Cigar Review: Dojo De Luxe by Quesada Cigars

Cigar: Dojo De Luxe by Quesada Cigars
Size: 5.75 x 52 (Perfecto)
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut
Binder: Dominican
Filler: Dominican
Price: $99.95 for a box of ten from Smoke Inn

The last couple of weeks in my household have been difficult, to put it mildly. Everyone in the house has dealt with some sort of roaming sickness, whether it is the common cold or some strain of influenza. Earlier in the week, my wife and oldest child dealt with a bout of food poisoning, putting both of them out of commission for about 36 hours and placing me into the role of caretaker and janitor (sorry). So needless to say when this next cigar arrived last week and I was finally able to take the time to sit down and review one, let alone enjoy it, I was quite happy.

Quesada Cigars has definitely been a brand I have been enjoying immensely this past year, having reviewed three in the last year (here, here, and here). So when I heard about the new Dojo De Luxe via Cigar Dojo and Smoke Inn, my attention was peaked, especially when I read the following:

“…to bring to life Cigar Dojo’s vision of, “The most Cubanesque smoke you can fathom!”

Alright, I’ll bite. I’ve smoked a few Cubans in my life. Let’s see how the Dojo De Luxe stacks up.

No construction issues with the Dojo De Luxe that I chose for review (this one is the third). The light color of the veiny Ecuadorian Connecticut did remind me in part of the Cuban Montecristos (#2 and #4) that I have smoked in the past. The pre-light aromas gave me only faint wood, while the cold draw from a scissor cut brought wood, something sweet and faint leather. I would characterize the draw, once lit, as open and effortless to smoke. The first flavor notes the Dojoe De Luxe brought were of wood and leather once again, coupled with almost a nutty-like aftertaste. In terms of the Cuban comparison regarding strength, it is definitely similar to that of the Montecristos I mentioned above. This is medium bodied cigar that is very easy on the palette. The cigar more or less stayed as is for the vast majority of the first half. Near the halfway point is where I began to see a minor increase in strength and hints of pepper creep into the palette. By the last inch and a half, I found heavier wood flavors finish off the cigar but the strength more or less stayed around the medium bodied range. The total smoking time on my Quesada Dojo De Luxe was a quick 1:09.

No problems with the smoking of the cigar were encountered during its smoking. The burn stayed steady and true the whole time without requiring a single relight.

By-The-Numbers
Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 2/2
Flavor: 4/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 9/10

To recap the Dojo De Luxe by Quesada Cigars:

• All in all, a very different type of cigar than what I am used to from Quesada. Overall, I did enjoy this one.
• I can see some comparisons to the Quesada De Luxe and Cuban cigars that I have smoked in the past. In the end, I look at the Dojo De Luxe as a much better version of the inexpensive “Cuban Sandwich” type bundle cigars you see in cigar mega stores.
• Right at $10.00 per stick is fair for this cigar, although I think if it were any more expensive, I would probably shy away.
• Overall, this is great change of pace cigar for Quesada, at least out of the favorites from them that I have smoked recently, and one that I can enjoy as someone who favors fuller bodied cigars. I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a more unique medium bodied cigar.

Thank you very much for reading. I look forward to the next time I can share my thoughts with you.