The Good Stuff: Miami Cigar is poised to release the second chapter in the Casa Miranda series, the Chapter Two. Two years ago they released the Nestor Miranda Casa Miranda Chapter One (you can read my review here) which was blended by the Miami-Based El Titan De Bronze company. The Chapter One was the first cigar in the Miami Cigar portfolio not blended by My Father. Going back to it’s roots the company decided to have the Chapter Two blended at the My Father Factory S.A. in Esteli, Nicaragua and should be released in the next few months as it’s being showcased as I write this at this year’s IPCPR convention in Las Vegas. Nestor Miranda’s Casa Miranda Chapter two will come in 4 sizes: Robusto (4.5 x 50), Corona Gorda (6 x 46),  Toro (5.5 x 54), and the Toro (6 x 60). The cigar will range between $6.35 and $8.00 a stick. Much cheaper than the Chapter One which ranged between $10 and $12 a stick when it was first released. Jason Wood noted that the price point was one of the main factors in decided to move the production of the Chapter Two over to My Father. Our great friend Barry Stein over at Miami Cigar sent us a few pre-release samples including the one I am reviewing today.

Size: 5.5 x 54
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Corojo
Binder: Unknown
Filler: Brazilian, Nicaragua, Dominican
Body: Full
Strength: Medium/Full
Price: $7.60
Pairing: Dogfish Head’s Black and Blue (Fruit Beer 10% ABV)

Prelight: One thing  you can always expect when you pick up a cigar produced at the My Father Factory is flawless construction. I’ve noticed over the past few years that just about everything that comes out of that factory is near perfect, the Chapter Two included. The cigar starts out with a dark, silky smooth wrapper. There are a few veins but they are so small they almost run seamlessly into the wrapper. There are a few dark brown spots throughout the leaf that blend into the medium/dark brown in the leaf. The cigar carries an average amount of oils and tooth through it’s body up to the beautiful, round, triple cap.  The wrapper feels really thin, but hard none-the-less while the cigar has no soft-spots whatsoever.

The wrapper on the Chapter Two kicks out a whole ton of sweetness and cedar while the foot of the cigar pairs up with some great spice and natural tobacco. I can’t wait to get this bad boy lit up. The cap cut very easily and clean using my Palio double bladed cutter. To my surprise, instead of getting all the cedary sweetness I was expecting, the cold draw was full of really mossy/musky flavors. It’ll be interesting to see how it all shakes out in the actual experience.

First Smoke: Nestor Miranda’s Casa Miranda Chapter Two started out a bit duller than I expected. Usually, My Father Cigar’s tend to greet you with tons of black pepper and spice but the Casa Miranda lead the way with some sweet chocolate, mild cedar, and some nice espresso notes. As I started to smoke my way through the first third the flavors started to become much stronger with a nice addition of the musky flavor I picked up in the cold draw. The draw on the cigar is perfect and the smoke is very dense. The burnline had a few larger waves in the first third and the ash left behind was solid, with a few flakes and white and light grey in color.

Halfway There: Into the second third of the Chapter Two and the flavors haven’t really changed up much. In fact, while a creaminess began to sneak in, many of the flavors began to dampen out. The sweetness is gone and all I really get is a very mild cedar, very mild coffee, and a bit of that musk. The burnline has completely corrected itself and is now burning perfectly even and razor sharp. I am feeling just a tiny bit of nicotine as I close out on the second third of the cigar.

Finish: I am happy to report that the flavors in this Casa Miranda began to ramp up into the final third. Just before they mellowed back up. It’s been kind of a rollercoaster in the flavor department. The main flavor is still a light cedar with a bit of chocolate and tobacco mixed in with an overall musky mixture. The one thing that did stand true the entire length of this cigar is the burn and construction. It’s been flawless the whole time and required no tough ups or relights throughout the entire hour and a half it took to take this cigar down to the nub. No harshness at all, in fact, this cigar finished off incredibly smooth and creamy with only a slight nicotine kick at the end.

Overview: I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t overly impressed with this cigar. It’s a solid cigar, but it seemed like it was missing something. The flavor kept dropping off in each of the samples I smoked. Had the flavor stayed at it’s prime I think this cigar would have been dynamite. Keep in mind, these are pre-releases and the final cigars will be in top shape when they hit shelves and the tobacco may carry enough age to even the flavor experience out. I think that whenever I get my hands on anything from Miami Cigar I hold it to a certain expectation of greatness, and the Chapter Two wasn’t quite on par with other cigars coming from this company in terms of flavor. But that’s just my opinion. The flavors were great, but the dullness in between is what didn’t do it for me. The burn and construction on these bad boys were as near flawless as you can get though and even with my experience I would probably be prone to picking these up when they hit shelves.

To Sum it Up: This was a good cigar. Not Great, Not bad. The flavors were a bit too mild for me but I think they’d appeal greatly to cigar smokers looking for a smooth/creamy/mild experience. The strength is a bit more full than the flavors suggest. I would probably buy these cigars again when the hit retailers, but unless the full release experience differs than my pre-release samples I don’t see myself picking up a box.

Pairing: Dogfish Head comes through with another great concoction. The Black & Blue is basically a strong Malt beer brewed with blackberry and blueberry puree. Sounds like it could be really good or really bad right? I’m happy to report that this 10% ABV brew kills it. I am never really a big fan of beers that introduce lots of fruit unless it’s a Lambic so I was a bit skeptical at first. Black & Blue leads with a strong, caramel/malty flavor with just a slight aftertaste of tart and fruit. This is exactly what I want in a beer brewed with fruit. I want to taste the beer, then the fruit second. The reason why I paired this beer with this specific cigar is I felt this cigar was missing something, something that a fruity/tart beverage could bring to the table completing the experience and I couldn’t have been more right. While the Chapter Two is a good cigar by itself, the pairing made it a GREAT cigar.

