Diesel Tempest Returns to TAA Stores Following Alec Bradley Acquisition

Two years ago, Scandinavian Tobacco Group (STG) introduced its 2022 TAA Exclusive Series release as the Diesel Tempest. However, by the time the cigar shipped to stores, it had been renamed Diesel Atonement, likely due to a trademark conflict with Alec Bradley’s Tempest cigar.

STG resolved this issue in 2023 by acquiring Alec Bradley, which has paved the way for the original Diesel Tempest to make its return as the company’s 2024 TAA release. This year’s Diesel Tempest is a 6 x 52 toro, featuring an Ecuadorian habano wrapper, a Nicaraguan binder, and fillers from both Honduras and Nicaragua. As with other Diesel cigars, it is crafted by AJ Fernandez in Nicaragua.

The 2024 version of the Diesel Tempest is priced at $10.99 per cigar, with a limited production of 1,000 boxes, each containing 10 cigars. These cigars began shipping to TAA member stores on Monday, October 21.

“Fans asked for a full-bodied Nicaraguan smoke that balances strength and complexity, and we delivered,” said Justin Andrews, business development manager for STG. He noted that the new Tempest builds on the success of Diesel Atonement while continuing the bold story of Diesel cigars.

In keeping with Diesel’s signature packaging, the Tempest comes in boxes designed to look like books, a nod to the brand’s storytelling theme.

The Tobacconists’ Association of America (TAA) is a membership group consisting of around 80 retailers and 40 manufacturers. The group holds an annual convention and trade show, where exclusive products, such as the Diesel Tempest, are released under the TAA Exclusive Series Program (ESP). A portion of the proceeds from each TAA ESP cigar goes to support the organisation, with contributions set at a minimum of $1 per cigar for 2024.

Other brands releasing TAA ESP cigars this year include CLE, Crowned Heads, E.P. Carrillo, Espinosa, Joya de Nicaragua, and Plasencia.