Back in 2011, Quesada Cigars introduced its Oktoberfest line. The intent of this line was for Quesada to deliver a cigar blend that could be paired with your favorite malt beverage. This is a limited-edition line that has been released in an assortment of different sizes, an assortment of different blends, and even made in different countries (Dominican Republic and Nicaragua). With the exception of two years (2018 and 2020), Quesada Cigars has done an annual release each year since 2011. But 2021 would mark a special occasion in that it would be a decade since the initial Oktoberfest release. As a result, Quesada Cigars would release a special blend – one that would be highlighted by a Mexican San Andres wrapper and one that would be featured in three popular sizes seen in the line over the years. Today we take a closer look at the Quesada Oktoberfest 10th Anniversary release in the Bavarian (Robusto) size.

For the most part, most of the releases of the Oktoberfest have either been Dominican puros out of the Dominican Republic or Nicaraguan puros coming out of Nicaragua. The San Andres wrapper is the first time this wrapper was used on this annual national release. In fact, the only other example of a maduro wrapper I could come up with was 2013’s Quesada Oktoberfest Dunkel. This was a single store release to Smoke Inn Cigars in South Florida. That particular cigar used a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper.

Without further ado, let’s break down the Quesada Oktoberfest 10th Anniversary Bavarian and see what this cigar brings to the table:

SPECIFICATIONS

Blend and Origin

In addition to the Mexican San Andres wrapper, the remainder of the Quesada Oktoberfest 10th Anniversary contains all Dominican tobaccos. Production is handled at the Quesada factory located in the Dominican Republic.

Wrapper: Mexican San Andres
Binder: Dominican
Filler: Dominican
Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
Factory: Quesada Cigars SA

Vitolas Offered

The Quesada Oktoberfest 10th Anniversary was produced in three sizes. Each size is presented in ten-count boxes.

Bavarian: 5 1/2 x 52
Das Boot: 6 x 52
Uber: 6 x 65

Appearance

The Mexican San Andres wrapper of the Quesada Oktoberfest 10th Anniversary Bavarian had a chocolate brown color to it. There was not any significant oil on the wrapper, but the wrapper itself had a silky complexion There were some visible veins and there were some visible wrapper seams.

 

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 and black “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 black font. To the left of the white shield is the text “Made in the Dominican Republic” in black font. On the right side of the white shield is the text “Since 2011” – also in black 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 blue tartan background with gold trim.

The secondary band rests just below the primary band. It has a blue tartan background with white trim. On the band is the text “10th Anniversary” in white font.

PERFORMANCE

Pre-Light Draw

Prior to lighting up the Quesada Oktoberfest 10th Anniversary Bavarian, a straight cut was used to remove the cap. After the cap was detached, it was on to the pre-light draw phase. The dry draw was simple, straightforward and satisfying as it delivered a mix of baker’s bittersweet cocoa and cedar. With the pre-light draw ritual completed, it was now time to light up the Quesada Oktoberfest 10th Anniversary Bavarian and see what the smoking phase would have in store.

Tasting Notes

The start of the Quesada Oktoberfest 10th Anniversary Bavarian delivered a short blast of black pepper to start things off. Once the pepper subsided on the tongue, this gave way to notes of baker’s bittersweet cocoa, coffee, and cedar. The baker’s cocoa took center stage earlier and was more skewed toward the sweeter side. The coffee, cedar, and pepper notes moved into the background. Meanwhile the black pepper was still prominent on the retro-hale during the first third.

During the second third of the Quesada Oktoberfest 10th Anniversary Bavarian, the cedar notes mixed in with the bakers’s cocoa in the forefront. The baker’s cocoa started to move toward the bitter side, but this was not a negative – instead it helped contribute nicely to the overall flavor profile. The coffee and pepper notes remained secondary – and the pepper subsided on the retro-hale.

The final third saw the cocoa and cedar notes remain primary. The cocoa was now more skewed toward the bitter side with touches of sweetness. Again, the bitterness contributed to the overall flavor profile as opposed to overwhelming it. There were still notes of coffee. The pepper was more prominent on both the tongue and retro-hale. This is the way the Quesada Oktoberfest 10th Anniversary Bavarian came to a close. The resulting nub was firm to the touch and cool in temperature.

Burn

Overall the burn of the Quesada Oktoberfest 10th Anniversary Bavarian delivered a stellar performance. This is a cigar that maintained a straight burn line and straight burn path. The resulting ash was near white in color. The ash was at times firm and at other times slightly loose. Meanwhile the burn rate and burn temperature were both ideal.

Draw

The draw to the Quesada Oktoberfest 10th Anniversary Bavarian also performed relatively well. It had enough resistance to qualify for what Ben Lee refers to as the “milkshake draw.” At the same time this was a low maintenance cigar to derive flavor from.

Strength and Body

The strength and body of the Quesada Oktoberfest 10th Anniversary Bavarian started out medium and stayed in the medium range throughout the smoking experience right until the end. In terms of strength versus body, both attributes balanced each other nicely with neither attribute overpowering the other.

OVERALL ASSESSMENT

Photo/Video Credits: Cigar Coop