The post Nestor Miranda – Casa Miranda Chapter Two Toro Cigar Review appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The Good Stuff: La Aurora’s 107 has been a long time coming and I for one, didn’t know if we would ever see the cigar reach final release. The original 107 made it’s debut in 2010 (Check out my review of the Robusto here and Daniel’s review of the Corona here). Shortly after there were mumblings around the cigar community that a 107 Maduro was in the works. About a year later the cigar scene got looks via various social media accounts of the 107 Maduro. Something held up production though and these cigars are just now about to hit the market. This just goes to show the detail in Miami Cigars’ / La Aurora’s process. The cigar took so long to hit the shelves because they were dead-set on how they wanted the blend to turn out and weren’t quite reaching their desired dream. Either way,  we are just glad that this blend has been finalized and will be finding it’s way onto shelves, and into our hands soon. La Aurora 107 Maduro starts out with a Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro wrapper placed around a Dominican Corojo binder filled with Dominican and Nicaraguan Tobacco. The 107 Maduro was first released in limited quantity last year to TAA members at the TAA convention, but will be released to the public this year at the annual IPCPR show in Las Vegas. The 107 Maduro will come in 4 sizes: Robusto 4.5 x 50, Corona 5.5 x 43, Toro 5.5 x 54, and the Belicoso 6.25 x 52 with a price range about about $6 to $8 depending on the format. Barry from Miami Cigar Company hooked me up with a few samples for review.
Size: 4.5 x 50
Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro
Binder: Dominican Corojo
Filler: Dominican and Nicaraguan
Body: Medium/Full
Strength: Medium
Price: ~$6
Pairing: New Belgium Dig (American Pale Ale 5.6% ABV)

Prelight: The 107 Maduro starts out with a crazy dark wrapper. You can see from some of my photos that it’s almost as dark as the black table I took them on. The wrapper is beautiful sporting an extremely dark drown wrapper with a reddish hint, and some black webbing throughout the leaf. The wrapper feels really tough, and really firm as it leads up to the round double cap. The construction on these samples are flawless and each cigar only showcases one or two small veins. The cigar itself is very firm and seems to be packed very tightly with tobacco. I really enjoy this format. Love them smaller ring gauges.

The wrapper gives off a very sweet chocolate and tobacco aroma with just a hint of spice white the foot has a much more earthy, tobacco aroma with lots of sweetness. The cap cut VERY easily using my Palio double bladed cutter. The cold draw produces massive amount of sweetness and chocolate with just a bit of spice at the end.

First Smoke: La Aurora’s 107 Maduro starts off with loads of spice, some light black pepper, crazy amounts of sweetness and chocolate with a nice earthy finish. As the spice began to drop and the pepper began to fade out a really nice cedar began to appear in the profile. I wasn’t expecting such a flavor-bomb so early into this cigar and it definitely caught my by surprise. The 107 Maduro not only kicks out a ton of thick, stationary smoke but it also fills your mouth with so much dense smoke from each and every little draw you take. I was scared that it was packed too tightly and would produce a tight draw, but it’s just the opposite. The burnline is dead even and razor-sharp leaving behind a very thick, tightly compacted white and light grey ash.

Halfway There: A lot of the flavors dropped from La Aurora’s 107 Maduro into the second third while others became stronger. The cedar and chocolate are now the main flavors in the mix with some nice sweetness and earthiness while the spice and pepper have removed themselves from the profile. The experience is starting to balance out more creating a very creamy experience. The retrohale is BANGIN’ coating my nasal passage with a very strong, very sweet cedar and spice. I could retrohale this baby all day! The burnline is still flawless as I close out the second third and I am feeling absolutely no nicotine at this point.

Finish:  La Aurora’s 107 Maduro has kept me on my toes so far with some great change-ups and the final third keeps with the same theme. The cigar is burning straight chocolate now with lots of sweetness and an earthy/cedar finish. The flavors haven’t necessarily changed up, but the depth in the flavors had making for an interesting experience. The strength in the cigar has ramped up slightly, but didn’t finish over medium as I am feeling no nicotine as a nub it. There is no harshness but he cigar is burning a bit hot as I take it into the final inch. This cigar burned pretty slow lasting for about an hour and a half from start to finish. The burn was excellent needing no touch-ups or relights the entire experience.

Overview: I’ll be the first to say that it was worth the wait. I wasn’t sure if we’d ever really see La Aurora’s 107 Maduro out in the wild and I am glad that Miami cigar took it upon themselves to make sure the blend was exactly what they wanted before they released it. It’s a dynamite cigar with a bold, yet creamy experience. I really loved all the sweetness and the sizes this cigar is offered in. I’m a sucker for smaller ring gauges. It’s really hard to compare these to the 107 natural. The two cigars seem to be very different in experience while both delivering very sweet, very smooth experiences. It would be hard for me to pick one between the two as well, but given the 107 Lancero natural was so great I would probably reach for that size/blend first. This would depend on the situation of course cause I think the maduro would stand well after a mean, later in the evening, or during a herf with multiple cigars.

To Sum it up: The 107 Maduro is a great cigar for both the novice and the seasoned cigar smoker. The cigar has great depth, lots of sweetness while not being too strong or complex. I would definitely smoke these again and I would buy these again, and due to the price I think this is an ideal box purchase to have in just about anyone’s everyday rotation.

Pairing: Today I reached for a great summertime/spring seasonal beer that differs from your run of the mill light seasonal. New Belgium’s Dig is a new take on the classic American Pale Ale. Brewed at the New Belgium Brewery in Fort Collins, Colorado this Pale Ale is coated with a malty, caramel profile which brings the flavor experience up to a whole new level. Take the malt and caramel, add some sweetness, citrus and hops and you have dig. This zesty, sweet Ale comes in at 5.6% ABV and is the perfect summertime beer. Not only is it perfect for the weather but the balance of the sweetness and flavors makes it a perfect match for almost any sweet cigar. Since it’s not packed with hops it doesn’t easily overpower a cigar. In the case of the 107 Maduro I was actually more concerned with the cigar overpowering the beer but nothing of the sort happened as the flavors blended in perfectly with one another.

