Back in August of 2011, Quesada released a blend that was specifically blended to be paired with an Oktoberfest style beer. Appropriately dubbed the Oktoberfest, the cigar line was first released in two different vitolas at the IPCPR show in Las Vegas: the 6 x 65 Über and the 5 1/2 by 52 Bavarian.

For 2012, it was announced that not only would the two original sizes be rereleased, but that there would be three more sizes in the same blend, bringing the total number of sizes in the line to five. Two of the new sizes would be limited to 500 boxes of 20, while the remaining new vitola—a Box-Pressed Toro—would be limited to 250 boxes of 20 and the returning sizes from last year (Über and Bavarian) would each get 1,000 boxes of 20. All five were offered for order at IPCPR and began shipping last week.

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The five vitolas in the Quesada Oktoberfest line are:

• Oktoberfest Bavarian (5 1/2 x 52 Double Robusto) — $7.95 (Boxes of 20, $159.00) — 1,000 Boxes of 20 Cigars*
• Oktoberfest Das Boot (6 x 52 Torpedo) — $8.50 (Boxes of 20, $170.00)  — 500 Boxes of 20 Cigars
• Oktoberfest Kaiser Ludwig (6 x 49 Box-Pressed Toro) — $9.50 (Boxes of 20, $190.00) — 250 Boxes of 20 Cigars
• Oktoberfest Kurz (4 x 50 Petit Robusto) — $7.25 (Boxes of 20, $145.00) — 500 Boxes of 20 Cigars
• Oktoberfest Über (6 x 65 Gordo Grande) — $8.95 (Boxes of 20, $179.00) — 1,000 Boxes of 20 Cigars*

*Returning size from original release in 2011.

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• Cigar Reviewed: Quesada Oktoberfest Kaiser Ludwig
• Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
• Factory: The Quesada Factory
• Wrapper: Dominican Cibao Valley
• Binder: Dominican Republic
• Filler: Dominican Cuban Seed Criollo, Olor Viso & Ligero
• Size: 6 Inches
• Ring Gauge: 49
• Vitola: Box-Pressed Toro
• MSRP: $9.50 (Boxes of 20, $190.00)
• Release Date: August 17, 2012
• Number of Cigars Released: 250 Boxes of 20 Cigars (5,000 Total Cigars)
• Number of Cigars Smoked for Review: 1

The Oktoberfest is an impressive looking cigar with a dark chocolate brown wrapper that is smooth to the touch. There is a bit of oil present and some veins as well, but both are so minor that they hardly register. The cigar has a fairly extreme box-press and has the perfect amount of give when squeezed. Hay, barnyard, sweet chocolate and leather emerge strongly from the Dominican wrapper.

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The first third of the Quesda Oktoberfest Kaiser Ludwig starts off with some nice flavors of old leather, oak, espresso and black pepper on the retrohale. The profile is fairly creamy overall and there is a hint of black pepper on the retrohale. There is also just a tiny amount of fruity sweetness that I could not place until the end of the third, finally realizing it was a sweet cherry note. Construction is fabulous so far—both the burn and draw are perfect through the first third. Strength starts out at a mild-medium—and while it is getting stronger—it is not doing it very quickly.

Coming into the second third of the Kaiser Ludwig, and the creamy oak flavor takes dominance, although there is still quite a few other notes including leather, hay, chocolate and more of the aforementioned cherry. There is also a wonderful, yet faint, floral note only noticeable on retrohale. There is almost no spice at all, but there is still a small amount of black pepper that remains from the first third. Construction continues to be amazing, and the strength has increased to a solid medium by the end of the second third.

The final third of the Quesada Oktoberfest Kaiser Ludwig seems to combine most of the flavors from the previous two thirds: dark chocolate, hay, espresso, oak, leather and still that wonderful sweet cherry note to pull it all together. Sadly, the floral note from the second third has disappeared, but there is a tad bit more pepper, and construction continues to impress. The strength of the cigar ended about where it was in the second third, at a solid medium, and it was a very easy cigar to nub, never getting hot at the end.

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Final Notes:

• As mentioned above, the Oktoberfest Über and Bavarian are returning sizes from the original release last year. Interestingly, each of the two original sizes have had their original release amounts doubled for this years release, from 500 boxes of 20 to 1,000 boxes of 20.
• While I did not have an Oktoberfest beer at the time I reviewed this cigar, I did drink it with a Rochefort Trappistes 10, one of the best Belgian beers in the world, and it paired quite nicely.
• I find it interesting that the Kaiser Ludwig vitola is $.55 more expensive than the Über, despite the fact that it has the smallest RG in the line.
• The Kaiser Ludwig vitola is named after King Ludwig I, who ruled Bavaria from 1825 to 1848, and whose wedding anniversary to Princess Therese of Bavaria on October 12, 1810 eventually morphed into the Oktoberfest celebration.
• The word “Kaiser” is not Ludwig’s first name, but the German title meaning “Emperor”.
• I smoked the Kaiser Ludwig, the Das Boot and the Kurz vitolas specifically for this review, and I have to say I enjoyed the Kaiser Ludwig quite a bit more. All three had the same basic profile, but the flavors on the Kaiser Ludwig just seemed to be more distinct and fragrant to me. Having said that, the Kurz is a nice vitola.
• I have talked to many people about the Oktoberfest brand, and the prevailing attitude I get from smokers is that every cigar in the line is a huge stick that will last for hours, with most of them mentioning the 6 x 65 Über as proof. However, it is worth noting that while the Über is definitely a large cigar, the other four vitolas in the line are all 52 RG or under.
• I really love how Quesada plays with the design of their main bands for some of their releases. For the Oktoberfest, the band includes lines of red, black and yellow, which just happen to be the colors present in the German flag.
• On a purely personal note, I attended Oktoberfest in Munich three times while my father was stationed in Heidelberg, Germany. Being only 8-11 years old at the time, I was unable to appreciate it for what it was, but I remember there were quite a few people there, lots of sausage, lots of dancing, lots of Lederhosen and HUGE beer steins. It also happens to be the place I drank beer for the first time.
• The cigars for this review were given to halfwheel at the IPCPR show. SAG Imports/Quesada is a site sponsor.
• The final smoking time for the Oktoberfest Kaiser Ludwig was one hour and 35 minutes.
• If you would like to purchase some of the Quesada Oktoberfest cigars, Atlantic Cigar has some in stock as of this moment.

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The Bottom Line: I have smoked every vitola in the Oktoberfest lineup at one time or another, and I can say with no reservations that the Kaiser Ludwig is the best vitola in the line in both flavors and size, in my opinion. While still not the most complex profile in Quesada’s lineup of brands, the flavors are consistent, distinct, rich and extremely enjoyable. While I did not pair it with an Oktoberfest beer for this review, I have before, and they are very good with that kind of beer. While I will never mistake it for an España, I enjoyed the Kaiser Ludwig quite a bit, and I will be picking up more of them.

Final Score: 88