I ended up smoking some pretty great cigars over the last few days! I started off with the Nestor Miranda Grand Reserve 2024. I have memory of smoking the 2011 and 2012 versions, which were the only other two previously released. The 2024 was released in celebration of Miami Cigar and Company‘s 35th anniversary. It’s a 6 1/8″ x 52 torpedo, made at the My Father factory in Esteli, and is a Nicaraguan Puro. This is an absolutely delicious cigar. It started with an interesting spice, maybe like nutmeg, very intriguing. It had a really nice desert cigar feel to it, like smoking a pie. I thought it was really good. Thanks to Gabe Pińeres for sending me this. Super-yummy.
Next up was the Joya de Nicaragua Cinco de Cinco. I know this one has been around for a while, but one came into my possession at the the Florida Barn Smoker last month. This was the Corona Extra vitola, 6 ¼” x 46 with a pigtail cap. Cinco de Cinco seems to translate to “5 out of 5”, but I want to say it has something to do with the company’s 55th anniversary. I think this is my favorite cigar out of the Obras Maestros collection, and there are some great cigars in that collection. I have to say that it’s really hard to pick a favorite, Numero Uno, Cinco Decadas, Cuatro Cinco, now this one? What a line up! This one has a San Andrés wrapper, with Nicaraguan fillers and binder. Burn and draw were outstanding, and it was loaded with dark chocolate flavors, and I loved it. It’s definitely one I’ll be revisiting. For someone who loves dark chocolate, but has to severely limit my intake because it triggers migraines for me, this is an acceptable substitute!
Yesterday, while watching hockey, I smoked the newest size in Dunbarton Tobacco and Trust‘s Sin Compromiso line, the Selección No. 4, a 5″ x 54 soft box pressed robusto. This is another San Andrès wrapper, this one Saka calls “Cultivo Tonto” which has the farmer removes all bet the best leaves from the plant so that they get the most nutrients. This make the tobacco more expensive, of course, because there’s no lower quality leaves to subsidise the better leaves. Saka only ever uses the best and most expensive materials anyway, right? I absolutely love the No. 5, which is a Toro, so I was excited to try the robusto. This was a really good cigar, although I felt like it wasn’t quite as sophisticated as the larger size. Sure, it was better than a lot of cigars, had some earth and black coffee notes, but it just seemed less refined. If I can afford it, I’ll pick another one up one day.
Finally, I smoked a cigar that Stace Berkland sent me a bit ago. I may have mentioned before that Stace had sent me some cigars in an unexpected reciprocation for some things I sent him. Here’s the silliness: Stace wanted to purchase one of my 20 year old plastic cutters, the little rectangular ones that Saka’s über expensive Guillotino de Saka is based off of. I had a few that’s I’ve had for years, used to buy them at my local shop, the guys there called it the “hot knife through butter cutter”. Like I said, I have had three of these for 20+ years, I’ve got a load of cutters, sending one to a friend wasn’t a problem! He felt the need to retaliate, so he sent some nice cigars. One of them was this Foundation Cigars Grasshopper, which appears to be from an exclusive box from Small Batch Cigars. This box had six of the Candella Grasshoppers, six of the Maduro, and one barber pole version. I had never seen this cigar before, but my first thought was that it was from Foundation, something about the look of the band. This is a small, box pressed torpedo, 5¼” x 52, with a San Andrés wrapper, Jalapa binder and fillers from Jalapa and Esteli. This was another great smoke with some spice and dark cocoa. Burn was excellent and I really dug it. Thanks Stace!
I need to start getting my Secret Santa gift together, names went out and it’s too late to join! I gave plenty of notice. I”ve got my work cut out for me this time! That’s all for today, until the next time,
CigarCraig
