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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5 Responses to An Ortega Mini Cigar, a Nestor Miranda and a Short Story

  1. Dan Colley

    An interesting analogy: “it’s like the last half of a lancero without the time commitment” I never thought of it quite like that.

    Your wintertime shift to smaller cigars is very interesting to me since I’m partial to the shorter cigars with the smaller bore. I couldn’t say why, but that is my preference. So, whenever you put out a write up about a small sized (wintertime) cigar, I pay close attention and add frontmarks to my Cigar Journal.

    I also found your comment about the AF Short Story to be interesting. I have had many of the Cameroon wrapped version, but the Maduro is something new for me. Considering my “handle”, I think that you could guess that the maduro is the one that grabs my attention.

    Thanks for the interesting column. Keep up the good work, try to stay warm in this brutal weather, and, by all means, smoke ’em if you got ’em.

  2. Tommy D

    Thanks for the recommendations. Like you I also have to deal with cold temps and precipitation so I’m always looking for good smaller cigars.

    I just signed up for CRA and picked up two Don Pepin Garcia’s for the extra $4. Doing my part and getting a nice little bonus!

  3. JScott

    Thanks for the reminder about re-upping my CRA membership! I need to get on that.

    I enjoyed your words regarding the Short Story. That has always been my cigar of choice during my “cigar walks” here in the Frozen Tundra. Incredible taste with just enough there to take me around the block and back.

  4. Commish

    Great choice of “short ones”. Was able to enjoy an hour and a half in the sun yesterday and got in a couple of nice smokes.

  5. KOPTim

    A quick search and I am having a hard time finding a retail outlet for the Ortega Mini’s … I share the same cold weather here in KOP, PA and can always go to Cigar Mojo, but I would love to get my hands on a 4-pack to try them out. The best I could do was a waiting list. They will probably become available in the Spring !!
    Thanks for the review of a good mini cigar. Got any more good mini recommendations ? I like the CAO Brazillias, for example, but they seem to lose something in the small size.