Today, we are reviewing the Quesada 50th Anniversary in the Toro Prensado size. Quesada is celebrating its 50th anniversary, marking 50 years since the opening of its first cigar factory, Manufactura de Tabacos S.A. (MATASA), in 1974. Currently, Quesada’s factory operation is called Tabacos de Exportación (TABADEX). The Quesadas have released the Quesada 50th Anniversary, a limited edition line with two vitolas to commemorate the occasion. The Quesada 50th Anniversary debuted at the Procigar 2024 festival and was showcased at the 2024 Premium Cigar Association (PCA) Trade Show.

For many years, the Quesada family has produced anniversary cigars to commemorate the factory’s opening in 1974.  The following cigars have celebrated the anniversary of the MATASA factory opening:

• MATASA 30th Anniversary by Quesada
• Quesada 35th Anniversary Serie Limitada
• Quesada 40th Anniversary
• Quesada 1974 (a regular production line released in 2019)
• Quesada 50th Anniversary

Let’s break down the Quesada 50th Anniversary Toro Prensado without further ado and see what this cigar brings to the table.

Quesada 50th Anniversary Toro Prensado – Cigar Review

SPECIFICATIONS

Blend and Origin

The Quesada 50th Anniversary features a Habano Ecuador wrapper over a Nicaraguan binder and fillers from the Dominican Republic and Peru.

Wrapper: Habano Ecuador
Binder: Nicaragua
Fillers: Dominican Republic, Peru
Country of origin: Dominican Republic
Factory: Tabacos de Exportación (TABADEX)

Vitolas Offered

The Quesada 50th Anniversary comes in two sizes, each in ten-count boxes. A total of 2,200 boxes of the Prensado and 200 boxes of the Perfecto will be released.

Toro Prensado: 6 1/4 x 56
Perfecto: 6 x 60

In addition, there will be two special 50th Anniversary humidors. One will be a part of the Procigar 2024 Charity Auction, and the second will remain with the family. These humidors contain 100 Toro Prensado and ten Perfecto 6 x 60 cigars.

Appearance (*)

The 50th Anniversary Toro Prensado’s Habano Ecuador wrapper was medium brown with a slight rosado tint. The surface of the wrapper had a very light sheen of oil. I also observed more visible veins than I’m used to for a box-pressed cigar and some prominent wrapper seams. Additionally, the box press had a slight amount of rounding.

PERFORMANCE

Pre-Light Draw (*)

Before lighting up the 50th Anniversary Toro Prensado, I used a straight cut to remove the cigar cap. Once I removed the cap, it was time to commence the pre-light draw. The cold draw delivered a mix of earth, cedar, and nut. It wasn’t the most exciting of pre-light draws. Since the pre-light draw experience doesn’t factor into the score or value rating, there was no loss of points here. It was time to toast up the 50th Anniversary Toro Prensado and move into the smoking phase.

Tasting Notes

The 50th Anniversary Toro Prensado opened withearth notesh, natural tobacco, cedar, and nut.Natural tobacco emerged as the primary note as the cigar moved through the early phases. The earth, cedar, and nut settled in the background. On the retro-hale, there was a combination of wood and cedar.

The cedar notes increased in intensity at the end of the first third of the 50th Anniversary Toro Prensado. As the cigar moved into the second third, some black pepper emerged in the background. Meanwhile, the cedar continued to increase, and before the midway point, the cedar joined the natural tobacco at the forefront. Just after midway, the natural tobacco began receding into the background. There were a few instances where the natural tobacco flavor came to the forefront, but for the most part, it remained secondary. Earth and nut notes were still present in the background throughout the second third.

There wasn’t much change in the final third. The cedar notes had a good hold as the primary note. This was rounded out by natural tobacco, pepper, earth, and nut notes in the background. This is how the 50th Anniversary Toro Prensado concluded, leaving a soft, cool nub.

Burn

The 50th Anniversary Toro Prensado burn started out with a straight burn line and path. On each of the samples smoked, the second third saw the burn meander off track several times, resulting in more touch-ups than I preferred. By the final third, the burn got back on a straight track. The resulting ash was firm with a medium gray color. As for the burn rate and burn temperature, both maintained ideal levels.

Draw

The draw to the 50th Anniversary Toro Prensado was on the open side. Usually, I prefer a little more resistance to my draw. At the same time, I wouldn’t categorize this as a loose draw.  In the end, there were no adverse effects from the draw.

Strength and Body

The 50th Anniversary Toro Prensado opened with medium-strength and medium-bodied flavors. While both attributes slightly increased in intensity, strength and body stayed in the medium range for the duration of the smoke. In terms of strength versus body, both attributes balanced each other nicely, with neither overshadowing the other.

BANDING AND PACKAGING NOTES (*)

Design-wise, the packaging for the Quesada 50th Anniversary is not overly complicated. The cigars are banded and boxed in black and gold. Notably, I really liked the innovative design of the 50th Anniversary logo. It is an interlocking “5” and “0.” The intersection of the digits produces the Quesada “Q” logo, which is pretty sharp.

OVERALL ASSESSMENT

Photo Credits: Cigar Coop, except where noted