The post La Aurora 107 Maduro Cigar Review appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

Now the Tatuaje Reserva Series is an extension of the popular brown label line called La Seleccion de Cazador. A few years ago, Pete Johnson started a limited release cigar called the Cojonu that would be released every 3 years. This is the 2009 edition and as I write this I believe most stores have already started receiving the recently released 2012 edition. One quick note on the year in the name, it’s not related to the tobacco leaf age or anything like that, it’s specifically linked to the year it was released.

The Tatuaje Cojonu 2009 was released on March of 2009 so as I smoke this it has just recently passed its 3 year anniversary. The blend in the Cojonu’s have an increased amount of Ligero over the brown label versions and are touted to be a fairly strong blend so nicotine sensitive cigar enthusiasts may want to tread lightly here. The 2009 edition is rolled at Don Pepin Garcia’s factory located in Miami, Florida, the El Rey de Los Habanos Factory.

There are a total of 4 cigars in the Cojonu line, the Gran Cojonu, Cojonu 2003, Cojonu 2006, Cojonu 2009 and the most recent Cojonu 2012. The Gran Cojonu is the only one of the line that has no band. the other 4 cigars have the standard brown Tatuaje Label and on additional band. The black and gold band is standard for most of the Reserva lines and in our case today it simply says Cojonu 2009. Now let’s get to setting the flame to this cigar!

Cigar: Tatuaje Cojonu 2009
Drink: Quinta Do Noval Black Porto
Vitola: Belicoso (6.75 x 48)
Wrapper: Habano Ecuador
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Price: MSRP $13
Burn Time: A little over 1.5 hours

Construction:
• Here we have a fairly rough looking cigar with a milk chocolate colored wrapper and some hints of golden tones
• the veins on this Tatuaje Cojonu 2009 are somewhat medium sized and the wrapper has some interesting toothiness to it
• The cap is finished with a cleanly wrapped single leaf, not perfect but it’s nicely bound
• The cigar is firmer than a baseball bat from end to end, I could probably hurt someone with it, hope that doesn’t affect the draw here
• Despite being super firm, the foot did not appear overly packed which is a good sign i think
• After trimming the tapered cap a bit with my double bladed guillotine cutter I was glad to be welcomed by a draw that felt just about right
• Before even reaching the half-inch mark there was some tar buildup which was tightening up the draw. I may have made too small of a cut so I trimmed a bit more and we’re off to the races again
• The body started picking up shortly after I passed the mid-way point but it’s still within the medium range I’d think
• Some of the spices started coming back too, more of a light white pepper at the moment
• There was a bit too much glue on the secondary black band and it tore the wrapper a bit

Burn:
• The foot of the Tatuaje Cojonu 2009 was actually very stubborn on the toasting, the middle of it refused to light up, I switched up my culinary torch to a more focused single flame torch and that seemed to do the trick
• After the tough start the burn line was a bit wavy but nothing that needed attention
• Seems that within the first inch there were already a couple times where the cigar felt like it was almost burning out and needed me to take a few extra draws
• In the second inch the wave got a bit out of hand so I needed to give it a little touch up
• The cigar continues to feel like it’s going out and requiring extra draws which is really taking away from the experience here
• The last third of the cigar required multiple touch ups to keep it burning properly

Smoke & Ash:
• So far there isn’t a ton of smoke coming off each draw, it’s taking a few attempts to get a decent volume
• There is a fair amount of resting smoke after setting the cigar down each time and it seems somewhat consistent
• The ash through the first inch is sort of starting to “bloom”, not too strong or clean and a lot of flaking all over the place
• The color of the ash is mostly a nice light grey but there are quite a few black accents all over the place
• I tapped off the first ash after about an inch because it looked like it was getting really weak and messy
• The next ash reached the same 1 inch mark, even though this one was a lot cleaner it still lacked strength so I tapped it off to save it from a deadly plunge to the concrete!
• The third went back to being messy and weak, probably due to multiple touch ups and only lasted about an inch

Tasting Notes:
• The wrapper has almost no aroma to it, just a bit of woodsy notes and some tobacco leaf
• The foot brings more of the woodsy notes and adds to that an interesting sweet cinnamon type of aroma
• The pre-light draw has a bit more cinnamon spice to it along with the woodsy and just a touch of sweetness, maybe even a touch of pepper there on the tongue and lips
• The initial draws jump out with some of the signature Tatuaje/Pepin spices, mainly pepper, followed by the cinnamon and woodsy flavors I was getting on the pre-light inspection
• After the initial spices died down I’m left with nicely balanced blend of espresso, woodsy and sweet cinnamon flavors
• As for the body, I’d say I’m at the low end of medium right now and the retrohale started with a kick but now it’s a smooth coffee finish with no bite
• The espresso flavors have toned down a bit and it’s getting replaced by an interesting dark chocolate flavor that is really mixing nicely with the sweet cinnamon
• All the flavors really mixed together nicely and balanced well in the last third, especially the dark chocolate and espresso notes
• I have to say I’m not getting the huge hit of strength I was expecting from ligero packed cigar but that might be because it’s 3 years old now
• Despite all the touch ups, the flavors are still enjoyable and constantly changing
• There was a slight build up of harshness near the end but nothing overpowering, most likely due to the re-lights I had to perform here
• I put down the cigar a little short due to all the re-lights but the flavors were present and enjoyable right to the end

Final Thoughts:
This is one of those cigars I was really trying to enjoy. It had a lot of the right elements but the whole package together didn’t sing huge praises for me. On the flavor front, there were some very enjoyable notes that kept me on my toes, that’s the part of this cigar I really enjoyed. It was the burn and draw issues that hampered the experience for me here. I did have a few samples before reviewing and it was the same story for the majority of them. So the flavors were awesome but the burn and draw left something to be desired, and at a price point of $13.00 I would have liked the whole package to be neat and tidy. I still think this is a worthwhile cigar to try and I will still seek out the 2012’s but I think Pete has some much better sticks under his belt that I would rather enjoy.

