The continuing excellence of Quesada Cigars

In 2008, 34 years after establishing his company Manufactura de Tabacos, S.A. (Matasa) to make cigars in the Dominican Republic, Manolo Quesada’s the Casa Magna Colarado Robusto was named the #1 Cigar of the Year by Cigar Aficionado.

Before this, from the 1800s, the family was in the business of buying and selling tobacco in Cuba expanding their base to the Dominican Republic in the late 1920s. They eventually shifted their business fully out of Cuba in the 1960s. Their early foray into cigar making was with the Sosa and (non-Cuban) Fonseca brands; the latter of which was taken over by My Father Cigars in 2019.

The Casa Magna Colorado, when it came out, felt like a step in a new direction for Quesada Cigars. It was created in collaboration with Nestor Plasencia, made at Plasencia’s Segovia Cigar factory in Nicaragua and with blended tobacco grown in the Nicaraguan regions of Esteli and Jalapa.

In 2020, the Casa Magna Colorado Robusto made Cigar Aficionado’s Cigar of the Year list again, this time at #20. The main difference between this iteration, which is the one I have been trying out, and the 2008 version is that Quesada Cigars have brought it in-house, producing it at their own factory in Dominican Republic. It is still a Nicaraguan Puro with an oily Cuban seed, Jalapa shade grown maduro-coloured wrapper and Nicaraguan filler and binder. Those who have smoked both say there is very little difference in the actual smoke, which is commendable considering the alchemy involved in creating a cigar.

The 5 ½ x 52 robusto is a well-priced, characterful, full bodied smoke that is generous with spicy flavours from first draw. There’s also subtle hints of wood, dark chocolate and caramel which gives it a certain sweetness. There are six other vitolas including the 6 ¼ x 54 Belicoso, the 6 ⅞ x 49 Churchill, the 6 x 64 Gigantor and the 4 ¾ x 60 Torito.

In the time between the release of the first and second Casa Magna Colorado, Quesada Cigars were struck by tragedy when Manolo’s right-hand man and general manager, Julio Fajardo, his brother Alvaro Quesada, (vice-president responsible for the company’s farms and young cigarette operation), and his nephew Alvarito, all died in a plane accident in 2002. They served as the main management team and, therefore, being able to work through the grief and continue to build the business, which he now runs with his daughters, Patricia and Raquel and Alvaro’s daughter, Esther, is admirable.

In 2009, Quesada Cigars released the first cigars under their own brand name and, early this year, Quesada released two limited edition cigars to celebrate 50 years in the cigar industry, namely the 6 1⁄4 x 56 Quesada 50th Anniversary Toro Prensado (2,200 boxes) and 6 x 60 Perfecto (500 boxes). Both cigars, which are rolled at their Tabacos de Exportación factory in the Dominican Republic, have an Ecuadorean Habano wrapper, a Nicaraguan binder and a blend of Peruvian and Dominican fillers.

The Toro Prensado, which is box pressed, is very spicy throughout the medium-bodied smoke with an easy draw and hints of caramel (sweetness), cocoa, wood and earth. Toros can be overwhelming for me, at times, but this one is smooth, well balanced and had me wishing it was a bit longer once I got to the end of it.

The simplicity of the gold and black band which is carried over onto the box of 10 somehow enhances the quality of the smoke. It truly is a worthy commemoration of the half-century that Quesada has been in the cigar industry.

I look forward to both exploring the full range of Quesada Cigars’ offering as well as whatever they may have on the horizon. The Casa Magna Colorado Robusto and the 50th Anniversary Toro Prensado are both that good.