Casa Magna Connecticut Toro

While I’m not a certified expert in branding, it seems that there are two fairly common approaches to launching, building and growing a brand: keep the brand usage tight and limited to a very specific set of products or apply it to a nearly endless number of things. For instance, Duracell makes batteries, while Costco’s Kirkland Signature brand appears on batteries and who knows how many of other products from alcohol to laundry detergent.

Cigars are really no different, as there are approaches that range from using a brand or company name for all sorts of cigars, and then others that never put the company name on cigars and keep each brand’s offerings tight and defined.

In the case of the Casa Magna brand, which is part of Quesada’s portfolio, the brand has grown to more than half-a-dozen lines since that initial release in 2008, and while the cigars have generally had some common threads in terms of their blends, the latest addition, the Casa Magna Connecticut, is quite likely the lightest profile of the bunch.

This newest member of the Casa Magna family uses an Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper over a Nicaraguan binder and Nicaraguan fillers. While most of the other cigars in the Casa Magna family have been produced by Plasencia Cigars S.A. in Nicaragua, this line is made by Quesada at its Tabacos de Exportación factory in the Dominican Republic. It is the second Dominican-made Casa Magna to be released in the last two years, joining the Casa Magna Liga F that was released in September 2021.

“I have always enjoyed Connecticut wrapper, and of late, the Ecuadorian Connecticut blends very well with our way of making cigars,” said Manuel “Manolo” Quesada Jr., president of Quesada Cigars, in a press release. “The Casa Magna Connecticut, however, was blended in the Casa Magna style; robust, intense, and capable of involving the totality of the palate to fully enjoy the smoking of the cigar.”

• Cigar Reviewed: Casa Magna Connecticut Toro
• Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
• Factory: Tabacos de Exportación
• Wrapper: Ecuador (Connecticut)
• Binder: Nicaragua
• Filler: Nicaragua
• Length: 6 1/2 Inches
• Ring Gauge: 52
• Vitola: Toro Extra
• MSRP: $9.70 (Box of 20, $194)
• Release Date: Sept. 8, 2022
• Number of Cigars Released: Regular Production
• Number of Cigars Smoked For Review: 3

The Casa Magna Connecticut Toro looks much like many Connecticut-wrapped cigars, with a lightly-tanned wrapper that has fairly small veins. The seams are visible in spots due to those small veins as well as some slightly jagged cuts and the occasional variation in color. What might be the most visually interesting is the contrast of the band to the wrapper leaf, particularly the black stripe at the bottom of the band and the thin black stripes throughout, while the butter-hued background seems to contrast more than complement the wrapper. Each of the three samples is very firm and shows little give. They are rock solid cylinders that merit a comparison to logs. Other than those occasionally visible seams, the cigars have no visual defects or distractions, and while the tobacco used to create the cap drapes a bit lower than what seems average, it’s not an issue. The aromas off the feet of the three cigars don’t offer much in the way of big, distinctive scents; instead, there is a bit of very lightly buttered white bread, a freshly opened bag of Cheerios, and a light aromatic fragrance at times, but no forthcoming sweetness or pepper. The cold draws have a firmness that I expected given the density of the cigar, as air moves with a bit more restriction than I would prefer, though it doesn’t feel obstructed. The flavors are largely the same as the aroma, though I get more bread crust than buttered bread. The absence of pepper, both in the flavor and the aroma, is noticeable.