Pairings:
Today’s pairing is yet another new port that I stumbled across at the store. It’s from Portugal, as are most ports, and the winery is called Quinta do Noval. Although it’s name is just “Black”, this bottle is another standard Late Bottled Vintage Porto with some nice labels and marketing to it. There’s actually a embossed bird on the glass near the bottom, not sure if it’s visible in the picture but it’s pretty neat. So this porto is not all marketing, it’s actually got a decent product in the bottle as well. At it’s base is a nice, full-bodied red that seems comparable to a Merlot. On top of that are some excellent dark berry notes and a hefty helping of oak flavors that make up for a delicious treat. At only $17 a bottle, I can’t complain at all here, this was a great but and pairs perfectly with most any cigar. As you can guess, it made a great compliment to the Tatuaje Cojonu 2009. I think a nice scotch or strong espresso would also have gone well here.

The post Tatuaje Reserva Cojonu 2009 appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

As we mentioned in our original post, we both do this out of sheer enjoyment. To share our thoughts and get in touch with others who share the same passion that we do and we believe we’ve come a long way and accomplished quite a bit in our time here thus far. Now we have to admit that the joy we take from this site would be significantly decreased if it wasn’t for the awesome feedback we receive you all of you, our readers. Everytime we get an email notification that there’s been a comment on our posts, we rush to open our emails to see who it is and what they have to say! Whether it’s a frequent visitor or a new name we’ve yet to see, it’s always a treat.

www.casasfumando.com

Now we need to take a moment to recognize all the wonderful sponsors that made our contest possible. The support they provide to us on a regular basis is truly amazing and rarely found in many industries. The cigar world is an unbelievable mix of friendly people and companies that make it a joy to be a part of. So one more time, here’s the list of awesome sponsors, let’s give them a grand (virtual) round of applause!

Bonita Smoke Shop

Roma Craft ToBac

E.P. Carrillo

Rocketfuel Coffee

Emilio Cigars

Ortega Cigar Company

Miami Cigar

Joya De Nicaragua

Smoke Inn

Thank again to our wonderful sponsors!

Now onto the Honorable Mentions from our FINAL Day #9 – Smoke Inn

Now we first need to admit this contest theme had probably our favorite responses of the entire 9 days. There were some awesomely hilarious answers and we were glad to see everyone jumping in and poking fun at both Tony and myself. Any frequent reader will know we love to bash each other for various reasons, especially because Tony is such a slacker (see what I did there! ). Without further adieu, let’s check out some of our funniest comments, 2 chosen by me and 2 chosen by Tony!

Tony’s Honorable Mention #1 – Troy Taormina

I can’t decide who I like best because I believe you are both one and the same person (kinda like that fight club movie). You tipped your hand in one of the comments above with your Toniel/Danielony comments. That was the missing piece of the puzzle I needed to solve this once and for all. I’ve never seen you both in the same room, so I must be correct about ths. And you are so duplicitous, you have created one personality in Texas and one all the way in Canada- just to throw us off the trail. It’s pure genius, but I have discovered your secret, Toniel/Danielony.

Fight Club was an awesome movie! haha, very creative Troy!

Tony’s Honorable Mention #2 – Val

Gentleman. Appreciate the contest love this week. Its been great reading everyones storys of smoking and enjoying life and all the memories created by this wonderful hobby, scratch that, lifestyle we have chosen. Todays round is tough, like asking a father to pick which of his children is his favorite.
Tonys got seniority but Daniel has breathed fresh life into the site. Im sure Tony will attest that constantly coming up with fresh new content is a full time job for one man. Appreceiate the time you have put in for the benefit of your readers! You both have a great sense of humor and I have been compelled to start pairing my smokes with some really good beers and wines in large part because of you guys and being jealous about the flavors youre getting from your smokes that you havent picked up before and vice versa. You both have a gift for photography. Love the shots Tony comes away with and Daniel has stepped up the creativity with the “cigar in the tree” or the “cigar in the wrought iron fence” shot…. lol. More than anything I want to say thanks for your efforts. I cant imagine how much time you guys put into this site but I appreciate it very much and look forward to getting an email everyday saying there is a new post up on the site.
Gotta say thanks to Abe as well. Abe is great guy and a great advocate for all of us and this passion we share. He has built great relationships with cigar manufacturers and created some great blends with them. The Tat Anarchy was amazing and the Pardon SI was fantastic as well. Highly reccomend your readers catch his radio show on the weekend. Great interviews with all the stars of this industry.
In closing of this ass kissing bonanza…. In all seriousness. Thanks to you guys. Appreciate all you do. Look forward to the reviews and the love on twitter. The cigar community is bar none the greatest in all the world. The fact that a Canuck and a Cow Poke from TX like Tony can connect and appreciate one another and have a common ground out the gate is awesome. Happy anniversary! Looking forward to many more reviews.

Kissing butt doesn’t always pay off but this time it got you an honorable mention and almost a prize pack! haha. Thanks again for the awesome words Val!

Daniel’s Honorable Mention #1 – Josh

To be honest with you after this awesome contest I would spoon with either of you (or both) and I am an extremely heterosexual man. I put my vote in for Tony because he liked my photo from last week. Great site and contest, I have it bookmarked and will look often.

This one made me crack up, shows just how far a grown man will go to get some good cigars! HAHAHA, thanks for the laugh Josh, even though you chose Tony!

