this selection selection of the top cigar of 2008 came a surprise to a
lot of people. Most of the responses I saw on twitter and elsewhere
could be summed up by the three questions, who? what? and really? (Or in
some cases, silence.) I fell into the 'really?' camp. At the
recommendation of a local tobacconist, I grabbed a Casa Magna a month or
so ago and lit it up. In the social atmosphere of the cigar shop, I
could tell it was a decent stick, but not one that knocked my socks off.
I definitely didn't see a crown and a podium in its future. In fact, I
didn't really see a tower of burn in it's future either. But now that
the Casa Magna has made it's tearful acceptance speech and promise to
devote the next year to bring about world peace, I have to give it a
second look.
The Casa Magna is the creation of two cigar legends, Manuel Quesada
and Nestor Plascencia. The word is that it was introduced this year to
replace the Joya de Nicaragua Antaño 1970. Beyond that, all I know about
the cigar is that its rolled in Esteli, Nicaragua and that it is a
Nicaraguan puro. But before we proceed with the review, I should mention
that technically, the cigar I'm smoking isn't the 2008 champ. The award
went to the robusto vitola. It probably will surprise no one when I say
that the robustos were already sold out at the shop I visited. To steal
a phrase from every mob movie (and TV show) ever made, whaddaya gonna
do? Let's check it out.
