Tag Archives: Nestor Miranda

by | 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.

 

Nestor Miranda Collection_Danno2015_MaduroHad 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.

 

Nestor Miranda Collection_Danno2015_HabanoMonday 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.

 

Nestor Miranda Collection_Danno2015_ConnecticutTuesday 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.

 

LaAuroraPreferidosCorojoTonight 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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by | February 4, 2015 · 10:05 pm

An Ortega Mini Cigar, a Nestor Miranda and a Short Story

Ortega_Mini_MaduroIt’s been Maduro week so far!  Monday turned out to be very cold and windy, and after taking Macha on a car ride (she loves the car) to PetSmart for a little outing in lieu of out evening walk, I hit the back patio with an Ortega Mini Cigar in maduro.  Oddly, I was about to grab a little A. Flores Gran Reserva half corona when I came across the Ortega Mini Maduro from the 2013 IPCPR show. These are both made in the PDR factory in the Dominican Republic, which didn’t occur to me until I lit up the Ortega. I enjoy everything that I’ve smoked from Eddie Ortega, especially the Serie D maduros, and these little 4″ x 38 cigars are perfect for a half hour or so in my protected, but unheated patio.  It smokes like a much larger cigar, with all the richness and flavor. It’s kinda like the last half of a lancero without the time commitment.

 

Nestor Miranda Collection_Maduro_RobustoTuesday was a little better, although still pretty cold, so I went with a Nestor Miranda Collection Maduro in the 4½ x 50 Robusto size.  I’ve had the good fortune of smoking a few of these and it’s a really tasty cigar. It’s made in Don Pepin Garcia’s My Father factory, so it’s got a bit of the signature spice that one would expect, but is loaded with smooth, cocoa flavors and burns and draws exceptionally well. The new bands on these are very cool, the maduro having the red accents with black and silver foil, which makes it tricky for an amateur like me to photograph, but is quite striking otherwise.  This is a tasty smoke, as is it’s Habano wrapped sibling. I am looking forward to sampling the Ecuador Connecticut one of these days when the weather is better. I find that lighter cigars get lost in the cold weather, and the risk of the fragile wrapper splitting is greater.  Jason Wood at Miami Cigar an Co. did a really nice job on this line.

 
Tonight I got off to a late start after replacing the guts in one of the toilets. I’m hesitant to replace these commodes with modern ones, I never realized how much I missed the flushing power of the old three gallon flush johns.  Somehow it seems more efficient to use three gallons once, as opposed to 1.6 gallons twice or more.  Another case of shortsighted Fuente_ShortStory_Maduroover regulation I suppose.  Along those lines, I re-upped my CRA membership today, something everyone should do. Anyway, I just came in from enjoying the heck out of an Arturo Fuente Hemingway Short Story Maduro that I had bought 2 years ago.  A business associate just sent me a bag of Fuente cigars, and there was a Short Story Maduro in there, so I figured it was as good a time as any to burn the one I had been holding on to.  Because of the way the head of these is finished, I recommend a straight cut as opposed to the punch. There was a fold that the punch didn’t get and I wasn’t getting a good draw, even after burning through the perfecto tip.  A quick snip and it was free flowing broadleaf goodness all the way down to a tiny nub.  The Short Story has been a special treat for me for nearly twenty years, but the maduro is a relatively new version for me. I loved it, but there’s nothing quite like the Cameroon wrapped SS. Either way this is a cigar that should be experienced, if it seems pricey for such a little cigar, and I can get thing in the $6 range here in PA, I think it’s a classic, and a great value as it gives an excellent smoking experience.

 

That’s all I have for now. I have a cigar I need to smoke this week for an upcoming Prime Living Magazine article I’m in the midst of writing, you can check out my prior articles in the Gentleman’s Room area of their website.  This month features Arielle of La Sirena‘s Oceano, a very tasty smoke.

 

Until the next time,

 

CigarCraig

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by | December 26, 2014 · 8:37 am

CigarCraig’s 12 Spectacular Days of Cigar Giveaways 2014: Wrap Up!