Daniel’s Honorable Mention #2 – Dan

Hmm..who do I like better…This sure is a tough one…
Tony “T-bags” Casas
Pros:
– His last name means “houses”
– Pairs his cigars with water because, “who cares!”
– Has a photo bombing pussy cat
Cons: See above
Daniel ‘DALAMLDADASMMOSUSESUISUSOsus.32120(sx)” T(nobody knows his last name”
Pros:
– CANADIAN
– Endless supply of beer glasses
– Grows a mean mustache
– Has a penchon for buggery
Cons:
– See pro #4
After careful deliberation for many hours…Drum roll please……………..*drum roll*
DT with a side order of TC, a tall glass of I&G and some rainbow ice cream on a waffle cone.

Not only do you have an awesome name, you also have some great creativity! lol Well done!

Now for our winner of the Smoke Inn Prizepack!

So here is our winner chosen by both of to ensure some fairness and unbiased winner! We actually battled over this one a bit since there were so many great comments.

Our big winner is Michael Constantine

In a society predicated on the basis “What have you done for me lately?” I am going to say I may dislike you both equally. “Why?” you may ask. Well I’ll tell you why. All your contests state that making a simple comment is all that is neccesary to win. However, all winning entries were elaborate and well thought out. Now, being that I am retarded in conveying my stories and thoughts onto paper, I thought to myself, “Wow!, a simple contest even a half witted (good looking and successful) dude like myself can win.” Every passing day my hopes and dreams for all dim wits alike were dashed as the apparent “young author” winners of my youth had struck once again. My stories are the funniest (Ortega D named after the recently deceased Heavy D) or the most polished. But damnit, how many of us BOL are? Imagination is not my strong suit but right now I will pretend to like Tony better because after all, he is supplying the winners info to Abe. Also I have read some of his reviews and his writing skills are on par with mine!

See Michael, whining works sometimes! haha. funny write up here, you had us both laughing! Enjoy the prize pack!

Congrats! Please email your name, and address to “casasfumando@gmail.com”. Thanks again to everyone who entered this contest and all the others we’ve been running. We had a great time with this and we hope you all did too!

The post A HUGE Thank You! (And Day #9 Winner!) appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

Now Miami Cigars has been a massive supporter of Casas Fumando and we have nothing but respect and appreciation for the great team over there. They have consistently pumped out some top rated cigars that everyone seems to enjoy, especially with the distribution rights to a cigar juggernaut such as La Aurora. Along with that awesome brand they also push well known brands such as the Nestor Miranda Collection, Don Lino, Tatiana, and Casa Miranda. Also, hats off to the company for picking up one of the sweetest, and down right greatest guys in the industy, Barry Stein. You may know him from his previous blog or his antics on twitter. Even before he was with Miami Cigars Barry has always lent a helping hand to us, and has continued to do so. Thanks bro!

Miami Cigars La Sirena

Miami cigars has also been one of the most active cigar companies in the social media world and even helped La Aurora create a brand new line based on requests from social media. That was the La Aurora 107 Lancero, and they even took the first few orders based on social media messages. It’s great to see some cigar companies jumping in feet first and taking advantage of these resources that allow them to reach far across the world.

We have a huge roundup of reviews from Miami Cigars brands, click here to see the search results from the Casas Fumando site.

Now Miami cigars once again provided their awesome support to us and included a wonderful prizepack for a lucky winner that will be chosen today! The prize they have given us is a FULL BOX OF LA SIRENA “A” (or Arielle) and some T-shirts. That is a full 9.25 inches of Connecticut Broadleaf goodness in each stick.

So now you ask, how do you become the lucky winner of this awesome prize? We’ll continue the easy entries with the simple task of adding a comment to the post below. Since Miami is a popular vacation desitnation let’s stick with the vacation theme…

To have us pick your winning comment, you have to tell us about one of your fondest vacation memories that is either embarrassing or a secret you don’t usually tell others. If you don’t have one, make one up! Be creative and interesting! Feel free to swap any of the embarrassed persons name for Tony’s name in your story! Extra points if you do! lol

Now onto the winner from yesterdays Ortega Serie D. giveaway!

We have a huge flurry of responses on yesterdays post, that was super awesome everyone! As per usual, let’s get to a few honorable mentions before announcing the winners.

Why not kick it off with the man who made today’s contest happen! MCCBarry – When Eddie went to Rocky Patel he secretly wed Nimish Desai, but the world of cigars would react much like Judas Priest when they found out Rob Halford was gay. So since he can’t change his last name to Eddie Desai he put the D on the band to announce his love for the man he wed

DaveFromPhilly – D stands for David. Eddie knew i’ve been buying Murcielago’s, 601 Blues and Reds in mass quantities so he wanted to dedicate his first solo cigar to me. If i were to make something up I’d say the D stands for Dainty, because Eddie lures in his enemies with trickery by using that Dainty smile of an Angel, only to suprise them with karate chops to the Adam’s Apple. But I can’t make something up when i know the truth. And the truth is that he dedicated his cigar to me.

And now onto the winners. We have 3 prizepacks to give away so here are the 3 winners of the Ortega Cigars Serie D. Sampler packs!

Winner #1 – irratebass – The “D” Stands for daring, in a daring attempt to jump ship from a productive/profitable and respected company and to venture out on his own. I was very pleased when I heard the Mr. Ortega was going to go out on his own….being a fan of the 601, Murciealago and Cubano cigars I couldn’t wait to see what was coming on the horizon. Congrats to you for bring so DARING and thank you for the smokes.

Winner #2 – Peter – D would have to stand for “Dominance”. Eddie has always dominated the cigar industry, with his good looks, his friendly composure, and of course, his blends. This is yet another dominating move put forth by Mr. Ortega, and for the price vs. Quality, this cigar will once again dominate the competition.

Winner #3 – Ben – The “D” symbolizes Daniel, EO’s oldest son. The next big release will be the Serie K, representing his other son Kristian, which, oddly enough, brings to the table a flavor profile strikingly similar to that fabled Kellogg’s cereal. The correlation, as Coco Puffs are Daniel’s favorite cereal, it seems natural that the dark and chocolately cigar would be labled the Serie D, and the rumored (as of now) Serie K has a much lighter, bran-ny looking wrapper, and weirdly enough, pairs well with strawberries…

Winners, please email your name, and address to “casasfumando@gmail.com”. Thanks again for every one who entered! Keep the entries coming!

