Shorty’s Cigars are available at select tobacconists across the country, at Cigar.com and for qualified Wholesale buyers, online at Meier & Dutch.

Shorty has always been a lover of fine premium cigars, particularly the full-bodied Diesel brand made in Nicaragua. In Spring 2010, Shorty received a personal invitation from Diesel cigar maker Abdel (A.J.) Fernandez to visit the factory and get a first-hand look at production, in addition to experiencing cigar country for a week. While there, Shorty got a real taste of what cigar life is all about, visiting not only the factory, but the farms and tobacco processing facilities as well.

For Shorty, the highlight of the trip was at its end when he was given an opportunity to make his very own size in the Diesel line. For this project, Shorty selected a 4.5-inch cigar and chose a 60-ring gauge, making it short and stout with a combination of strong filler tobaccos, giving it a rich full body. It is the same exact blend as Diesel and falls under the Diesel line, but the size was tailored specifically to Shorty’s requests. Upon making the cigar and taking his first puff, Shorty proclaimed to Abdel, “the cigar is like me, it’s short and it packs a punch!” The Ltd. Shorty size in the Diesel cigar line is available at select tobacconists across the country and also at Cigar.com.

At just 31 years of age, A.J. is the youngest master blender in the cigar industry and he represents the third generation of his family working in the tobacco trade. Growing up, A.J. learned about tobacco and cigar making from his father and grandfather in Pinar del Rio, Cuba. Pinar del Rio is widely considered the heart of Cuba’s cigar culture, known for the hearty and rich tobacco grown in the region. A.J. held several jobs as most people in Cuba his age do to help support the family. However, his days always started and ended alongside his dad and grandfather in the tobacco fields.

During his teenage years, A.J. lost his grandfather and his dad left Cuba to pursue an opportunity to work with the Plasencia family in Nicaragua, the largest growers or Cuban-seed tobacco in the world. At that time, A.J. continued< his education in tobacco with the late Alejandro Robaina who passed away early in 2010 at the age of 90. Robaina is highly respected and considered by many to be the ‘Godfather of the Cuban cigars’ and was the last living tobacco legend in Cuba. He is literally considered a national treasure. Robaina used very old, secret methods in his cigar making and tobacco growing. He passed his knowledge onto only two people, his grandson and A.J. In his early 20’s, A.J. moved to Nicaragua and set up his own operation, which is one of the largest and most respected in all of Latin America. He has a reputation for doing things in the old way and the old methods using what he learned from his family and from Robaina. To honor the traditions, A.J. handpicked all of his managers from Pinar del Rio, Cuba and brought them to Nicaragua to help him. These supervisors all share a similar philosophy, one that focuses on growing the best tobacco and doing things patiently regardless of cost. Today, he makes some of the most coveted blends in the cigar industry.

Diesel is a tremendous cigar that maintains a full body with a full flavor and offers complex notes of earth, leather and some spicy nuances that build to a long, very pronounced finish. The cigar is made only with premium, aged long leaf tobacco, all chosen for their superior quality and color. The wrapper is broadleaf maduro grown in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania and is known for having a dark oily sheen and being incredibly flavorful. This wrapper is hard to work with, as the fermentation time is much longer than ordinary, making it more expensive. The cigar’s filler tobaccos hail from the three most prominent growing regions in Nicaragua: Esteli, Jalapa and Condega. The filler tobaccos are selected from the top halves of the plant where the leaves are heavier and receive the most sunlight. This is the secret to the power behind Diesel.

Founded in 1999, Cigar.com is the Web’s home for cigar aficionados who are incredibly selective when it comes to their smokes. The company is built around its staff, which is widely recognized as the most knowledgeable tobacconists in the United States. Their consultants work one on one with customers to answer the toughest questions and help select the perfect cigar to match the tastes of each individual consumer. All of the cigars sold by Cigar.com are stored and aged in a carefully monitored climate controlled facility in the U.S. Furthermore; all purchases are handpicked by cigar experts to ensure the highest quality in packaging and shipment. If you are as serious about cigars as Shorty Rossi, then Cigar.com is your only stop when it comes to filling all of your cigar needs.