Any beer drinkers in the crowd today? Outstanding. Klaro has two announcements that require your attention. First of all, the all-you-can-drink amber ale extravaganza will take place as scheduled, and that more urinals have been installed on premise as requested. Secondly, Klaro Members will receive a very special Cigar of the Month for September 2026, as the Quesada Oktoberfest 2026 Edition in "Salomon Press" format has returned!

Originally launched in 2011, this annual limited release was created with the sole purpose of pairing with German-style Märzen beer in mind. To this day, this style of lager remains the signature beverage of Oktoberfest, with its sweet, nutty, caramel notes providing equal amounts of complexity and refreshment. A beer that seems tailor-made with this salty, rye and pumpernickel-spiced, medium-full cigar in mind.

Unlike earlier releases, which relied upon a Dominican puro pedigree, the modern Oktoberfest utilizes a Mexican San Andrés wrapper and places it over an undisclosed Dominican binder and filler blend. This results in a smoking experience that is rich and expressive, but also easily approachable and polished. 

While other, far more common vitolas are produced, it is the "Salomon Press" version that remains the rarest and most coveted. Featuring a 6¾″ long barrel and a wild hourglass profile, the cigar's circumference ranges anywhere from a 50 ring-gauge at the widest point, with a super-slim 33 gauge sitting right in the center. Adding even more uniqueness to the situation is the fact that the cigar is finished in a firm, near trunk-pressed format. As the story goes, this unorthodox vitola was chosen to represent the silhouette of the Cibao Valley in the Dominican Republic, where much of the country's tobacco, and Quesada's blends, hail from.

"The line reflects a more playful and contemporary side of Quesada, developed with the involvement of the 5th generation while remaining rooted in the family's craftsmanship."—Quesada Cigars

Now, for those looking for some tasting notes on this blend, be sure to check out our review of the Quesada Oktoberfest 2023 Edition. It's an oldie but a goodie, and a bit of an experimental cigar review of sorts. In the review, we allowed the cigar to rest for a full year, just to see if it was one of those blends that only got smoother with time.

For Quesada, 2026 marks fifteen years of production for this blend, making it one of the company's most beloved seasonal releases. Hell, who doesn't dig the idea of a cigar that not only enhances and complements the flavor of German beer, but also offers a very approachable smoking experience. As fellow beer drinkers, we here at Klaro are thrilled to have been selected to receive this very special annual release, and look forward to hearing what you, our Klaro Members, think of this wild limited edition cigar.