No, this is definitely not Cigar Aficionado’s Cigar of the Year. CA named the robusto in this series as Cigar of the Year, which I have not smoked yet due to the increased demand associated with such a prestigious award. Shortly after I heard, I headed down to my local tobacconists, only to find that they were out of the robusto, but they weren’t even able to order the robusto, so instead they had a larger, shorter cigar, the Torito.
The real strong point of the Casa Magna Colorado is the wrapper, which is beautifully dark, oily colorado (duh) wrapper. Unfortunately, it takes a back seat to the filler on such a large ring gauge, so there is not as much opportunity to enjoy it. Despite going into this with that knowledge, and the tip that the Torito is nowhere near as good as the Robusto, I must admit that the Casa Magna is a beautiful cigar. It is well-packed, and the wrapper has a wholly pleasing leathery aroma.
Upon first light, the aroma is predominantly leather, with a hint of citrus and a molasses-thick smoke. The finish is long, but not terribly interesting. Throughout the cigar, a certain sweetness begins to build, terminating in the last third.
Burning through the Casa Magna, I could tell that there were some awesome wrapper flavors, but they were heavily eclipsed by the filler tobaccos. Although there aren’t many complaints I have to levy, this one could be so much better. Especially considering it is roughly the same price as the Robusto, I’d say go with that one. After all, it is Cigar of the Year.