I’m not surprised to find that the draws of all three cigars each feel just a bit labored right out of the gate, not plugged or obstructed, but not moving as freely as might be ideal. I’d call it equivalent to walking through a fairly full sports venue; you’re moving but you’re not at full stride. Flavor-wise, there is some creaminess, a bit richer spin on the bread flavor, some dry earthiness, and just a bit of white pepper that takes the finish into a sensation that slightly dries out the mouth. There are a few puffs that have an interesting richness that almost tastes like the bread got soaked in room-temperature cola, a standout flavor both for its uniqueness and that it seems like a counterbalance to the rest of the profile. But otherwise, it seems like a profile tailor-made for a latte or other coffee drink with a bit of milk in it. Past the one-inch mark, there are a few puffs where I pick up some lightly buttered popcorn, a familiar and enjoyable flavor, even if I don’t eat the stuff regularly. The first third ends up being largely a mix of subtle creaminess, some bread-like chewiness, a very light bit of dry earthiness, and a fairly steady amount of light pepper that only occasionally stands out as more than an accent. It’s a medium-minus flavor profile with medium body and mild strength. In terms of construction, one cigar develops a massive split in its wrapper, while the other two remain intact. Beyond that, all three samples burn well with a razor sharp burn line and decent smoke production, though the draw still tends to be a bit firm.

If there’s one thing that I wasn’t expecting to pick up from the Casa Magna Connecticut Toro, it’s the light terroir that it has offered, and the second third continues with it as a notable part of the profile. It’s not a dominant part of the profile—though nothing really is at the moment—but it has an aspect that reminds me of Honduran terroir, which helps it to stay close to the forefront. While the first third had been on the smoother end of the spectrum, the second third starts to toast the flavors, starting with the bread and moving to the wood, which dries out that aspect and gives it a touch of char. The black pepper escapes the change directly, though with the other changes, it seems to pick it up by proximity. The earthiness takes some steps forward in the profile, and by the midway point, it is the leading contributor by my palate. This earthiness continues to develop in small steps through the next puffs of the second third, with the finish increasing steadily as well. This section closes out with a bit more of a toasty flavor that can lean into a dry wood flavor, while the finish has just a bit of bite towards the front of the tongue. Flavor is medium to medium-plus, body is medium, and strength is still mild.

The Casa Magna Connecticut Toro starts with a slightly smoky, lightly charred wood flavor, a profile that holds onto some of the earthiness from earlier but also takes a step in a new direction. While the first third had me thinking of a cup of coffee softened by a good amount of milk, the final third has the robustness of a cup of straight black coffee. It’s a profile driven by the dry, slightly charred earth, with a secondary flavor of pepper that appears more on the finish, which lingers a good bit longer now than it did earlier. Beyond those two flavors, there are some accents of a lightly charred wood, almost a spent barrel that once contained a spirit, but there is absolutely no trace of whatever spirit might have been in that vessel. The final inches elicit more of a reaction both on the initial puff and on the finish, and neither is what I would describe as inherently enjoyable. My taste buds try to latch onto the earthiness as it is enjoyable for a few moments, though it evolves into a dusty flavor that has a slightly biting finish that has me reaching for water to cleanse my palate. Flavor finishes medium-full, body is medium, and strength is medium-minus. The draw eventually loosens up just a touch, while the burn line is razor sharp and smoke production is very good. Also notable is that as long as I give the cigars regular puffs, I have no need for any touchups.

Final Notes

• I don’t recall seeing ash as dark as what the Casa Magna Connecticut Toro presented in the final photo above. It’s the darkest that the already darker-than-normal ash got during that one cigar.
• Color aside, the ash was incredibly durable, leading me to think this could be a decent option for a longest ash contest.
• The third of the three samples I smoked had its wrapper split about an inch into the cigar, creating an audible popping sound and producing a split that ran from the burn line up to the band.
• Given the density of the cigar and the seeming fragility of an Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper, I’m surprised I didn’t see more cracks like this occurring.
• In 2014, the Casa Magna Dominican was released as an exclusive to Cigars International, and that cigar was also made in the Dominican Republic at Quesada’a factory, though it often gets overlooked as being a Dominican-made Casa Magna.
• The Casa Magna Connecticut shipped alongside the 2022 edition of the Quesada Oktoberfest.
• None of the three samples gave me much of a nicotine buzz.
• Final smoking time was two hours and 10 minutes on average.
• The cigars for this review were purchased by halfwheel.