Tag Archives: Nestor Miranda

by Craig Vanderslice | April 14, 2024 · 9:54 am

A Couple Nestor Miranda Cigars and a Couple Panacea Cigars

For the last three weeks I’ve been smoking the Boneshaker cigars, this week I smoked a few Nestor Miranda Special Selection cigars from Miami Cigar & Co. These have been around for along time, and it’s been quite a while since I smoked one. I don’t think I’ve written about these here at all over the last 14+ years. I’ve smoked a bunch of the Nestor Miranda Collection cigars, but haven’t had that many of the Special Selection. In a break from my normal routine, I started with the Connecticut version. The “Toro” is a 5½” x 54, with a Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper, Nicaraguan binder and Dominican, Nicaraguan and Honduran fillers. I’m pretty sure it’s made in the My Father factory. Shade cigars aren’t my go-to, but this one was a surprise. It started with some spice, and eventually got to some sweet cream in the second half. I recall wishing this was longer, as I did with the Habano blend. I feel like 5½” is a robusto extra rather than a toro, for some reason that half inch makes a big difference.

I moved to the Habano to wrap up the work week. I had taken Monday and Tuesday off as we had planned to travel to view the eclipse, but the weather wasn’t favorable, so we stayed home and watched it on our deck. I smoked a really nice Rocky Patel Sungrown maduro. Now there’s a company that knows how to make a toro, theirs are 6½”! Anyway, the Nestor Miranda Special Selection has a Nicaraguan Habano wrapper, Criollo 98 Nicaraguan binder and fillers from Esteli, Jalapa, Condega. I don’t quite know how or why this cigar has eluded my notice for this long, I guess I just don’t see them around anyplace. I think maybe a local broker has recently taken on Miami Cigar & Co, so maybe I’ll see them more around. This cigar, again, was too short! It had that nice sugar cane sweetness that I enjoy so much, along with a little bit of spice. Burn and draw were great on both examples. I might dig into some old Nestor Miranda Collection cigars that have been in the humidor for several years.

Last week I mentioned welcoming the Flatbed Cigar Co. to the CigarCraig family. This company is based right here in Pennsylvania, a county or two east of where I live. Panacea has been on the market since 2007, and is in a couple stores here and there, but mostly sells direct. It’s been a while since I smoked a Panacea, so I ordered a sampler of the Classic Line from their site. I would say that the process was simple, and I received the cigars the next day. I just placed another order today, I expect it will get here Tuesday. I started with the Panacea Brown Label in the 6″ x 52 torpedo size. This has a Brazilian maduro wrapper, a Dominican binder, and Cuban seed Seco, Ligero, Olor Dominicano, and Nicaraguan fillers. The cigars are made in the DR. This cigar had a dry cocoa flavor. It’s the same blend as the Connecticut, with just the wrapper changed, so I’m going to be really interested to smoke the Connecticut. There was some creaminess and spice too, it was a very nice smoke.

While watching some hockey on the porch last night, I lit up the Panacea Green Label Robusto. This one has a Pennsylvania Broadleaf wrapper, Dominican Habano wrapper and Piloto Cubano, Olor Dominicano, and Nicaragua ligeros in the filler. Yes, that’s triple ligeros, should be strong, right? It’s a full bodied cigar, there’s no doubt, but it’s not in any way overpowering. The purchase I just made was a sampler of the Green Label in all the sizes, by the way. The Robusto is 5″ x 50, and got me from the start of the second period, about half way through the third. I expect a Toro would be good for two periods of hockey. I liked this a lot. It had some spicy cocoa flavors, and some earthiness. This one was a winner for me (which is probably why I bought more). So far I’m digging the Panacea line. It’s been practically a decade since I sampled any of their cigars, too long, I think.

