aged Rabbit Hole Founder’s Collection Boxergrail Rye Whiskey.
The binder surrounds a Nicaraguan Habano filler, and the Diesel Whiskey Row Founder’s Collection is finished with a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper. The cigar comes in one size known as Boxergrail (a 6 x 52 Toro). The cigars are presented in ten-count elegant boxes that mirror the packaging of Rabbit Hole Boxergrail Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey. Pricing is set at $15.79 per cigar or $157.90 per box. The cigars are expected to reach retailers on May 1 to coincide with Kentucky Derby weekend.
In a press release, Justin Andrews said, “With Diesel Whiskey Row Founder’s Collection, we set out to take our partnership with Rabbit Hole to a deeper level. Aging tobacco in rye barrels is completely unique in the handmade cigar space and I believe that we have created a cigar that will stand apart in a crowded marketplace. AJ, Kaveh and I agree this blend is one of the most versatile and provocative cigars we’ve ever smoked, and we believe it’s because we were guided by a mutual commitment to innovation. By giving the binder leaf its own personality and introducing the complexity of rye whiskey, we’ve created what we believe to be the ultimate cigar, one that pairs beautifully yet also makes a statement on its own.”
Kaveh Zamanian, founder and whiskey maker of Rabbit Hole added, “As a longtime cigar smoker, I believe that pairing cigars with whiskey is an art. It is for this reason that I instinctually selected our highly-regarded Boxergrail Founder’s Collection Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey casks for this collaboration. I knew that these exceptional barrels would lend intriguing notes to the tobacco and would elevate the smoking experience. Given Rabbit Hole’s focus on bringing one-of-a-kind innovations to life, it is a pleasure to have played a role in introducing rye barrel aging to the handmade cigar category. I’m looking forward to sharing this great blend with cigar and whiskey enthusiasts across the country.”
The partnership with Diesel and Rabbit Hole started in June 2018 with the release of the Diesel Whiskey Row. The following year, the second collaboration, the Diesel Whiskey Row Sherry Cask, was released.
Diesel Cigars are distributed by Forged Cigar Company.
At a glance, here is a look at the Diesel Whiskey Row Founder’s Collection Boxergrail:
Blend and Origin
Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
Binder: Nicaraguan Habano (Aged in Rabbit Hole Founder’s Collection Boxergrail Rye Whiskey Barrels)
Filler: Nicaraguan Habano
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Factory: Tabacalera AJ Fernandez Cigars de Nicaragua S.A.
Vitolas Offered
Boxergrail: 6 x 52
Photo Credits: Scandinavian Tobacco Group