Brand: Nestor Miranda Special Selection
Vitola: Robusto Grande
Ring Gauge: 54
Length: 5.50
Wrapper: Nicaragua
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua and Costa Rica
Origin: Honduras
Price: $5.50

Brand:
The Nestor Miranda Special Selection, unfortunately, is a bit of a Padoras Box. Several retailers state conflicting information in regards to the blend and the brand website doesn’t even mention the line. The only thing I am sure of, due to a comment made by Jose Blanco in Las Vegas, is that these cigars are made in Honduras.

By comparing information found at Famous and Cigars International, it appears that this cigar is available with two different wrappers. Both varieties are Nicaraguan leaf but come in the form of Rosado or Maduro. Three sizes are available which include a Robusto Grande (54 x 5.50), Super Toro (60 x 6.00), and a Lancero (38 x 7.00). The Lancero size is the newest of the lineup and was featured at the IPCPR trade show in Las Vegas.

An extra tid-bit of information that I found interesting comes from our good friend Tom over at Keepers of the Flame. It appears that this cigar is special in the sense that it is Nestor Miranda’s personal cigar and was reserved for himself, family, and special guests.

Pre-Light:

After procrastinating on a cigar to smoke for far too long, I began picking through my cooler to find something to share with you today. One of the cigars that I came across early on, which I mentioned being a possibility last week, was the Nestor Miranda Special Selection.

Over the past few weeks I have smoked through about six of these preparing for a future review. All of which were purchased from my local smoke shop. I removed the last one from my ziplock bag and started to prep for the review.

As I carried the stick from my cooler to my smoking room, the first thing to grab my attention was the odd feeling flat cap. Being a 54 ring cigar I would expect the cap to appear flatter than other cigars, but this one felt as though it was purposely made flat on the head. Upon closer inspection I found that the cap was firmly applied but was shifted way off to one side.

The wrapper was very oily and consistent in color. There were several thin veins that did not protrude and create a rough texture. When pinched, the cigar felt evenly packed with tobacco from head to foot. I was only able to find one small soft spot near the head, just above the band.

The aroma on the wrapper was very faint and undistinguishable while the exposed foot had a mild compost like aroma. After making quick work of the cap with my Palio cutter, I moved on to checking the draw. My first impression was that it was a bit too light for my taste.

First Third:

After the formalities of the pre light inspection was complete, it was about time to touch flame to the foot of my cigar. After a quick and easy lighting process, I had my Nestor Miranda Special Selection evenly lit and producing a satisfying amount of smoke. The loose pre light draw carried over once lit, the result was a smoke that felt a little airy and less dense than I prefer.

Throughout the fist third, the body is firmly planted in the medium range. The finish is soft and creamy on the palate. After allowing the smoke to expel from my mouth and sinus, I get a smooth thinned out syrup like texture which is very pleasant.

In the flavor department, I’m not getting much more than an easy going, savory sort of taste. While the flavor is enjoyable, I was really expecting a bit more at this point. The mild fruity flavor on the cold draw and the compost like aroma on the foot made me think that I was going to get an interesting twist to the flavors.

After reaching about three-quarters of an inch, the dark colored ash suddenly fell from the foot of my cigar. As it broke open on the table in front of me, I took the liberty of breaking it open completely and inspecting what would have been the filler. Opposite of the ash that would have been the wrapper, the inner ash was very light in color.

The burn line was a heavy, dark, oily ring around the foot of the cigar. It was a little on the wavy side but easily managed by rotating the stick while I smoked. The burn rate was fast for my liking and as a result forced me to puff more frequently to keep completely lit.

Second Third:

After smoking my Nestor Miranda Special Selection for about fifty minutes, I worked my way into the second third. The body didn’t transition much and stayed seated within the medium spectrum. Just like the body, the finish didn’t change much either. Just like before, the finish produced an easy going, creamy feeling on the walls of the mouth which lasted for a couple of minutes before fading.

Due to the burn rate being elevated, the cigar was getting a touch warm from time to time and becoming a little bitter. Once given a chance to cool down, the flavors came back around to being this same, sort of savory flavor from the first third. The flavor was steady and pleasant but still didn’t grab my attention as being complex with lots of subtleties.

As mentioned already, the burn rate was elevated and making the cigar warm to the touch from time to time. This was most likely due to all the puffing I was doing to keep the cigar burning. If let go for a minute to rest in the ashtray, I had to puff several times to get the cigar burning and producing smoke. To eliminate this constant puffing I simply took smaller puffs more often, which seemed to solve the problem of it going out.

The burn line began to thin out and become less wavy as I progressed further into the stick. The resting smoke was light but was starting to become a bit pungent and irritated my eyes. The draw remained a little loose for my liking but produced a solid supply of smoke which was becoming more dense as I smoked along.

Final Third:

As I approached the one hour forty-five minute mark, I found myself well into the final third. Up until now the body hasn’t budged from the medium range. I’m finally starting to see a little progression towards the medium-full range. The finish has been the same throughout the entire smoke, creamy and pleasing.

The base flavor remained savory but began to pick up the flavors and aromas of mesquite wood. This addition to the flavor was a nice change but was too little too late. The cigar was easily becoming hot and turning bitter as I puffed frequently to keep it lit.

The ash remained very dark in color on the outside, and light colored throughout what would be the filler. The burn line thinned out a little more and was less wavy than before. The resting smoke was becoming more offensive as the cigar burned, getting to the point where I felt like I had to dodge the smoke with each puff.

Final Thoughts:
With about an inch and three-quarters remaining, it was time to set down my cigar for good. In the end I wasn’t overly impressed with the cigar, but I wasn’t displeased by it either. In all I think I have smoked six or eight of these cigars and they have their time and place. The majority of these cigars have been smoked while hanging out at my local shop with the guys.

In a social situation where I am not overly focused on the cigar, I think this one does well. It delivers a consistent flavor from start to finish and packs an awesome finish. However, if I were to smoke this cigar as I did now and try to focus on it too much, it just wouldn’t be able to grasp my attention enough to enjoy it like I would want to.

I’ll be buying more of these in the future, but they will strictly be “in the shop with the guys” smokes.

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