Quesada Ships Reserva Privada Oscuro

Source from:  Cigar Aficinado 05/20/2016

After a slight delay, the Quesada Reserva Privada Oscuro, which features vintage tobaccos dating back nearly 10 years, is now on its way to cigar shops.

The limited Reserva Privada Oscuro, first shown at this year's ProCigar Festival, sports a similar blend to its predecessor, the well-received Reserva Privada, including tobaccos from a particularly good 1997 bumper crop. The binder is Dominican San Vicente binder from the 1997 vintage, with a filler tobacco blend of 1997 Dominican San Vicente tobacco and Pennsylvania ligero.

Whereas the first Reserva Privada used Connecticut-seed wrapper grown in Ecuador, Reserva Privada Oscuro is covered by a darker Connecticut broadleaf wrapper grown in the United States. According to Terence Reilly of Quesada Cigars, the 2016 version includes a higher ratio of Pennsylvania ligero, too, and was aged for one year after it was rolled.

Reilly says that the company is focusing first on shipping the Robusto, which will be sold exclusively through retailers that are members of the Tobacconists Association of America. It measures 4 3/4 inches by 52 ring gauge, retails for a suggested price $12.95 and, like all the sizes, comes packed in boxes of 10.

The Toro, 5 5⁄8 by 54 ($13.95), and Double Corona, 6 1/2 by 46 ($12.95), are being sent to "accounts who have supported the original Reserva Privada," Reilly says, with some shipments being sent overseas to Spain, too.

Originally slated to start shipping in April, Reilly says that the release was delayed due to the amount of detail that must go into the elaborate packaging, which features a striking hologram and a piano-black finish. Only 1,000 boxes of Toros, 400 boxes of Double Coronas and 750 boxes of Robustos are being released. Enditem