Quesada Q D’Etat Daga
Friday, October 12th, 2012The Q D’Etat line comes in three different sizes, the Molotov, Howitzer, and the cigar up for review today. What separates the Daga from the other two is the size and blend. When I saw a box of these at a local cigar shop, I had to grab a few sticks.
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Arapiraca
Binder: Cuban Seed & Criollo 98
Filler: Dominican & Nicaraguan
Size: Daga 7 x 44/50/54
Price: Around $9.00
Pre-Smoke & Construction:
The wrapper was pretty oily, with some medium sized veins, and a nice toothy appearance. Sniffing the wrapper revealed a rich, woody and earthy smell. The cigar had some lumpy spots, but it was nothing extreme. Despite the small opening at the foot, the draw was perfect, and it had a smooth earthy, grassy flavor.
The ash held for about two inches, and the burn required quite a few minor corrections. This may have been a result of a Criollo binder. Not a big deal.
Flavor:
The first third was a mixture of pepper, wood, a touch of earthiness, and a tinge of coffee. The smoke feel was dry, and left me craving water. The aftertaste had a slight bitterness.
The flavors didn’t change a lot in the second third, but they did come into focus. Each flavor stood out on it’s own, as opposed to just a mixture. The flavor profile felt more refined. A slight floral note was noticed in the background. Like before, the smoke feel remained dry, and I continued to chug water.
The last third ticked up into the full bodied, full strength range. The pepper became smooth, and had a slight sweetness. Coffee was the dominant flavor, and the others fell behind it. The smoke feel remained dry, and I craved less water.
Conclusion:
This was a very good medium to full bodied cigar. It’s been so long since I smoked the other two sizes, I can’t decide which of the three I like the best. Judging from my own words, this is the only one I called “Very good” out of the three. I guess that means I liked this one the most. I think it is definitely worth a try.