That’s all for today, more Panacea cigars next week, among others. Until the next time,

CigarCraig

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Tagged as cigar, cigars, Flatbed Cigar Co., Nestor Miranda, Panacea, Special Selection

by CigarCraig | March 19, 2017 · 9:50 am

Tortuga, Nestor Miranda, and Fratello Cigars

Last Monday, before it snowed and I smoked a bunch of the Casta Cigars offerings (which, by the way, are only available direct from their website for now), I was in a Tortuga kinda mood, so I picked a single Tortuga Reserva Diplomatico from the humidor. The Diplomatico is a big cigar, 7½” x 58, why I decided on a cigar this large on a winter Monday evening is anyone’s guess. For me, at least, any Tortuga is a good decision, as I love the flavors in this Honduran made Nicaraguan puro. I can always count on the Tortuga line to satisfy me, and the box pressed Reserva line has the right balance of strength and flavor that just always works. I need to catch up with Victor Vitale again soon, he’s been quiet lately. He makes great, under-rated and appreciated cigars. I’m sure some warm, sunny day I’ll wish I had this one back, but it sure hit the spot! Fortunately, I have an old Tortuga Limited Edition and an Ora Vivo Armand Asante in this size still in the humidor.

Friday was Saint Paddy’s Day, and the temptation for me is to smoke a Candela. I rounded up my small stash of Candela cigars, and derivatives (Barber Poles with Candela), and decided I wasn’t in the mood for a Candela, so I found a Nestor Miranda Collection Habano Danno One Life Addition that, at least, had a green band. This one was a couple years old, and is another formidable sized cigar, measuring 7″ x 56. The Danno line commemorates Nestor Miranda’s late son, Danny. It’s made at the My Father Factory in Esteli and is a wonderful blend of Nicaraguan, Brazilian and Honduran tobaccos. I really like the latest incarnation of the Nestor Miranda Collection cigars, sadly, I only seem to smoke them in the robusto format, which I enjoy in all four varieties (Maduro, Habano, Connecticut and Corojo), this size is special though. It’s more of a good thing. I remain mystified that two years after re-working the packaging and bands on this line, the website remains out-dated.

Yesterday was a damp, overcast Saturday, so after running some errands, doing some good deeds, I relaxed on the porch with a Fratello Oro Robusto, the newest offering from Omar de Frias. I was tempted to smoke this on St. Paddy’s day, considering the irony that the 6’9″ Omar is pretty much the exact opposite of a leprechaun, at least in stature. I could definitely see Omar dancing around in green leprechaun costume. Gotta say, the Fratello Oro is magically delicious! This Fratello is made in the Dominican Republic, with an Ecuador Connecticut wrapper, Cameroon binder and Dominican, Nicaraguan and Colombian fillers, no Peruvian tobacco in this one! It’s got the creamy, grassy flavor from the Ecuador Connecticut, the sweet “Camerooniness” from the binder, some strength and unique spice from the filler blend. It comes together in a very good, full-flavored cigar! While it didn’t absolutely blow my mind like the Fratello Bianco Boxer torpedo did, it was an excellent cigar with very good flavor and performance. I have yet to meet a Fratello I didn’t like.

That’s about all I have for today, hopefully the snow melts off as Spring officially starts tomorrow and we head towards my favorite time of year. Take a look forward to the beginning of June, when the Philly Cigar Festival is being held in Pottstown, PA. In the coming weeks I’m going to have a contest to give away a ticket to this multi-vendor event, so if you’re in the area, or are willing to travel, you might want to get in on the contest. I plan to be there, hopefully some of my readers can join me! Now, I just need to give the organizers a little grief about using one of my photos on their website without giving me credit! Until the next time,

CigarCraig

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Tagged as candela, cigar, cigars, Danno, Fratello, Nestor Miranda, Philly Cigar Festival, Torrtuga

