So it is that time of year, the gimmicky cigars seemingly crawl from the woodwork as if from some creep show. Pete Johnson will have one soon, his famous Halloween blend. It seems only natural that some other makers follow suit with seasonally gimmicky silliness. Oktoberfest is not usually a time of year that I would equate with cigars. Bratwurst and beer sure, but cigars? No. Alas, Quesada saw the opening, and apparently thought it was a wide opening at that (one of the vitolas is a 65 ring gauge).
The cigar I chose was the smaller of the two available at my local B&M, my reticence, nay, hatred for big ring cigars being what it is I thought I would avoid the 65 ring Donkey phallus and settle for something a little less lip stretching. Even the cigar that I have chosen seems larger than the 52 it claims to be and a quick measurement has it slightly above that. This cigar is a dark log, the wrapper is full of prominent veins and has a streaky brown coloration that is not necessarily appealing, like a woman with too much eye makeup that is hysterical over the breakup with her boyfriend. The cigar is heavy and seems too tight when rolled betwixt the fingers. The pre light aroma is thin and not very inspiring, but has some hints of strong tobacco. The pre light draw is likewise thin, but there are some fleeting notes of coffee.
The cigar opens with a profile that is not very balanced and very one dimensional. The core smacks of minerals and has a texture that I would classify as grainy. There is no complexity here and there are no fulfilling dimensions to the profile. At the back of the palate there are more heavy mineral presentations and some light touches of coffee, but they are not helping the overall performance. The draw is too tight and I can sense there might be some struggle with this cigar as it progresses. The burn is off too, not in presentation, it burns sharply, but in combustion. The burn almost has a wet feel to it, and the shoulder is nearly curling in on itself and is looking prune like around the edges of the burn.
The first half of this cigar has nary a positive development. The core profile stays full of mineral flavors and there is an almost metallic quality at certain points. At the back of the palate there are some sour tobacco flavors and not much else. My palate is screaming at me for more flavors, saying give me anything at this point I won't complain. The draw is still much too tight, and I am put off with the effort required to smoke this bad boy, emphasis on bad. The burn is a disaster as well, I have to relight at the near half way point because it just won't stay lit.
The final half of the cigar had only one quality to write and expound upon, it was the final half. The profile maintains a mineral like profile and it is wearing my palate out, it feels like I am sucking on a mouthful of nickels. The back of the palate continues to show sour tobacco notes and my cigar brain is shutting down at this point. The draw continues to be too tight. The burn is a mess and I have to relight twice more during the process. With about a fourth of the cigar remaining I lay it down in an ashy grave where it belongs.
The finish was full of minerals and metallic flavors.
Appearance- 85 veiny and huge
Taste- 73 very, very poor
Construction- 74 also very poor
Strength- 80 not sure what they were going for, but they missed the mark
Overall- 76.5 save the 8 dollars, hell light the eight dollars on fire and smoke it, flavors of burning paper and ink would be a welcome change
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