Originally published on Tiki Bar Online.
Robusto Extra, 5.5” x 54 ring gauge / MSRP $8
Sometimes it seems like every other new cigar on the shelves is an LE (limited edition) of some sort. Between multiple Tatuaje limited releases that happen every year, Viaje making all their releases “LE”s, Davidoff’s increased production of low-production cigars across their lines (White Label, Avo, Camacho, Ditka, Room 101), and the long-standing limited editions like Fuentes Añejo and Opus X lines, there are dozens of small production cigars showing up every year. While not a brand-new concept, some companies are taking to making their LEs “regional” releases in a bid to make them harder to find for the general public and more exclusive. I recently learned that one company will be putting out a series of regional releases with some very interesting twists, but that’s a story for a different blog post. Miami Cigar & Company is jumping into the regional release pool with a new release in the Nestor Miranda Collection, an “Exclusivo Regional” under the Special Selection banner. While the Special Selections are regularly available in Ecuadorian Connecticut, Nicaraguan Habano Rosado or Nicaraguan Habano Oscuro wrappers, this release destined for the Midwest features a Mexican San Andrés leaf and it will be available in 2 sizes, the Robusto Extra that I’m looking at and a 6 x 60 Toro. I could not find “official company information” about the cigar so I can just refer you to what halfwheel posted on the matter: like other Nestor Miranda Special Selection cigars, this is made by My Father Cigars and features Nicaraguan filler and binder. Miami Cigar & Company sent me 3 samples; I smoked one in early September and gave another to Keith (he published his review yesterday), saving the last for this review.
As always, the banding is attractive for the Nestor Miranda Special Selection. The secondary “Exclusivo Regional” band works very well, although if they decide to do more of these releases, it might be helpful to have something a little more descriptive…perhaps in the way of a statement of what regional this was exclusively released to. I say this because I’ve seen the results when a company puts out different LEs that superficially look very similar, then make no differentiation whatsoever on the banding…and after they get put in your humidor for a few months, you are left with no idea whatsoever what cigar you have waiting for you. Moving on…the Mexican Maduro wrapper was a dark chocolate brown with some slight mottling and a much oilier feel than it looked like would have. A sniff of the wrapper gave up hints of cocoa powder and leather, while the foot had a richer earthiness and sweet chocolate aromas. I clipped the head and tested the draw, finding it very good with a mix of earth, coffee and chocolate flavors.
The Special Selection Exclusivo Regional was fairly easy to get lit evenly; it didn’t just jump right to life, but neither did it take overly long. Out of the gate, I started getting a strong hit of the bitter earth flavor that defines Mexican San Andres to me. While I’ve learned not to actively hate that flavor, without a good balancing act, it can easily overwhelm a cigar…something I just do not like. As I took subsequent puffs, I found more notes of black coffee and a subtle dried fruit sweetness, while there was a small hit of pepper spice on the nose. As I made my way through the first third, I noticed the bitterness tempered somewhat by the flavors of semi-sweet chocolate, anise, and cedar.
During the second third I got some zesty citrus flavors on the palate, while the anise and cedar subsided a bit. I noted a bit of pepper spice on the palate and nose as well. Construction was good overall, though it suffered a bit from the typical “Maduro” malady of an uneven burn line. I got a bit of flaking in the ash as well, but the draw was uniformly great.
As the Special Selection Exclusivo Regional wound down in the final third, I found the Mexican earthy bitterness was well-balanced in this blend. I continued to get subtle sweet notes of of dark chocolate and raisin along with an increase in red pepper spice. Combined with a medium-to-full body and strength, this turned out to be one of my favorite Mexican-wrapped cigars ever to issue from the My Father factory. Some age might actually do it even more good, too. The price is right, but the run was pretty small, so if this sounds like something you would like, the time to jump on it is now. They should be available in shops about the time you read this.
Body: 8/10
Strength: 7/10
Complexity: 7/10
AFP Scale
Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 2/2
Flavor: 4/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 9/10
