Pre-light Experience

Aaron: The Casa Magna Maduro TAA Exclusive Toro Box Press has a crisp rectangle press with a wrapper that is medium brown and has some thick, but well pressed veins present. The seams are a bit raised and the caps have some lifting edges. There are two bands, with the primary being gold, burgundy, black and white and denoting the brand and line. The foot band appears to be an afterthought, as it is the most basic black and white band, denoting that it is a TAA Exclusive for 2024. The aroma from the wrapper is a light mix of cedar and earth, while foot brings cedar, wood smokiness and earth. The pre-light draw brings cedar along with a light floral note.
Seth: The Casa Magna Maduro TAA Exclusive Toro Box Press is a nice-looking cigar. It has an intense press, almost industrial/wafer press, and it sports a solid maduro wrapper. Coffee bean color. There are medium sized veins present throughout, with some soft spots. Toothy in texture. The aromas are of earth, cocoa, tobacco and spices. Seasoned wood as well.
John: The Casa Magna Maduro TAA Exclusive Toro Box Press came in cellophane and had a UPC sticker attached to the main body of the cellophane which included the cigar information. There is a primary Casa Magna Maduro band and a TAA Exclusive 2024 foot band. Additionally, the cigar has an artisanal complication of being a box pressed shape. I weighed the cigar at 17.1 grams. Aromas from the wrapper included barnyard and wood. From the foot, I could pick out sweet hay and wood.
Jiunn: The Casa Magna Maduro TAA Exclusive Toro Box Press has a rustic Colorado red wrapper shade. Veins are well pressed, seams tight, bunch and roll even and the head is sloppily wrapped and capped. Pre-light aromas provide cedar, barnyard and cream.

Casa Magna Maduro TAA Exclusive Toro Box Press

First Third

Aaron: The cigar begins with toasted cedar and earth. At a quarter inch in, hints of chocolate appear on random draws. The retrohale is almost identical with toasted cedar, earth and hints of chocolate. At an inch in, some black pepper joins, just behind the middle of the profile. At an inch and a half in, the profile is fairly dry. As the third comes to a close, the toasted cedar and earth are even up front, with black pepper just behind the middle of the profile and hints of chocolate in the background. The strength was right at medium.
Seth: The first third begins with some dry earth and cocoa notes. There are touches of wood and leather present as well, and there is a soft pepper spice present with the cigar. I would classify the cigar as medium in strength and body.
John: My initial flavor impressions are sweet tobacco, wood and hay with the hay lingering into the finish. As the first third settles in, I’m picking up on earth through the retrohale. Some time later, some mild spices join the center of the retrohale to add some complexity. A black pepper is coming into the post draw as the cigar continues, and it lingers on the palate between each puff. Some light chocolate moves into the retrohale to join the already present earth and mild spices.
Jiunn: The first third gives medium body and strength with full flavors of vanilla wafers and incredibly sweet and creamy nuttiness. The retrohale is filled with the same sweetness and creaminess but also brings in a tapered dried red pepper spice. The finish has a soft lingering cedar and minerals.

Casa Magna Maduro TAA Exclusive Toro Box Press

Second Third

Aaron: The second third begins, the earth takes a slight lead in the profile. At a half inch in, the black pepper picks up a bit, and the chocolate is now a bakers chocolate that has a more consistent presence in the background. The retrohale is now earth, toasted cedar and light amounts of black pepper and bakers chocolate. At an inch and a half in, the earth becomes a bit gritty and increases its lead over the toasted cedar. As the third comes to a close, the gritty earth is ahead of the toasted cedar, with black pepper in the middle and some bakers chocolate in the background. The strength remained at medium.
Seth: The second third is in line with the first. Dry earth and cocoa notes with wood and leather. Bits of pepper spices are present with tobacco on the finish. Medium in strength and body.
John: Creamy chocolate and wood takes the cigar into the second third, as a mildly dry wood finishes the puff. As the second third settles in, the profile is primarily wood forward. By the halfway mark, earth has joined the center of the flavors at medium strength. Wood continues to drive the experience through the bottom half.
Jiunn: The second third brings much more of the cedar and minerals into the overall flavor profile. The added complexity pairs well with the sweet and creaminess of vanilla wafers and nuttiness. Strength and body remains medium.

