Cigar Aficionado

Quesada's D. Magnus II line is getting a couple of new, distinct vitolas this February, and they're both named after a pair of Roman emperors notorious for treachery and corruption.

The Caligula size is a box-pressed perfecto sharply tapered at both ends while the Tiberius is what Quesada Cigars' Terence Reilly referred to as an "eclipse shape," meaning that it's a semi-ovular cigar pressed into a contoured form similar to that of a Bic lighter. Both of the uniquely-shaped smokes are made in Nicaragua at the Plasencia Cigars factory.

"When visiting the Plasencia's factory last August, Nestor Andrés presented me with samples of D. Magnus II in vitolas made with new molds they had recently developed," said Reilly. "Two of the sizes were especially striking and smoked beautifully. We put them into production immediately."

Caligula is a 6 inch by 60 ring gauge, box-pressed perfecto while Tiberius measures 6 by 54. Both are regular-production cigars and retail for $10.95 each. They are made with only Nicaraguan tobacco and come packaged in boxes of 10.

Caligula and Tiberius bring the D. Magnus II line to four sizes total, but it should be noted that D. Magnus II is a different brand than the original Domus Magnus, which was a limited-edition run of cigars released in 2011. When tobacco ran out for Domus Magnus, the Quesadas procured a similar Nicaraguan wrapper of the same seed varietal, but from a different year and created the D. Magnus II, which they introduced in 2012.

For ratings of these new sizes, see an upcoming issue of Cigar Insider.