Well folks, it’s finally over!  It was a great couple weeks worth of great cigar giveaways!  We had a never before seen 14 days!  For that we have a bunch of folks to thank.  Please let all these folks know that we appreciate their generosity.  Nobody HAS to give away their cigars!  We certainly appreciate the opportunity to make a bunch of folks happy and maybe turn people on to some new cigars and brands.  Thanks to the following sponsors:

 

 

The Flor de la Reine was the only cigar in the whole 14 days that I had never smoked, but Barry at The Cigar Authority (which is associated with United Cigar Retailers) gives it the thumbs up, so I didn’t have any reservations about including it.  The rest I had smoked in maybe a different size or shape, but I’ve sampled the brand and they are all cigars I really like. There were a total of 274 cigars, three hats, two ashtrays, two t-shirts, two backpacks, a knife, a metal poster, a lighter and a cutter. Shipping costs are yet to be calculated, but I should loo for an official shipping sponsor for next year! Also, there are a couple of people who I missed seeing this year. Please join me in remembering George Satterfield and Dawn Christopher, who’s untimely departure from this plane of existence left huge voids in their families lives. I never met them, but they were frequent visitors to the site, and the 12SDoCG event.  I missed seeing their comments, and their families have my sincere condolences. If it means anything, I dedicate this year’s contests to their memory.  On a positive note, the next contest will be on New Years Eve, and I’m wiping the slate clean, everyone is eligible to enter this one, and it will be some good stuff!

 

Winners!

2014-12-23 08.34You probably want to know who won the crazy Day 14 prize from Miami Cigar and Company, right?  The lucky recipient of the box of Nestor Miranda Collection Habano 46×6, T-shirt, ashtray and back pack is comment number 110, as selected by the random number generator at Random.org.  I adjusted for a post from a prior winner and arrived at Joe K as the winner!  Joe, send me your address so I can get this to you! I actually met Joe at an event a few months ago, so I might be able to save some shipping money and meet him for a smoke someplace!

 

ArandozaWhiteFinally, the winner of the Arandoza White Labels back on day 7 never sent me his address, and I tried e-mailing twice and both e-mails came back as undeliverable So I picked another name from Day 7’s comments!  Smokin_Dave, please send your address! (I’ll e-mail and hope you gave the right address).  It’s probably best if you enter a contest to check to see if you won (although I’m guilty of forgetting that myself!), but at least leave the right e-mail address! I’m not selling the addresses to spammers or anything, I just would like to be able to contact you to send you cigars!

 

That’s all for now!  I hope you all enjoyed the last few weeks!  Thank you for participating, I wish I could send each of you a box of great cigars, but I can’t so you’ll just have to keep taking your chances on these contests! 🙂

 

Until the next time,

CigarCriag

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by | December 24, 2014 · 7:00 am

CigarCraig’s 12 Spectacular Days of Cigar Giveaways 2014 Day 14!: Miami Cigar and Co

Since it’s Christmas Eve, and the last day of Hanukkah let’s push it on another day! I know what you’re thinking: 13 days was enough already…but a Day 14? You’re crazy!  I think next year if I do this it might have to be CigarCraig’s Fortnight of Festivities or something. Believe me, I wanted to scale it back to CigarCraig’s Eight Crazy Nights or something like that.  And no, I’m not going to do CigarCraig’s 25 Days of Cigar ADVENTures, or anything like that!  So, yes, it’s Day 14, unprecedented and difficult to fathom. Day 13’s  lucky winner of the Cohiba Nicaragua N60 is Matthew Denico. Please send me your address so I can send this beautiful box your way!

 

 

Nestor Miranda/Miami Cigar and Co.

Photo courtesy of Halfwheel.com

2014-12-23 08.34

 

It’s Day 14 (of 12….never was very good at math!) and we have some very special goodies from our friends at Miami Cigar and Company.  In today’s very special Christmas Eve present we have some neat stuff from the Nestor Miranda line of cigars. There is a Nestor Miranda T-Shirt (XL), a very cool Nestor Miranda ashtray, and a box of the Nestor Miranda Collection Habano in the 46×6 size (box of 20).  You can put all of that in a nifty Nestor Miranda “One Life” backpack!  The cigars are spectacular, and the SWAG is top notch!  Thank you to Jason Wood at Miami Cigar and Co. and especially Gabriel Piñeres of Creativas Group for making Day 14 possible! I will not be posting the winner tomorrow, so you will have an extra day to enter!

 

Rules

All you have to do to enter is to leave a comment on that day’s post and if you like, in one sentence tell us what comes to mind when you think of Nestor Miranda Cigars.  It’s not a condition to win, but I’d like for the folks who make this all possible to come away with some consumer feedback.  Also, be sure to visit the links for each item. Comments on Facebook, Twitter, or anywhere else will not count, but feel free to spread the word!

