Cigar Review: Quesada Oktoberfest 2015 Das Brauhaus

For the fifth consecutive year, Quesada Cigars has released its Oktoberfest line of cigars. The concept of this line brings a cigar to the table. that can be paired with malt liquor (aka beer). Back in 2011, the line was originally introduced in two sizes. Since then, the Oktoberfest line has become an annual release that has expanded in its offerings each year. For the past four years, the Oktoberfest has been a Dominican puro out of the Dominican Republic. In 2015, two limited edition Nicaraguan puros out of Nicaragua join the Dominican offerings. Today, we take a look at one of those Nicaraguan puros, the Quesada Oktoberfest 2015 Das Brauhaus. Overall I found this to be an excellent cigar – one that fits with the vision of the Oktoberfest line, yet bringing a unique smoke to the table.

The Das Brauhaus is a 4 1/2 x 60 perfecto. It joins the 7 x 47 Double Bock as the Oktoberfest 2015 offerings. While both blends are Nicaraguan puros, both are different blends. Das Brauhaus also stands out because of its packaging.  There are 24 Das Brauhaus cigars come packaged in a Bavarian styled house-shaped box.

Without further ado, let’s break down the Quesada Oktoberfest 2015 Das Brauhaus and see what this cigar brings to the table.

Blend Profile and Vitolas Available

The Oktoberfest 2015 lineup consists of two limited edition Nicaraguan puros made in Nicaragua as well as six Dominican puros made in the Dominican Republic.

Oktoberfest 2015 Nicaraguan Offerings

As mentioned, the Oktoberfest 2015 Nicaraguan offerings come in two sizes. Each of the two sizes is a distinct blend.

Das Brauhaus:

Wrapper: Viso Habano Jalapa
Binder: Viso Habano Esteli
Filler: Viso Habano Esteli,Ligero Habano Esteli, Ligero Habano Condega
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Size: 4 1/2 x 60 (figuardo)

Double Bock:

Wrapper: Viso Habano jalapa
Binder: Viso Habano jalapa
Filler: Seco Habano ometepe, Ligero Habano Esteli, Ligero Habano Condega
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Size: 7 x 47

Dominican 2015 Offerings

There are six Dominican puros offerings that come out of the Dominican Republic. These are the same sizes that has been seen for the past three years.  While the tobacco architecture for these Dominican offerings has remained the same since 2011, the difference is each year’s tobacco comes from a different vintage.

Wrapper: Dominican Cibao Valley
Binder: Dominican Republic
Filler: Dominican Cuban Seed Criollo & Olor Viso & Ligero
Country of Origin: Dominican Republic

Das Boot: 6 x 52 (torpedo)
Kurz: 4 x 50
Krone: 5 x 43
Kaiser Ludwig: 6 x 49 (Box Pressed)
Bavarian: 5 1/2 x 52
Uber: 6 x 65

Appearance

The Quesada Oktoberfest 2015 Das Brauhaus has a dark coffee bean color wrapper.  There is some dark colorado red tint to the wrapper’s color scheme as well. Upon closer examination, there is some darker marbling that can be seen on the surface. The wrapper has a light coating of oil on it. There are some visible veins, but the darker color scheme of the wrapper does a good job at hiding the wrapper seams.  The cigar has a large open footer with a short, gentle taper leading to it. There is a sharper taper toward the cap of the cigar. The cap itself is finished with a cinnamon bun styled cap.

The primary band has a shield design in the front. The shield has a blue background with gold trim. On the large shield is a smaller shield. This smaller shield has a white background with gold trim. On that smaller shield is a gold “Q” Quesada logo surrounded by orange, black, and gold stripes representing the German flag. Below the “Q” logo it says “Quesada Cigars” in gold cursive font. Above the smaller white shield is the text “QUESADA” and “OKTOBERFEST” with the latter in a gothic style font – both in white font. To the left of the white shield is the text “Made in the Dominican Republic” in white font. On the right side of the white shield is the text “Since 2001” – also in white font.  There is a gold wreath below the white shield. To the left and right of the large blue shield are the German flag stripes sitting on a dark and light blue tartan background with gold trim.

