Vitola: Corona Extra
5” x 46 ring gauge
Price approx. $8.90
Gifted by Local Sales Rep
Background
A couple months ago I was hanging out at Burns Tobacconist on a Thursday…not a work day for me there, just some time to hang out and smoke. I heard Taven Johnson was headed into town that evening, so I figured I would wait around to see him. When he arrived he introduced me to Paul Palmer, a name I wasn’t familiar with before, but President of a company I definitely was familiar with—Casa Fernandez. We talked for a while and I heard stories I am most definitely not allowed to repeat here. What I am allowed to talk about here are the cigars Mr. Palmer’s company makes.
Palmer and Taven gave me a couple samples that evening and I smoked one while I was there, but saved this second one to give it a full review. One of Casa Fernandez’s more recent lines is the Miami Reserva, according to their website it is
“100% Nicaraguan Puro utilizing a variety of Authentic Cuban seeds and ‘AA’ Tobacco leaf from Aganorsa. The cigar’s blend is comprised of Medio Tiempo Maduro, Ligero, and Viso from specific Aganorsa Tobacco farms in Jalapa Valley, Condega Valley and Estelí in Nicaragua”
They are rolled in a small factory in Miami, Florida (hence the name). The Maduro variation of the line was added in 2013 and uses a Mexican San Andres wrapper leaf. That was one topic of discussion I had with Paul Palmer; Casa Fernandez has made a decision (at least at this point) to use Mexican leaf for all their Maduro cigars. When I expressed some of my misgivings regarding San Andres wrapper, he talked about how it can be difficult to blend with, but done right it can simply be great. The cigar I smoked that evening indicated he was on to something. While many Mexican-wrapped cigars I’ve had in the past were overly bitter and harshly earthy, the blend (I can’t remember what it was exactly) I smoked that night was smooth, rich, and sweet.
So here we go again. After all the virtual ink I’ve spilled talking about how I’m not a huge fan of Mexican wrappers, I’m trying out another one just to see if I still feel that way, or if someone else has cracked the blend puzzle. I have smoked the Miami Reserva before, but I believe this is my first Maduro.
Prelight
The banding on the Miami Reserva isn’t overly ornate. The type is readable, the design is attractive…but to me, it looks like something is missing. Maybe it’s the fact that the same band used as the primary band here is the secondary band on the “non-Reserva” version of the Casa Fernandez Miami. The wrapper leaf was smooth, oily and a bit leather in feel. It had a rich, sweet, chocolatey aroma to it. The foot was earthy and a little peppery.
After clipping the cap I got an excellent cold draw that tasted of dark chocolate, earth and a bit of espresso. There was also a bit of the “Mexican” flavor I’ve remarked on before, but it was not overly strong.
Flavor
On first light, the Miami Reserva had a semi-sweet cocoa note and plenty of earthiness on the palate, along with just a touch of red pepper on the finish. On the nose, the smoke was earthy, but with a sharp and almost painful pepper spice. I found the opening minutes of this cigar to be very satisfying—full-bodied and with a ton of flavor.
As I continued through the first third, the flavor continued to be earthy and peppery, but without the overwhelming bitter notes I often get with Mexican wrapper. Here the bitterness was well-balanced with sweeter notes, creating a very enjoyable experience.
In the second third, I found the cigar got smoother and richer, losing some of the pepper burn and having it replaced with sweeter dark fruit and chocolate notes. In the final third I got more sweetness, more earth, and a slight resurgence of the pepper, though not enough to upset the elegant smoothness the cigar had taken on by that point.
Construction
I had pretty much zero problems with the construction of this cigar. Solid ash. Perfect draw. Even burn line. Essentially, an expertly-crafted stogie.
Value
The price of almost $9 is on the high side of average for a Corona in today’s cigar marketplace. There are a couple things to note, though, that affect the price. First, they are not a mass-market cigar with millions upon millions rolled each year. I don’t know exact numbers, but Casa Fernandez is not found in every store I’ve ever been in like some brands. Second, they are made in Miami, which does tend to drive up the price a bit. Is that a problem? Naw…support American jobs!
Conclusions
The Casa Fernandez Miami Reserva was simply a great cigar. It was possibly my favorite Mexican Maduro wrapped cigar and one of the best I’ve had from Casa Fernandez at all. The body was full and the strength was robust throughout, although never in a way that harsh or overpowering.
By-The-Numbers
Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 2/2
Flavor: 4.5/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 9.5/10
This review originally appeared on Tiki Bar Online.