CC_Logo_xmas_s

Until tomorrow,

 

CigarCraig

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by | April 20, 2014 · 3:46 pm

Chateau Real, Flor de Nicaragua, Nestor Miranda and Draig Cigars

chateaureal_smallclubI honestly cant recall the circumstances on Thursday that led me to a short smoke, but I dipped into my dwindling supply of Chateau Real Small Club Corona Maduros for a quick, but delicious smoke. Sadly, Drew Estate discontinued this line, I suppose because everyone didn’t like them as much as I did. I personally believe the price point was a little high for a mild to medium traditional cigar from a company who, at the time, was known for their infused cigars. I bought a box of these and the Gran Cru Perfectos several years ago on clearance and still have a few of each left. The San Andres maduro wrapper is dark and oily, and it’s a mocha flavor bomb. It sets a benchmark for how a cigar should burn and draw too, as they are always perfect in that regard. These are great little 30 minute smokes, and I’ll be sad when they are gone. I think these were Drew Estate’s second foray into the traditional cigar market, that is if you count La Vieja Habana The Early Years in with the regular La Vieja line.

 

Flor de Nicaragua_Magnum 52Friday evening I grabbed a cigar that I had seen in the same box the Chateau Reals were in, and I couldn’t really recall where it came from. The cigar was a toro called Flor De Nicaragua, and I had a suspicion it was from Joya de Nicaragua, which was confirmed through Instagram correspondence. Apparently, this is made for the European market and must have followed me home from Nicaragua lat year. This size is called the Magnum 52, and is 6″ x 52, with a light wrapper with a reddish tint. The website lists this as colorado claro, and I’m always concerned that people will think the wrapper was grown in Colorado. Not the case, of course, as colorado is another word for red in Spanish. The cigar was a treat to smoke, I found it to be milder than many of the Joya offerings, but loaded with flavor. This is a cigar that I’d love to get my hands on again. They offer it in some excellent sizes, a traditional corona gorda and a 4 ½ x 56 Grand Cańon specifically pique my curiosity. This is a nice smoke, perhaps we’ll see these in the USA like the Rosalones last year.

 

Nestor Miranda_Grand Reserve_2011Saturday afternoon I selected a cigar that Will Cooper (Cigar-Coop.com) sent me last year around my birthday.  He sent a far nicer selection than I deserve, and included in this was a Nestor Miranda Grand Reserve 2011.  Since is was a special occasion (Saturday, nice weather, done working in the yard, you know…), I decided this one was the next up for the afternoon walk.  This has a Nicaraguan Habano Oscuro wrapper, although some older reviews list it as Conecticut Broadleaf, I’m inclined to think is was the former based on the flavor. I have smoked the 2012 which has the Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper and it was decidedly different. These were made in the My Father factory in Esteli, and it certainly smoked like a cigar that would be made there. It’s also noteworthy that this is a box pressed torpedo, which is neat.  It was a really good smoke, lots of rich flavors with the pepper you’d expect and some sweetness. I enjoyed this cigar until I burned my fingers. Thank you, Will, I wouldn’t have otherwise had the chance to smoke this rare gem.

 

Draig Cayaquero_RobustoWhen Gary Griffith of Emilio Cigars comes across a really special tobacco, he creates a blend around it and releases it in his limited Draig line.  It’s a shame that he mis-spelled Craig, but I appreciate the sentiment.  Seriously, Draig is the Welsh word for Dragon, and there’s a dragon on the bands of the cigars in this line.  I had the good fortune of smoking a couple of the Draig K a while back, and didn’t really “get” the blend. There was an inflammability in the wrapper, and what looked like it should be a cigar I’d like, wasn’t.  So the Draig Cayaquero sat on the top shelf of my humidor for a while, begging to be smoked, yet scaring me a little, would I like this iteration of the Draig? Like it’s predecessor, this cigar had a unique flavor, unlike anything I can remember. Unlike the Draig K, I liked it and it burned perfectly.  It was savory, meaty, and different. I don;t know how many of these are out in the market place, but if you see them, give one a try.

 

OK, I’ve just listed four cigars that are hard to find, sorry about that.  I’ll try this week to stick to new and/or readily available cigars. Please bear with me if I smoke something that I’ve featured here before (I do that from time to time anyway). Now, it’s a beautiful Sunday, time to find something for today’s after brunch and hockey walk.

 

Until the next time,

CigarCraig

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