The post Contest Day #7 – Miami Cigars (and Day #6 Winners!) appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

As you might be able to guess from the name of the cigar, this blend comes with a Corojo wrapper. The leaf is grown in Ecuador, and so is the binder. Now the interesting part of this blend is that the binder is a Sumatra leaf. Typically in the cigar world I see a lot of Corojo cigars packed with Ligero or Habano leaf which typically gives them a spicier appeal. The fact that a Sumatra leaf is used as the binder offers an interesting change of pace since these leaves tend to have sweet or creamy notes. We’ll have to see how that plays out.

The band on the La Aurora Corojo has the classic “La Aurora” Lion logo and text with second band that has “Corojo” text written near the bottom of the band. The second band mimics the exact same ones you can find on the La Aurora 1495 line (See my review of the La Aurora 1495 Connecticut). They seem to have a knack for creating nice clean bands, I seem to like them all.

It seems that there isn’t much history or interesting back stories to tell when it comes to this cigar. It was released during a busy year from La Aurora and around the same time that the Guillermo Leon Signature (Reviewed here) and Miami Cigars Nestor Miranda Art Deco (Reviewed here). That same year also saw the release of the La Aurora 107 which was a huge hit and fan favorite (We have a review of the 107 in Corona and Robusto available). So you can see how this cigar may have gotten missed on a lot of people’s radars. So did it stand up as another good release in the La Aurora line up? I guess you’ll have to read on to find out!

Cigar: La Aurora Corojo
Drink: Unibroue La Fin du Monde
Vitola: Robusto (5 x 50)
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Corojo
Binder: Ecuadorian Sumatra
Filler: Dominican and Nicaraguan
Price: About $6.00
Burn Time: Just over 1 hour

Construction:
• Now this is a fairly rugged looking cigar, the first thing I noticed was all the bumps it had along with a few medium sized veins
• Despite some roughness, there is a nice oily shine coming off the warm golden brown wrapper on the La Aurora Corojo
• The top of the cigar is finished with a neatly applied single cap
• The foot of the cigar is moderately packed with 2 small gaps in the filler
• There is plenty of spring to this cigar wen squeezed, especially near the cap
• My double bladed guillotine cutter made easy work of the cap with a smooth and even cut
• The draw is disappointingly open right now, very hard to get a good mouthful of smoke
• Within the first inch, the draw seemed to tighten up a bit to a comfortable point

Burn:
• Toasting of the foot took a little longer than expected, it just didn’t seem to want to catch
• Took a few more touch-ups near the beginning to get off and running evenly
• Had a wonky burn start after the first ash that required me to touch it up again, was burning only on half the cigar
• It seemed that I needed to re-light or touch up every time after I ashed, luckily it didn’t affect the flavors much

Smoke & Ash:
• The very open draw is making it hard to judge the smoke output here but after taking a few draws it seems to produce a nice thick smoke
• The initial ash is not exactly pretty since I had a few touch-ups here, it’s very dark grey/black and also quite uneven and flaking
• After the draw tightened up I was getting very nice thick mouthfuls of smoke with easy draws
• Since the initial ash was a little messy I decided to tap it off after about 1 inch to avoid it landing in my lap or on the floor
• The smoke seemed to get even thicker in the last half of the cigar, really coating your palate with all the interesting flavors

Tasting Notes:
• The wrapper on the La Aurora Corojo is fairly plain with just a minor cedar aroma and the slightest hint of spice
• The foot tells a much different story bring plenty of cedar and a sweet floral bouquet, very unique for a Corojo cigar
• The pre-light draws brings more cedar flavors along with more of the peppery spices,the sweet floral seems missing here now
• The first few draws seem to be a mostly creamy woodsiness, I’m not picking up any of the floral or spice so far
• The body is right in the low end of medium and the retrohale has a small bite with a smooth cedar finish
• After about an inch, some mild peppery spices started to creep in but they are balancing well and not overpowering anything
• As the La Aurora Corojo progresses, the spices are slowly gaining some prominence but are still balancing well with the smooth creamy woodsiness
• I’m picking up a sort of buttery flavor in there which is really tying everything together nicely
• The tasty mix of buttery, creamy, woodsy and spicy flavors continued right through in the last third
• The interesting mix of flavors and that awesome buttery finish continued into the nub and up until my fingers were burning
• There was very little harshness or bitterness to the nub, a great finish to a tasty cigar

Final Thoughts:
Even with some funky burn issues I found the La Aurora Corojo to be a tasty cigar and an enjoyable experience. The mix of flavors isn’t overly complex but they are balanced, enjoyable and flavorful. The burn issues definitely knocked it down a few points but they didn’t affect the flavor much so I still got to enjoy the cigar. The price on these is fair for the cigar that I got so I will likely be picking these up again in the near future. Perhaps the few I had were a bad batch in the burn department, could have also been the colder weather? The unique flavors on this one is what will bring me back for more!

Pairings:
Yes it’s another Unibroue beer. Why? Because everything they make is super awesome! The brew I picked out today is La Fin du Monde which seems to be their most popular and most widely available. I also paired this with the Arturo Fuente Hemingway Short Story not too long ago. As expected, this triple-fermented ale on lees delivers a TON of flavor. There is some fruitiness, malt, a bit ofa creamy undertone and it’s super smooth. Even at 9%alc./vol. this ale goes down with a perfect balance of flavors. I was a little concerned the Corojo was gonna be a bit spicy for this beer but it actually worked out wonderfully. The La Aurora Corojo blend was equally smooth and flavorful and balanced extremely well with this brew. I think a nice amber or blonde beer pair perfectly here, maybe even a cup of tea. There are a lot of good flavors in the cigar so I wouldn’t pick out anything too strong as a pairing.

