I have smoked a number of Quesada Cigars over the years and there were a couple of standouts from the past. I am partial to the Oktoberfest Limited Release, especially when paired with a nice dark beer. The Casa Magna Colorado was the first of the Casa Magna line and the Liga F (F stands for Fuerte which translates to “strong”) is an extension of that line. I was curious how this cigar compared to the rest of the line due to it being produced at the Quesada factory instead of Plasencia. Keeping up with decent pricing, the toro comes in at $9.50 a stick.

OVERVIEW

VITOLA: Toro
SIZE: 6″ x 52

ORIGIN: Dominican Republic
FACTORY: Tabacos de Exportación

WRAPPER: Ecuadorian Sun Grown
BINDER: Dominican Republic
FILLER: Dominican Republic & Nicaragua

STRENGTH: Medium

SOURCE:
Vendor

ENVIRONMENT

WHERE:
Outside

WHEN:
April 30, 2024

DRINKS:
Water

WEATHER:
Overcast and warm

HOW MANY CIGARS SMOKED:
3

PRODUCTION

RELEASE TYPE Regular Production

ORIGINALLY RELEASE DATE September 2021

TOTAL PRODUCTION
Typical Box Size: Boxes of 10
Production Totals: UNK

VITOLA BREAKDOWN
o Toro (6″ x 52)
o Petit Corona (4-1/4″ x 40)
o Robusto (5″ x 54)
o Churchill (7″ x 50)

BAND DESIGN

The band is a nice mixture of gold and green, but I feel like a lot of the design gets lost due to all the foiled gold on the band. There is a little red thrown in the mix, it would be better to include that throughout the band instead of limiting it to one scroll on the bottom. It feels unbalanced and lacking depth.

PRE-LIGHT OBSERVATIONS

CONSTRUCTION

The Casa magna has a uniform color throughout the body, like a coffee with a little bit of cream. It looks like a triple cap on the head of the cigar and for this sample it has some sloppy application but it is still tight. When squeezed, I can definitely feel some stems towards the head, but for the most part, it has a slight give with no real soft spots. The veins are very minimal and is very smooth to the touch.

AROMA

The aroma of the cigar is actually kind of savory. There is saltiness which is very interesting. On the back of the saltiness, you kind of get a hint of caramel and barnyard. On the foot, you get a lot of the same notes, but raisins really come through on the foot.

COLD DRAW

The cold is absolutely perfect and there are a lot of flavors that come through. Most notably, the raisin note that you smell on the foot of the cigar, followed by a little bit of cedar. On the backend, you get a little bit of white pepper that leave a spicy sensation on the lips.

SMOKING EXPERIENCE

LIGHT & DRAW
Cut: Torch
Fire: Straight

The draw remains perfect right after light up. A light leather comes through on the palate, followed by a strong oak and cream. The retro is really tame with a smooth cedar and cinnamon coming through. The finish is a little bit like charred bread. There is no real sweetness, but the flavor are very smooth and meld together well.

SMOKE

There is ample smoke with thick plumes that linger for a while after each draw. This is a cigar that your are really able to chew the smoke.

FIRST THIRD
>> Cream, Almond, Leather

The burn maintains a fairly straight line and the ash is tight with no flaking. The cigar is definitely a medium bodied cigar that is smooth and creamy. On the backside of the cream, you get a nice almond note bringing in a nice sweetness. The retro is still very mild and maintains that cedar and cinnamon combination experienced right off of light up. The finish is like an almond poundcake with leather.

SECOND THIRD
>> Earth, Cream, Black Pepper

The burn is a little wavy but I don’t think it’s gonna have any major problems. The ash hangs on for for about two inches and stays tight. There is a lot cream in the second third but the almond note that brought sweetness in from the first third has disappeared. You get way more leather and oak notes in the second third. There is also a bit of earthiness that hits the palate as well. The retro gets kicked up to a spicy black pepper. The finish starts with a punch of marzipan and smooths out to a cinnamon, cedar, and heavy cream. I am loving the smoke output of the cigar, it remains very thick and smooth.

FINAL THIRD
>> Chocolate, Baking Spices, Wood

Despite a crack in the wrapper, the burn straightened out and I had no issues with construction in the last third. There are some bolder flavors that come out, and it begins with earth then shifts into a chocolate covered almond. It’s not incredibly sweet and is a little bitter, but very smooth. The retro remains fairly tame with oak, chocolate, and a bit of cinnamon coming through. It’s not nearly a spicy as a second third. On the finish, there damp earth in the beginning but morphs into some nice warm woody notes. The bulk of the strength of this cigar will come through in the last third but it is by no means one of the stronger blends I have smoked despite the “Furte” lable.

RATING & FINAL THOUGHTS

FLAVOR PROGRESSION

There weren’t crazy transitions in the cigar, but the flavors were diverse enough to keep me interested. I can’t get over how smooth this cigar was throughout each third. There were waves of heavy cream at times, but they would balance out with the inclusion of chocolate, almond, and earthy notes. The best way to describe the cigar is that it is a lot like an Andalusian bull but with more interesting flavors at a cheaper cost.

BURN EXPERIENCE

The construction of all the samples was not perfect but that did not effect the smoking experience at all. There was never any need to touch up the cigar and if there was any waviness it would always self correct. The ash holds on for at least an inch and a half and would stay tight with no flaking. The smoke was always thick and chewy. It left a pleasant room note of wood and sweet tobacco.

RATING BREAKDOWN
0.60 / 0.80 … Craft & Aesthetic
0.40 / 0.50 … Pre-Light Characteristics
0.45 / 0.50 … Lighting Process
6.90 / 7.70 … Smoking Experience
0.46 / 0.50 … Personal Enjoyment

COMPLIMENTS & CRITIQUES

Great Balance.

While this is not my favorite cigar from Quesada, it is one of those cigars that I would hand to a new aficionado with confidence. The Casa Magna Liga F is not overly bold and it is by no means too mild. Despite the indication that the cigar is a “strong blend” I found it to be completely manageable and more of a medium level in strength. This cigar strikes a balance between bold flavor and smooth soft notes that come with more mild smokes. If this cigar is not on your radar, it should be.

SIMPLY STOGIES RATING: 8.81 / 10.0

Cigar Review: Casa Magna Liga F Toro by Quesada