Casa Magna Maduro TAA Exclusive Toro Box Press

Final Third

Aaron: As the final third begins, the toasted cedar inches close to the earth up front. The retrohale remains earth, toasted cedar and light amounts of black pepper and bakers chocolate. As the cigar wraps up, the earth is just ahead of the toasted cedar, with black pepper in the middle and bakers chocolate in the background. The strength bumped up to slightly above medium.
Seth: The final third is in line with the first and second. The cigar seems too pressed in the final third and has gotten soft. Wood, leather, tobacco, dry earth and cocoa are present. Pepper spices as well. Medium in strength and body.
John: Earth and wood lead off the last third at medium strength with a gritty earth on the finish and post draw. As the last third settles in, some sweet citrus is present in the center of the profile. The cigar remains consistent for the remainder of the review.
Jiunn: The final third still brings forward the cedar and minerals but it’s still engaging because the sweetness and creaminess of vanilla wafers and nuttiness is still full in flavors. Strength and body finish the same medium.

Casa Magna Maduro TAA Exclusive Toro Box Press

Burn

Aaron: The burn was straight throughout, and the ash held on in inch and a half increments.
Seth: The burn was off throughout the entire cigar.
John: The burn was straight through the first third. It became wavy in the second third and went out halfway through, requiring a re-light. The burn continued to be wavy for the remainder of the review.
Jiunn: Perfect burn, providing an even burn, tight ashes and ample smoke production.

Casa Magna Maduro TAA Exclusive Toro Box Press

Draw

Aaron: The craw was perfect, with just the right amount of resistance that I prefer.
Seth: The draw was loose from beginning to end.
John: The draw is at most one notch towards the resistant spectrum which puts it in the ideal range for an amazing draw score.
Jiunn: Perfect draw as well, with the right amount of resistance and air flow.

Overall

Aaron: The cigar began with toasted cedar and earth. Hints of chocolate joined in fairly quickly. Some black pepper joined in a bit later. The second third saw the earth take the lead in the profile and the chocolate became a bit more distinct bakers chocolate. The earth became a bit gritty and increased its lead. The final third saw the toasted cedar inch a bit closer to the earth up front. The construction was absolutely perfect. The Casa Magna Maduro TAA Exclusive Toro Box Press had an average flavor profile throughout, focused around the earth and toasted cedar. The chocolate was a nice touch, but with the profile being dry, it didn’t elevate things. Some sweetness or creaminess would have done wonders for the profile. Overall, not a cigar I’d see myself coming back to.
Seth: I was not a fan of the Casa Magna Maduro TAA Exclusive Toro Box Press. I believe it to be a combination of the blend and the vitola. Maybe I will like it in the standard parejo? The cigar was flat, and the Mexican wrapper was too pronounced. The cigar seemed slightly underfilled as well. It lacked transitioning and depth, and the burn and draw were subpar throughout. The TAA must stand up to some of these TAA offerings and say no thank you. This is a blend/cigar that they should have passed on for the year.
John: The Casa Magna Maduro TAA Exclusive Toro Box Press delivered core Casa Magna flavors with some interesting flavor components at times. Overall, the experience was enjoyable while at the same time the cigar was uncomplicated and linear. The draw was perfect and for the burn, it required a re-light at the halfway point. It’s interesting because the overall experience and score would typically indicate that this isn’t something I’d pick up and smoke again. I find myself smoking Casa Magna’s from time to time, although I don’t actively seek them out. For me, I don’t think the TAA edition set itself apart in a significant way from the regular releases. Total smoking time was 2 hours and 19 minutes.
Jiunn: The Casa Magna Maduro TAA Exclusive Toro Box Press is a good cigar from first draw to last draw. What I just wrote is rarely seen in our cigar reviews. The fullness of flavors were great, covering all the major parts of a good cigar (sweet, savory, body). Total under the radar for me given that it’s TAA and Casa Magna (I rarely enjoy either of these cigars).

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

5.75

Cost/Point

$2.26

Scoring System

Seth Geise

SCORE

4.90

Cost/Point

$2.65

Scoring System

John McTavish

SCORE

5.55

Cost/Point

$2.34

Scoring System

Jiunn Liu

SCORE

7.17

Cost/Point

$1.81

Scoring System

Team Cigar Review: Casa Magna Maduro TAA Exclusive Toro Box Press