PCA 2023: Quesada
Quesada’s booth may not be the biggest or boldest on the 2023 PCA Convention & Trade Show floor, but it has two cigars that many cigar fans should be looking forward to trying. One celebrates a milestone anniversary of one of the company’s biggest lines, and the other looks ahead to the cooler fall months.
As you can see, the booth is pretty straightforward, with a pair of display cases at the front, and a third in the back of the booth. In addition to the new cigars, the company is showing off some new five-pack samplers that recently began shipping.
Also in the booth was Manuel “Manolo” Quesada, who was busy talking with media, retailers, and other friends in the cigar industry. When I got the chance to speak with him and catch up, he mentioned that next year will mark his 50th year in the premium cigar business, an impressive milestone and one that I have to think will be celebrated.
It’s hard to believe it’s been 15 years since the Casa Magna line debuted and delivered an impressively complex profile for an impressively affordable price. The line has received a number of extensions in the years since and now gets one more, a limited edition celebrating its 15th anniversary. While Casa Magna has been known as a Nicaraguan cigar, in recent years, Quesada has added new Dominican-made Casa Magnas, including this one, which is made at Quesada’s Tabacos de Exportación factory in the Dominican Republic.
- Wrapper: Ecuador (Habano)
- Binder: Nicaragua
- Filler: Nicaragua
- Casa Magna XV Anniversary (6 x 54) — $15 (Box of 15, $225)
Production: 3,500 Boxes of 15 Cigars (52,500 Total Cigars)
Release Date: Late August 2023
It may be mid-July and the temperature outside the Venetian Convention Center may be in the triple digits, but Quesada is doing its best to get retailers and consumers thinking about the cooler months to come. The Oktoberfest blend returns for the third consecutive year, but what is really notable is the return of the Salomon Press, one of the most unique-looking cigars ever sold. It’s a double perfecto with round, tapered ends on both sides of its nearly seven-inch long body, and the center of the cigar features an aggressive box press. Not only that, the thickness of the cigar shrinks dramatically. The Salomon Press will only be available at events, and Quesada is not disclosing how many Salomon Press cigars it is making.
- Wrapper: Mexico (San Andrés)
- Binder: Dominican Republic
- Filler: Dominican Republic
- Quesada Oktoberfest 2023 Bavarian (5 1/2 x 52) — $10.80 (Box of 10, $108)
- Quesada Oktoberfest 2023 Das Boot (6 x 52) — $11 (Box of 10, $110)
- Quesada Oktoberfest 2023 Über (6 x 65) — $11.80 (Box of 10, $118)
- Quesada Oktoberfest 2023 Salomon Press (6 3/4 x 50/33) — $14
Production: 500 Boxes of 10 Cigars (5,000 Total Cigars) Per Size. Production numbers are not disclosed for the Salomon Press.
Release Date: Late August/Early September 2023
Update (Sept. 29, 2023) — This post was written by Patrick Lagreid, not Charlie Minato.
Patrick Lagreid
I strive to capture the essence of a cigar and the people behind them in my work – every cigar you light up is the culmination of the work of countless people and often represents generations of struggle and stories. For me, it’s about so much more than the cigar – it’s about the story behind it, the experience of enjoying the work of artisans and the way that a good cigar can bring people together. In addition to my work with halfwheel, I’m the public address announcer for the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks during spring training, as well as for the Salt River Rafters of the Arizona Fall League, the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury and previously the Arizona Rattlers of the Indoor Football League. I also work in a number of roles for Major League Baseball, plus I'm a voice over artist. Prior to joining halfwheel, I covered the Phoenix and national cigar scene for Examiner.com, and was an editor for Cigar Snob magazine.
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