Casa Magna

[Gummi Bear]

http://2cigarsamonth.blogspot.com/2008/08/cigar-review-graycliff-professionale.html

The next cigar was not a dud at all. It was enjoyed while I caught my first fish ever. Casa Magna is a new cigar from the creative minds of Manuel Quesada and Nestor Plasencia. It is a Nicaraguan puro. The surprising aspect of this cigar is its taste, which has a unique, clean sweetness. Let me try to explain. There’s a hint of caramel, and the smoke is perfect. The draw was a bit tough though, but from reading reviews they all come like that. It did not hinder the flavor, just the enjoyment a bit. Although it did help in the sense that I did not run through the cigar as I usually do.

The one that I smoked was a 6-inch by 56-ring Gran Toro beast. It had a smooth, oily, medium brown wrapper with minimal veining. The initial taste was indeed rich and smooth, with a moderate lingering sweetness. Hitting the sweet spot, the caramel-like notes enhanced into a richer, toffee-type of taste. The salt/pepper ash held well, requiring little attention. Manuel Quesada has delivered a rich, full-flavored cigar that should be very competitive with the Nicaraguan puros market. Coming from the famous Esteli factory, it does not disappoint.

So I went to the Camacho event last night... It was a pretty good time, I got to meet Maria, the daughter of famed blender and Tabacalera Tropical founder Pedro Martin (she's a real sweetheart).

I smoked the Casa Magna.

After an hour-and-a-half, I just let it go... I was not impressed. It tasted very earthy, and ashy to me (like a cigarette) and was strong just for the sake of being strong, with no real redeeming flavors. It wouldn't stay lit, I had to constantly fight it, and the draw was tighter than I like. I'm glad it was a freebie, else I'd be upset having spent money on it.

My opinion, it's a

 

[JB]

Thats too bad. I was expecting more from this smoke.

 

[Gummi Bear]

Go ahead and pick one up. Maybe I got a dud, and maybe it's a flavor profile I just couldn't detect. I can't stand Torano's either. I'm just sharing my experience.