Initial Thoughts
I’ve become a big fan of Casa Magna cigars as of late. They’ve been slowly finding a special place in my humidor and I’m pretty happy about that. In 2008 they busted onto the scene after receiving the #1 rating in CA. Since then I’ve seen this brand everywhere. It’s somewhat strange to me though that they’ve had this much success and it’s pretty hard to find any information on the brand still. They are grouped up SAG imports which also owns Quesada cigars. From everything that I’ve been able to gather Casa Magna is the co-brainchild of Manuel Quesada (Quesada Cigars) and Nestor Plasencia made in Nestor’s factory in Nicaragua.
There isn’t a ton of information available on this Casa Magna D. Magnus II Limitada all I could find was a CA news article about two new vitolas being introduced this year. However the one I’m reviewing the (Primus) was not discussed. What the article did state though was that the original Domus Magnus was a limited production cigar in 2011, and this is not the same one. This particular cigar has a similar Nicaraguan wrapper, but the 2011 release was with a limited supply of that leaf.
So that’s all I can really tell you about this cigar from everything I’ve been able to dig up. So I think it’s time to dive into the review!
Looks
One of the first things that drew me into this cigar was the presentation. It’s a big bold cigar with two bands, one at the foot and one close to the shoulder. Once I picked it up I realized it was boxed-pressed, and we all know how much I love box-pressed cigars! I love the rounded corners on the box press it serves both beauty and functionality. I love that this cigar won’t roll around on my ashtray. When I place it there, it’ll stay put.
This cigar just looks big and bulky and I like I could use it as a police baton. Sometimes that turns me off about a cigar, but today I’m not minding it so much.
Looking at the wrapper I can see the main seam wrapping around the barrel of this Casa Magna D. Magnus II Limitada all the way up to the cap. It’s a nice chocolate brown and if I had poor vision then I might mistake this for a Twix bar, not a normal size though, it’s one of those King Size Twix bars, maybe even the Peanut Butter Twix. Yeah.
I haven’t even talked about how the bands look! Personally I love these bands. This band is a slightly different than the Colorado band which won Cigar of the Year in 08. That band had a white background to it. This particular cigar has more yellow-ish background color to it. It somewhat blends in with the gold trimmings around it. However the big red bold stripe across the middle of it makes it pop and get your attention. At the bottom of the ‘shoulder band’ you can see in small letters D. Magnus Limitada. It’s pretty difficult to see, so I’m glad that they added the foot band as well. Down there the blend’s name is much more defined and easy to read. It’s one of the bigger foot bands that I’ve seen it’s around 3/4″ tall which is pretty impressive. Let’s dive in and see what’s going on with the rest of the cigar.
Function
It’s hard to perform that ole Pinch test on this Casa Magna D. Magnus II Limitada. With the box press mold it makes the edges pretty sensitive and I’m afraid if I push around on them too much it could crack the wrapper or break up some of the filler leaf. So I’m going to leave well enough alone.
I nip the cap off which had a slight pigtail cap to it. It was a truncated pig tail. I’m not even sure if pigtail is an accurate description of it. Either way, one clean snip of the double capped back cutter and it was gone!
On to testing the dry draw! With the cap removed this cigar draws exceptionally well! Lots of air coming down through the barrel and I think it’s about time to put some fire to it!
Smoking
Right off the bat this Casa Magna D. Magnus II Limitada took to the flame. The foot toasted up nice and evenly and we were off. The entire first third burned great minus the wind factor. It was one of those rare days in January where it hit 60 degrees, but the wind was pretty strong because it was blowing in the next cold front. I’m an amateur meteorologist so I know what I’m talking about.
The problem with the wind was I could never keep the ash over 1/2″ though which kind of bummed me out. I’m just glad the wind didn’t cause the wrapper to burn too crazy. It was a little wavy but never got out of hand.
During the 2nd third I did have to purge the cigar. This was a pretty lengthy smoke and it was starting to build up some of that tar / bitter taste. So I once I purged it, it was good to go again.
The final third was more of the same just a great draw, great smoke production and just a very pleasant overall experience.
Flavor
Now it’s time for the good stuff. I’m sure you’re all wanting to know how this Casa Magna D. Magnus II Limitada tastes! Well the pre draw comes out firing with a strong cedar note followed by a stiff earthiness to it. It feels like I’m in the middle of a forest.
The first third came out with pepper everywhere. Initially that was the dominant note when I was just holding the smoke in my mouth. Once I retrohaled the spice was even more prevalent. Quickly there after the earthy note swooped in and took over and fizzled out into a lighter leather note.
During the second third that spice dissipated slightly and that earthy note began taking over. The cigar to build this really nice creaminess to it as well. After I purged the cigar I began getting some different notes. I picked up on this pleasant minty note. Very akin to anise.
The final third of this Casa Magna D. Magnus II Limitada brought out a very pungent black pepper spice. It was the dominant note all the way through and by this section of the cigar the strength had built into a full bodied smoke that was starting to give me a solid nicotine buzz. Overall I really enjoyed this cigar it had a great flavor trail, solid construction and a very pleasant aesthetic. In my book it’s a winner!
Would I Buy It Again?
Without a doubt.
Is It an Every Day Smoke?
Not for me, but maybe once a week?
Would I Buy a Box?
Certainly. This is a great cigar to have around and something that changes up the pace of most cigars. Plus, I love a good box-pressed stick.
Conclusion
Loved this Casa Magna D. Magnus II Limitada it’s a very complex cigar. It’s not quite as balanced with flavors as I would like it to be, but it’s still very tasty. The construction quality is fantastic and it’s just an all around great smoke!
