Profile: Medium
Wrapper: San Andrés
Flavor: Non Flavored
Filler: Dominican/Nicaraguan
Binder: Dominican
Pressed: False
Sweet: False
Today we are going to check out the Quesada 40th Anniversary Robusto size cigar. Although I am excited for this stick, I originally did want to try the exciting salomon press with its unique figurado shape patented by Quesada, but unfortunately only had the robusto and toro sizes available at the time. Quesada’s journey began out of Cuba in the late 1800’s experimenting with different blends of tobaccos. On a search for new interesting flavors, they travelled to the Dominican Republic and began producing blends like the Espana, Privada, and Liga f. The Quesada 40th Anniversary is testament to their long history in making premium cigars, so without further ado, let’s light this puppy up and see what experience Quesada has in store.
Upon first lighting the cigar, I was immediately presented with both an earthy taste and aroma. After a few puffs, hints of leather with some spice sprinkled in coated my pallet with each draw, definitely medium in body. I typically expect earthly leather, wood, and spice from a Mexican wrapper, but was curious if the Nicaraguan and Dominican filler would bring a balance of sweetness. Not immediately presented with it, I did pick up notes of coca or mild dark chocolate through a retro-hale. So far the Quesada was a pleasant experience, but I was not overly impressed with the burn that became wavy and required a couple relights.
Into the second third, I did not see much of a change in flavor or complexity. As the oils continued to heat up, the leather, earth, and coca flavors became more predominant with a black pepper after taste. I was drinking a Yuengling Lager with this which didn’t compliment any flavors, but I think any bourbon with a smoky aftertaste would complement this cigar pretty well. I was tempted to pour a glass of Woodford Reserve, but decided against it. As I continued to smoke through the second third, the only new note that I picked up was a sweet spice that balanced with the black pepper. It was almost like a cinnamon type flavor that poked it’s head out every few puffs.
The final third of cigar stayed consistently medium in body with the primary flavors being earth, leather, and spice. Although the outer construction of the cigar seemed solid, the burn still favored one side and didn’t want to stay consistent requiring the occasional touch up. Relighting the cigar became less frequent, though I did speed up my smoking a little. One thing I do like about the Quesada 40th Anniversary at this point is the flavor and strength balance. For an unknown reason, I had in my mind that the strength of this cigar would be a little higher upon first tasting, but that was not the case. I do like a stronger cigar from time to time, but I tend to gravitate towards the mild to medium bodied sticks.
Overall, the Quesada 40th Anniversary was an average cigar in my books. I wasn’t impressed with its complexity and the burn consistency, but was happy with the strength and flavors it did provide. If you are into earthy leather flavor with hints of spice and mild sweetness then the Quesada is definitely for you. It didn’t feel like a cheap cigar by any means and stayed very consistent with flavor. If you are a cigar smoker who enjoys creamy and nutty cigars, or cigars with a diverse flavor profile that changes over the span of the stick, then the Quesada may not be for you. Either way, it rates maybe an 86/100 in my humidor.