by CigarCraig | January 8, 2017 · 10:51 am

Padilla, San Lotano and Nestor Miranda Cigars

Winter has set in here in Pennsylvania, with the first snows over the last couple days, thankfully only an inch or two each time. I’m good with basically sweeping the snow off the driveway as opposed to the two foot heavy wet snows we get now and then. Anyway, I smoked a few good cigars over the past couple days, although not all new to the market. I broke open a pack of Padilla Reservas that Ernesto Padilla gave me at the IPCPR show, which was the same pack he gave me at the previous year’s show, I think. I selected the San Andrès of course, there was also a Corojo, Criollo and Connecticut to choose from. This is a 5″ x 54 robusto made at the Raices Cubanas factory in Honduras, with the San Andrès wrapper, with Nicaraguan binder and filler. I mentioned this cigar in a post last November, but I feel like this cigar was “dirtier” than the one I smoked before, or else I just didn’t mention that last year. It was like an espresso, strong, with some bitterness that was really enjoyable especially in the cold winter air. Loads of flavor for sure, and I liked it a lot. As I said last time, this is a cigar that’s priced right and well worth picking up if you like that in your face, down and dirty kind of cigar now and then.

Last week I was in a local shop and picked up a few cigars that I hadn’t tried yet, but have been around a while. The AJ Fernandez San Lotano Bull caught my eye as such a cigar. I love the San Lotano line, and am a little mystified that I hadn’t tried the Bull yet. So I picked up a couple and took one as my Friday smoke. This was the 6″ x 54 toro size, and the binder and filler are “AJF Select” Nicaraguan with an Ecuador Sumatra wrapper. As you can see in the picture, the cigar comes with a cedar sleeve with a bull on it, this must be removed prior to lighting (hard to believe, but I’ve seen it done!). This was another fairly strong cigar, lots of nice, sweet, creamy coffee and cedar flavors. Why, oh, why did I take so long to try this cigar? I’m glad I bought more than one. Again, nothing new here, I think AJ Fernandez released this in 2013.

This cigar is new this year! I have enjoyed all of the Nestor Miranda Collection Robustos I’ve smoked, and I really should try other sizes, but the Coffee Break 4½” x 50 size is really appealing to me. It’s perfect for those nights when it’s too cold for a walk, but an hour on the porch with the propane heater is pretty comfortable. Such was the case last night. This line has previously been offered in Connecticut, Maduro and Habano, all excellent, and all made in Don Pepin Garcia’s My Father factory in Esteli. This year they released the Corojo, which might just be the best in the line to my palate. This little cigar has a lot going on, a little sweet, a little coffee and a little nuttiness, in a perfect burning package. I smoked one a couple of weeks ago and was interrupted by something and had to put it down and it made me sad. This one was enjoyed until fingers started burning, so good. I’ve acquired some new tools from the Tommy Bahama line that I’ve been playing with, and so far I’m happy with the cutter and lighters. I used the table lighter to light this and holding the lighter about eight inches from the foot of the cigar made the foot look like an Apollo space capsule on re-entry. lots of horsepower in a large, quad-jet lighter. More on those tools later, but I’ve become a fan of the Tommy Bahama cigar accouterments from Island Lifestyle Importers. I just wish I were sitting on a beach lighting my cigars…

That’s it for now. Keep an eye on the CigarCraig.com Facebook page for the next contest, I’m going to try something a little different to mix things up. Until the next time,

CigarCraig

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Tagged as aj fernandez, cigar, cigars, Nestor Miranda, Padilla, san lotano, Tommy Bahama

by CigarCraig | September 18, 2016 · 11:21 am

A Bobalu Oscuro, a New Nestor Miranda Cigar and an Oliveros All Stars

After the crazy first half of the week, I settled down a bit. I actually took Thursday off as we went up to Bethlehem PA to see the new movie “Eight Days A Week”. It was a very good documentary about The Beatles touring years, you can read my wife’s review on her blog Beatles-Freak’s Reviews . Friday evening’s cigar was another cigar from the selection I picked up from Bobalu Cigars. This cigar was from the Oscuro line which features a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper, Nicaraguan Ligero, Honduran Criollo 98 and Dominican Piloto and Olor. You can imagine what my expectations were for this one. This is a good example of how expectations can lead to disappointment. I got these in the Gordo size, because they only come in robusto and Gordo and I have too damn many robustos in my humidors. The cigar was well made, but instead of the heavy, coffee/cocoa flavor I expected, I got more of a medium sour flavor. It was a good cigar, I smoked it for a good two hours, but the sour flavor isn’t one I particularly enjoy. There were plenty of good points, and certainly there are people who appreciate the flavors in that cigar more than I do. I remain amazed that a factory in Austin, Texas is cranking out handmade cigars of excellent quality for a reasonable price. It’s a place I must visit one day when I finally make that Texas visit I need to make. Bobalu is still offering a special deal for my readers, click here to check that out.