The secondary band has a dark and light blue tartan styled background.  On that background is the text “2015 Edition” in white font.  The upper and lower portion of the band is finished with gold trim.

Preparation for the Cigar Experience

As opposed to pulling off the cinnamon bun-shaped pig-tail cap of the Das Brauhaus, I went with a straight cut that removed both the cap and pig-tail. To accomplish this, I opted to use my Credo Special T cutter using the 36 ring gauge hole to get an ideal cut for this figurado. Once the cap was successfully removed, I proceeded with the pre-light draw.  The dry draw provided a mix of chocolate, pepper, and citrus.  Overall I considered the pre-light draw of the Das Brauhaus to be very good. At this point I was ready to light up the cigar and see what the smoking experience would have in store.

Flavor Profile

The start to the Quesada Oktoberfest 2015 Das Brauhaus had a mix of black pepper, citrus, and a chocolate-like malt stout note.  I found this chocolate malt stout note went to the forefront early on. The pepper and citrus notes  became secondary.  As the Das Brauhaus went through the first half, I found the citrus notes to move between the forefront and background.  Meanwhile on the retro-hale, I detected both a combination of the pepper and citrus notes.

During the second half of the Das Brauhaus, I still found that the chocolate malt stout notes remained primary.  The citrus notes receded into the background during this section of the smoking experience.  Meanwhile, I found that the pepper notes continued to increase.

By the final stages of the Das Brauhaus, I found the pepper to be close to the forefront. By this point I had found much of the citrus had diminished. This is the way the flavor profile held until the end. The resulting nub was outstanding – firm to the touch and cool in temperature.

Burn and Draw

Overall for a larger ring gauge figurado-shaped cigar, the Quesada Oktoberfest 2015 Das Brauhaus performed quite well.  The burn took a straight path from start to finish.  There was some jaggedness on the actual burn line, but this was cosmetic in nature and when needed, was easily remedied with a touch-up. The resulting ash had a light charcoal gray color. The ash was on the firmer side and came off the cigar in clean chunks. The burn rate and burn temperature were ideal.

Overall I found the draw to perform well.  I had heard some people complain of tightness early on with the draw of this cigar, but I in the cigars I smoked, I had no such problem.  It was a draw that had a slight amount of resistance – and it was more at an ideal point in my book.  Overall a very enjoyable cigar to puff on.

Strength and Body

If you are looking for a bold Nicaraguan cigar, then the Quesada Oktoberfest 2015 Das Brauhaus is for you.  I found this to be a cigar that was on the upper end of medium to full in terms of strength.  As for body, there was plenty of weight on the palate.  Overall I assessed this as a full-bodied cigar from start to finish. When looking at strength versus body, I gave the body the edge.

Final Thoughts

Over the years I have enjoyed the Quesada Oktoberfest Dominican releases.  One thing that I have found enjoyable that the sizes and vintages provided just enough variance to keep things interesting. At the same time, these releases have kept true to the “Oktoberfest” theme of pairing with a malt beverage.  The Das Brauhaus introduces yet another spin on the Oktoberfest series.  It easily pairs with a beverage, but it introduces something a little bolder and a little spicier than has been seen in this series in a while. I am curious on what long term aging will do to this cigar.  Finally, I will say as someone who does not drink a lot of malt beverages, I still find this to be an enjoyable cigar.  It’s a cigar I’d recommend to a more experienced cigar enthusiast.  As for myself, it’s one I’d smoke again – and it’s certainly worthy of a box split.

Summary

Burn: Excellent
Draw: Excellent
Complexity: Low
Strength: Medium to Full
Body: Full
Finish: Excellent
Assessment: 3.5 – Box Split
Score: 90

References

News: Quesada Oktoberfest 2015 to Feature Two New Limited Edition Nicaraguan Blends
Price: $7.95
Source: Purchased
Stogie Geeks Podcast: Episode 154
Stogie Feed: Quesada Oktoberfest 2015 Das Brauhaus