The post La Aurora Corojo appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

Nestor Miranda is the founder of the Miami Cigars and Company and has recently started producing his own blends that come attached to his name. These include the Nestor Miranda Collection 1989, the newer Nestor Miranda Special Selection and the recent Casa Miranda. The Art Deco cigar also carries the Nestor Miranda blend and is currently sold in 3 vitolas, all of which are over 50 ring gauge.

The Art Deco is a joint effort effort between Nestor Miranda & José Pepin Garcia. I think we all know that Don Garcia is no stranger to success in the cigar industry and if he has a hand in the blending, you can usually be guaranteed it will be a quality cigar. The blend consists of 60% Nicaraguan Corojo 99 and 40% Dominican San Vicente, plus Dominican Criollo ’98 & Nicaraguan Habano 2000 binders rolled and triple-capped in dark, shimmering Nicaraguan Corojo ’06.

I actually picked up this cigar as part of a box set which included 4 Nestor Miranda Special Selection Ruky’s (2 Oscuro and 2 Rosado) along with an Art Deco. I’ve also enjoyed a few singles of the Robusto Grande vitola bought separately. I want to mention how awesome I think this band is. It’s so retro and different and the colors really pop. The cigars are also packaged in retro tins with the same neat design. But as they say, don’t judge a book by its cover! So I think that’s enough chatter, let’s get onto the review

Cigar: Nestor Miranda Art Deco
Drink: Unibroue Don De Dieu
Vitola: Robusto Grande (5.5 x 54)
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Corojo ’06
Binder: Dominican Criollo ’98 & Nicaraguan Habano ’00
Filler: Nicaraguan Corojo ’99 & Dominican San Vincente
Price: $8.50
Burn Time: 1.5 hours

Construction:
• This looks to be a wonderfully constructed cigar, very even in diameter with a dark golden brown wrapper
• The whole cigar is very firm when squeezed and has almost no bumps on the wrapper
• The head of the cigar is finished off with an extremely clean triple cap, it’s easy to see some extra care went into making this cigar
• The foot looks to be mostly well packed with a one gap that looks a bit under-filled
• The cut was fairly easy despite the firmness of the cigar
• The draw seems to be a bit more open than I’d typically like but it’s not terrible
• Seems that the draw tightened up a bit near the halfway mark making for a perfect draw each time

Burn:
• The cigar toasting was very easy with a short time frame to get the foot evenly glowing
• The initial burn was a bit wavy but it quickly corrected itself and started burning razor sharp after that
• Through the first half I have no complaints about the burn here, it’s still razor sharp and requires zero attention from me

Smoke & Ash:
• The smoke from each draw is fairly full but it’s actually not that thick in density
• The resting smoke here is almost non existent at times, it’s a very friendly cigar to have while non-smokers may be nearby
• The ash is starting off with a nice light gray color and looks to be tight and clean
• I’m getting some awesome striping on the ash and its staying clean and strong
• It lasted nearly 2 inches before making an awesome nosedive into the ashtray. A perfect 10 anyone???
• The next ash only lasted about an inch but it stayed clean and crisp and fell off easily into the ashtray

Tasting Notes:
• The wrapper on this cigar gives a strong earthy and barnyard aroma with a touch of cedar
• The aroma on the foot carries through with the earthy and cedar notes but adds in a slightly sweet spice, maybe of raw cinnamon
• The pre-light daw brings an interesting mix of sweet notes on top of the cedar, possibly some dried cherries
• Initial flavors are stong in the cedar department with that slightly dried cherry taste in there, very interesting!
• The cedar has stuck around through the first inch but the initial sweetness has tapered off a bit
• For the most part, the cigar has started off in the low end of the medium range with a small bite on the retrohale
• As I continue along, I’m getting a bit of leather and the initial earthy aromas are making an appearance in the flavor department now
• As I pass the halfway mark, the mix of cedar, leather and earth has me seeking a little something more. It’s not bad or harsh but I feel like there’s something missing since the sweetness disappeared…
• As the cigar continued I started getting a bit of the sweetness returning here and there along with some slight nuttiness
• The body is building ever so slowly in the last third, heading into the high medium range
• Some toasted nutty/almond flavors are making this last third a lot more interesting along with the dried cherry sweetness that keeps rearing it’s head here and there
• The nice final mixture of flavors stuck through to the nub with almost no harshness, a very nice finish

Final Thoughts:
As with all of the Miami Cigar offerings I seem to come into them with high hopes. They’ve had such a great track record recently that I only expect the best. The Nestor Miranda Art Deco is a well balanced cigar with a variety of flavors. The first and last 3rds of the cigar were interesting and kept me on my toes but the middle portion seemed to lack something. The burn was excellent the whole way through and overall construction was top notch. The price is also very reasonable so it’s something I would probably buy again, perhaps in the Coffee Break vitola (4.5 x 50). I think that size may be the sweet spot and keep the interesting flavors going from start to finish. If you like a good medium smoke with an interesting profile these are worth checking out.

Added note: I asked Tony his thoughts here and he’s only smoked the Coffee Break vitola and loved it. I’ve only had the Robusto Grande, so I think my guess that a smaller vitola would make this cigar great is probably a good guess!

Pairings:
So this beer comes with a funny sort of story.  I’ve done a few other reviews with Unibroue brews and always loved them, not to mention they are also Canadian which is a plus in my eyes!  Unfortunately, most of their brews are actually not even available for me to purchase cause of the ridiculous taxes and restrictions in my province. The brewery is only about a 5 hour drive away, but it’s in another province… So, I actually picked this bottle up in Florida. Yes, that’s right. I drove 1600 miles away from the brewery to actually buy it! I guess that speaks to the silliness of our taxes here! lol
Enough of my complaining, let’s move onto the actual beer. I had no idea what to expect from this as I’ve never had it before and the bottle doesn’t really explain what type of beer it is. The name of this beer, “Don De Dieu” literally translates to “Gift from God” so I figured it can’t be that bad!
After doing a bit of research, I found out this is a triple fermented wheat beer that is also unfiltered, giving it a cloudy appearance in the glass. The flavors in this brew are excellent, mixing a little bit of fruit, maybe some vanilla and very smooth malty finish. This is not your average wheat beer though, it packs in 9% ABV and the triple fermentation without filtration makes it feel a lot fuller bodied than you might expect. I found it to be an excellent pairing with the Nestor Miranda Art Deco as it offered up lots of interesting flavors. I think a fine tawny port would also be an excellent pairing here or perhaps keep it simple with a dark soda.