Yesterday was a three cigar day. I started off in the afternoon, after getting some things done around the house and yard, with a new line extension to the Nestor Miranda Collection, the Corojo in the 4½ x 50 robusto size. In the past I’ve really enjoyed the Nestor Miranda Collection in this size, the Connecticut, Maduro and Habano are all exceptional, and this Corojo is a great addition to the portfolio. I was blown away by the abundance of a cinnamon spice quality throughout the cigar, it was quite delicious. I think the most memorable cigars I’ve smoked from the trade show for me this year have been cigars with unique flavors that I don’t often get in a cigar, which is what makes them memorable. There was another one, but I can’t remember it :-). I highly recommend trying the Nestor Miranda Collection, and especially this new Corojo. One minor complaint: Miami Cigar and Co. desperately needs to update their website!

I moved on to another trade show sample, the Oliveros Allstars Small Batch No. 5 Basso. Thankfully, Aging Room Cigar’s website IS up to date, as I had forgotten the story behind this cigar from the show, there was a lot of information given at once and the info on this one slipped through the ever-widening cracks. Oliveros All Stars is a collaboration between Rafael Nodal and Ernesto P. Carillo, it’s got a dark US grown broadleaf wrapper and Dominican fillers. The Basso is a 6″ x 54 toro (remember when Toros were 6″ x 50?) and they also have the Aria at 4½ x 48, the Fugue at 5½ x 52 and the Chord at 6½ x 52 Torpedo. The naming conventions are consistent with Rafael’s Music background. This is the sort of flavors I look for in a broadleaf cigar! It was dark and lush with the heavy espresso flavors I like, with some cocoa sweetness. It was a wonderful smoke. Collaborations are a funny thing in the cigar world, some say that the rarely work, I’ve had pretty good luck smoking collaborative efforts, but I think this one was a “win”. As an old friend came over for a while, I finished off the evening with a Last Call from AJ Fernandez, which seemed appropriate as it was getting late and was the last cigar of the day. Having just finished a fairly powerful cigar, I had low hopes for this cigar, it had some foot damage and looked bad in the humidor, so this was a perfect occasion to get rid of it in a humane way. About a quarter of the way in I couple really taste the wonderful flavors that this little cigar offers, and I was sad when it became too short to smoke any longer. I can’ wait to try the maduro version, although the Habano is fantastic.

Just Bitching…

Here’s a couple quick gripes about things I hear on podcasts that annoy me, stupid things, but things, and I’m naming names! On the Kiss My Ash podcast, they have a couple of commercials that bug me. First is a Joya de Nicaragua commercial that claims that the Quatro Cinco Reserva has tobacco from the Jalapeño valley, and I don’t know of a Jalapeño Valley in Nicaragua. Another is an ad that mentions what sounds to me like they are saying “Cigar Aprecianado” instead of Aficionado. may that one’s just me, my hearing isn’t great. I still love the KMA folks, it’s one of the podcasts I look forward to all week. The last one for today is from CigarDave‘s show last Saturday, where, in an attempt to be patriotic, he played one of the worst renditions of our nations national anthem I’ve ever heard. Admittedly, I’m a purist when it comes to the National Anthem, I don’t believe it should be embellished or artistically interpreted at all, just performed straight, as written. Nothing annoys me more than a performer adding his or her own spin to our nations anthem. That’s my opinion, I cringe when I hear poorly performed anthems, and that’s just the way it is. I was also in the car driving when I listened to CigarDave, and I didn’t feel like I need to stand, as what I was listening to was barely the piece of music that represents our nation. CigarDave, I’m deeply disappointed in that selection. Again, my opinion, I’m open to any criticism.

