Quesada Oktoberfest 2015 Edition Das Boot | Cigar Review

Wrapper: Dominican (Cibao Valley)
Binder: Dominican
Filler: Dominican (Cuban Seed Criollo), Dominican (Olor Viso & Ligero)
Size: 6 x 52 “Belicoso- Das Boot”
Body: Medium
Price: $8.75 MSRP

Hope everyone had a nice Christmas.

Today we take a look at the Quesada Oktoberfest 2015 Edition Das Boot.
Thanks to Eric Anderson for the sticks.

Once again, I’m late to the party. I should have reviewed this stick back when it was Oktoberfest. But after letting the cigars rest for a couple weeks, it was clear they weren’t ready. I go back to my list and it turns out I received these cigars on Dec.1. So the sticks have gotten nearly a month of humidor time.

I reviewed the Quesada Oktoberfest 2014 back in October of 2014. I found it very flavorful but it had some construction issues.

DESCRIPTION:
Debuted at the 2015 IPCPR trade show.
Release Date: August 2015.

A stout torpedo that looks bigger than its described 6 x 52 size. After measuring it, the length is spot on but the ring gauge is closer to 54 than the advertised 52.
The cigar is very oily and it is the color mocha/pecan. (I have a chart with 20 different colors of brown).

The double cigar band certainly catches your eye. That big old billboard familiar Oktoberfest homage full of things to look at with a magnifying glass. And the secondary band informing us it is the 2015 Edition.
Seams are nearly invisible. But the stick is full of small and big veins.

SIZES AND PRICING:
Das Boot: 6 x 52 $8.75 MSRP
Kurz: 4 x 50 $7.50 MSRP
Krone: 5 x 43 $7.50 MSRP
Kaiser Ludwig: 6 x 49 (Box Pressed) $9.75 MSRP
The Bavarian: 5.5 x 52 $8.20 MSRP
The Uber: 6 x 65 $9.20 MSRP

AROMAS AND COLD DRAW NOTES:
From the shaft, I smell berries, spice, cocoa, barnyard, banana peel, and cedar.
From the clipped cap and the foot, I smell barnyard, bittersweet chocolate, spice, espresso, banana, cedar, lemon citrus, and berries.
The cold draw presents flavors of strong wood notes, chocolate, espresso, spice, and cedar.

FIRST THIRD:
I see several imperfections during the foot toasting process which could mean burn issues later.
The draw is good. The stick is solid but gives, for the most part, when squeezed. But right behind the double cigar bands, there seems to be a plug.
Sure enough. After using the cigar awl, it is all clear sailing.

First flavors: Chocolate, salted almonds, espresso, floral notes, cedar, banana, and only the tiniest amount of pepper. When reading the 2014 review, I noticed I complained about a lack of spiciness.

But I should be truthful. I’ve never been a fan of Quesada cigar blends. I put Manuel Quesada in the same class as E.P. Carrillo. Decent blends but never anything really special. Perfect for the CI catalog. Both brands are heralded as high premium in most online store catalogs.
And then just like that…the Quesada Oktoberfest 2015 Edition Das Boot’s flavors go flat.

Damn. I’m running out of cigars to review. At least good ones. I have a bunch of LFD blends but you know LFD. They need months and months of humi time. So from here on, I will be reviewing more common day blends. With no promises of them being very good. But hopefully, you will stick with me.

Strength is mild/medium body.

I’ve got Spotify on again today listening to a McCartney Live album “Good Evening New York City” recorded in 2009.

I’m having minor burn issues but nothing I want to report as serious.
I’ve burned 1-1/2” and the flavors just keep dissipating with each puff. Pretty soon, it won’t have any taste at all.

I gotta see what the Big Guys said about this cigar. Be right back.

One big reviewer smoked the Das Brauhaus (4.5 x 60). And thought very well of the cigar. Yet another Big Guy reviews it and smokes the exact same size and has the complete opposite experience rating it very low. (There are two new blends added to his line: Das Brauhaus and Double Bock. The rest of the line is the same blend as last years with different vintage on the tobacco.)

Another reviewer comes up with a flavor profile I normally find…a cornucopia of flavors.
Sonovabitch!
Another couple of Big Guys give it a so so review. So there is no consistency in the reaction to this blend.

SECOND THIRD:
Smoke time is 30 minutes.
The flavor profile is as flat as a pancake.
C’mon!

I check when the other reviewers did their write up and it was less than a month after the cigar came out. And all say they purchased the cigars.
One reviewer even says he put the cigar down with an inch to go. Not good. My gut told me not to bother reviewing this after my first outing with it 3 weeks ago. Either it’s a dud or needs 9 months of humidor time.

Hmmm…This means I’m virtually smoking the same cigar as last year but it is nothing like it. I truly liked the 2014 version. The Quesada Oktoberfest 2015 Edition Das Boot, so far, is a dog turd.

At least, I’m enjoying the music in my headphones. McCartney must have just released a new album before this concert because it is full of new material. I know that 99% of Beatles fans just want to hear those tunes but his new stuff is mature and beautiful. It even has a touch of what Lennon may have written had he made it past 40.

I’m not even going to bother listing flavors.
I can’t even taste what the most conservative reviewers taste.

If the flavor profile hasn’t picked up by the start of the second half, I’m ending the review.
I just printed out a photo of a dog taking a shit to be used as background if this cigar doesn’t get its ass in gear immediately. We are half an inch away from the halfway point.
Tick…tick…tick….tick….

RATING: 70