What do you get when one of the most respected cigar families from the Dominican Republic joins forces with one of the most respected cigar families from Nicaragua? Sheer gold—aka the Number 1 Cigar of the Year for 2008, according to Cigar Aficionado.
The two families at hand here are the Quesadas (run by Master Blender Manuel Quesada) and the Plasencias (run by Nestor Plasencia). While the Quesadas are renowned for their Dominican smoking experiences, the family broke tradition and sought the help of the Plasencias—arguably the largest producers of premium Nicaraguan tobacco—for a new smoking experience dubbed “Casa Magna.”
The first cigar produced was Casa Magna Colorado, which turned heads after going from a relatively unknown, to earning CA’s highly coveted Cigar of the Year award. The cigars featured a Nicaraguan puro blend, using tobaccos from the Estelí and Jalapa regions and are crafted at the Plasencia family’s Plasencia Cigars S.A. factory (formerly known as Segovia) in Estelí.
Since then, Casa Magna has expanded to include many sizes and new blends, such as Casa Magna Oscuro, Jalapa Clara, Domus Magnus II, and more. Apart from earning CA’s top spot in 2008, Casa Magna has appeared on the list 4 more times in years following (#10 for 2011, #12 for 2009, #24 for 2010, and #23 for 2013).