That’s about all I have for today, until the next time,

CigarCraig

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Tagged as Aging Room, aj fernandez, Bobalu, cigar, cigars, EP Carillo, Nestor Miranda, Oliveros

by CigarCraig | June 17, 2015 · 8:50 pm

Nestor Miranda Collection One Life Edition Danno 2015 Cigars

Last Saturday, while I was goofing off in Philadelphia at Holt’s, I was missing Nestor Miranda at the Wooden Indian in Havertown, just a few long miles away. I certainly would have gone there if I hadn’t had something else planned, but Jason at Miami Cigar and Co. was kind enough to send me a couple of the new Nestor Miranda Collection One Life Edition Danno 2015 cigars, and I spent the first part of the week smoking each blend. This cigar is basically the same blend as the Nestor Miranda Collection One Life Edition, but tweeked to work in the 7″ x 56 size which the previous Danno releases have been. These are made at Pepin Garcia’s My Father Factory in Esteli. This is a large cigar, and I like spending a good two hours with a cigar on warm, late spring evenings. Regular readers will be able to guess which wrapper I started out with, but my be surprised which ended up being my favorite of the three! Spoiler alert: they were all excellent.

Had I been smoking these back to back in one day, I would have started with the Connecticut, moved on the the Habano, then finished off with the Maduro, but I went in reverse order, starting with the maduro. This is listed as Broadleaf Maduro, which I can assume is grown in Connecticut. It’s a dark brown, and has the new style red,black and silver band, very stunning in appearance. The cigar burned very well, and had a sweet flavor with some coffee and cocoa and a little bit of the spice from some Peruvian leaf in the filler. I enjoyed the heck out of this cigar, and it fell on the heavier side of medium to my palate. This is a really nice cigar.

Monday I enjoyed the Habano version. Despite the fact that I had to re-light it frequently, it was a tasty smoke. I think the Nicaraguan Habano wrapper is a bit more sensitive to humidity than the maduro, although that makes little sense to me, as broadleaf is typically thicker. I think it was pretty humid on Monday, and there may have been a storm that evening. I am looking forward to smoking this again in a few months, as the flavor of the cigar was really quite good with some sweet woody flavors. This one has a bit of Brazilian leaf in the filler, probably giving it that little sweetness. This will be a terrific smoke when it dries a little, I’ll take the blame for smoking these too soon off the truck. I would not avoid this of you are a fan of Medium bodied Habano wrapped cigars.

Tuesday I went with the Connecticut. This one has fillers from Nicaragua, Honduras and the Dominican Republic, and the same Niucaraguan binder as the other two. The shade grown wrapper is flawless, and, like the other two, this has a bit of a pigtail cap, although on my example it was a bit flattened down. things like that don’t bother me as I’m only lopping that bugger off anyway. This may be surprising, but this one may have been my favorite of the bunch! Smooth, creamy and on the milder side of medium. I was recently asked to recommend some lighter cigars, and this should be added to the list. I have to be in the mood for a shade wrapped cigar, and luckily I got in the mood real quick, as this was well balanced and exactly what I look for in this style of cigar. Very well done.

Tonight I selected another cigar from the Miami Cigar and Co. stable, but I probably would have smoked it regardless of the fact that I was smoking the Nestor Miranda Collection Dannos. I picked up some La Aurora Preferidos Corojo #2 at my local shop for the low low price of $5.99 each, and took one for my evening walk. I have a tradition of smoking a La Aurora Puro Vintage 2003 whenever a granddaughter is born, and today was my youngest granddaughter’s second birthday. Close enough. While the 5″ x 54 Preferidos No.2 was a bit short for my three mile walk, it was loaded with flavor. It was a very enjoyable smoke and I’ll keep picking a few up at that price when I see them. The perfecto shape is a lot of fun too. It’s a tasty little smoke.

That’s it for this special mid-week edition! Many thanks to Miami Cigar and Co. for providing me with these samples. Stay tuned for some new humidor news and another contest in the near future, and I’m getting prepared for the upcoming IPCPR show. Until the next time,

CigarCraig

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Tagged as cigar, cigars, Danno, La Aurora, Miami Cigar and Co, Nestor Miranda