2017 QUESADA 70TH ANNIVERSARY BELICOSO SEALED BOX OF 10

MQ 70 is magnificent, showcasing endless complexities. It is somewhat difficult to sum it all up, as the flavors seem to hit every angle of the palate; much in the same way you’ll find with many Cubans. The cigar manages to offer a contrasting experience, with dark and robust notes (toasted nuts and leather), delivered through a delicate, light, and clean overall impression. It’s the subtle touches that add to the overall profile, such as a bright and salty sensation from the raw tobacco against the tongue. The smoke is best enjoyed through the retrohale, begging the smoker to retain each puff within the back of the nostrils and even upper throat (occasional, slight inhales are advised) for a moment or two longer than you’re accustomed to—soaking up every morsel of flavor within the smoke’s inherent oils.

MQ 70 does require fairly frequent puffs to keep the smoke flowing. This occasionally amounts to overheating, producing darker flavors that aren’t entirely unsavory: dark chocolate, anise, a cold, menthol-like sensation, and a touch of harshness. With touchups, though, flavors come springing back from the dead, turning simplistic notes like dark chocolate into a more tangible experience of a Milky Way Midnight Dark chocolate candy bar.

Past the halfway point and beyond, flavors come in the form of toffee, honey, and flowers; eventually transitioning to charred wood, anise, various chocolates, marshmallow sweetness, and (eventually) dark and ashy harshness.