The post Nestor Miranda Art Deco Robusto Grande appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The scenery may look a bit different as I am actually doing this review from my favorite local shop, Tobacco Rd., which has always been a huge supporter of the site as well as a close friend. (Yes I brought my ashtray from home, so what?!)

The Good Stuff: Here is the press release La Aurora released. It basically covers everything to a tee:

La Aurora Unveils Broadway Series for New York State only

The Affordable Cigar Debuts Monday December 20 at Cigar Inn.

MIAMI FL – Miami Cigar & Company, the exclusive U.S. distributor for La Aurora, announces help is on the way for New York. Tobacconists are suffering under harsh tobacco tax of 75% of wholesale cost which prices many cigars out of the average smoker’s reach. La Aurora vice president Guillermo León says it is time for action to help smokers. As a result, León and Miami Cigar and Company President Nestor Miranda are releasing a special Broadway Series by La Aurora with a suggested retail price of $12.25 including the onerous NY state tobacco tax.

León says, “New York has always been special to me and my family. What has happened with the cigar taxes in New York is tragic. Since we cannot lower the taxes, we worked hard to lower the cost of this cigar without compromising quality. ” Adds Miranda, “we are beginning to try to help tobacconists with the Broadway series by La Aurora just in time for Christmas.”

On Monday, December 20th, Cigar Inn on Second Avenue in New York City will host Guillermo León , Nestor Miranda and Miami Cigar VP Rene Castaneda with a private dinner to launch the Broadway series. The initial cigar is a Sumo Toro, measuring 5 ¾ X 54. Its blend uses a double wrapper of Ecuadorian Sumatran and Nicaraguan over Dominican Corojo binder and fillers from the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua and Peru. The Broadway Series will only be available at tobacconists in New York state.

Prelight: The La Aurora Broadway is a larger, bulky cigar. A lot bigger that what I am used to, and probably larger than La Aurora is used to making. The Broadway is very firm and has a good weight to it too, heavy enough to beat the crap out of somebody with. The wrapper is oily and a darker, to medium brown with tons of orange spots throughout. The beefy body leads up to a big ass, rounded double cap. The construction on this cigar is remarkable. I can’t find any signs of flaws what so ever. There are a few smaller veins running through the cigar, and absolutely no soft spots. The band is, in my opinion, similar to the Guillermo Leon Signature series only with a New York style skyline in the background encrested with metallic silver, red, and black ink.

The wrapper’s aroma is very potent, kicking out a heavy earthy, woodsy scent. The foot tells a different story. A story full of spice and cinnamon. If the scent says anything about the cigar, this will be a very interesting cigar. The Broadway clipped very easily using my double bladed cutter. The cold draw let loose a very, very sweet cedar/tobacco mixture with just a dash of spice on the tail end of it.

An interesting note. After the first clip, there was still quite a ways to the secondary wrapper. You can see what I am talking about in this picture:

First Smoke: Right off the bat, the Broadway is a flavor machine producing a ton of natural and cedar-like flavors with hints of nutmeg and citrus. I wasn’t sure if the dual wrapper would produce, or reduce the flavor, but I am pretty sure I already know the answer to that. The draw isn’t as big as I thought it would be. It feels almost as if the cigar is trying to go out, but the smoldering ash at the foot of the cigar is telling me otherwise. A possibly fatal flaw to the dual wrapper set up is the thick, uncontrollable burnline. It was all sorts of crazy all the way through the first third. Tons of rotating waves, and rough patches. The ash left behind was a tightly bound medium grey ash, which held on for almost two inches before giving way.

Halfway There: Am I the only one pulling mint off this cigar? Really, I swear I’m getting whiffs of spearmint with every draw. The cedar and earth tones are still in full effect and plentiful. The citrus is actually even stronger in the second third and there is this slight creamy taste being introduced. On a happy note, the draw has opened right up and is now pumping out the massive cloud of thick smoke I expected from the beginning of the Broadway. The cigar is still burning all crazy, but I haven’t had to touch it up or relight it so it’s not a burden at all at this point. The retrohale as just as smooth as the rest of the experience priming my nasal passage with a very creamy cedar and spice.

Finish: One word to describe this cigar… Smooth. The flavors finished off very smooth and creamy. Almost like a heavily creamered coffee with bursts of cedar and citrus and spice aftertaste. No harshness at all.  Tons of flavor. I didn’t feel much, if any nicotine from this cigar. The burnline is still crazy. The only thing that got me was the draw. I had to really hit this thing thing hard and often (that’s what she said) in order to keep it lit. Even at that it went out twice in the final third. Nothing too menacing, but both samples I smoked had similar issues. The first sample went out in the first third.

Overview: La Aurora has been on fire lately, kicking out hit after hit. The Broadway, although limited to the New York area, follows the exact same trend. If this has anything to say about 2011 then La Aurora is poised for yet another powerful year. The all around smooth experience paired with the massively potent and complex flavors makes for an excellent everyday smoke. The only con was the burn. I blame that one the dual wrapper. But I also place the blame on the wrapper set up for the flavors. It’s a double-edged sword. If you don’t mind retouching your cigars or the occasional relight, then this cigar is for you. $12 is a bit pricey for this cigar. In all honesty I’m not sure that I’d choose this cigar over something like La Aurora’s 107 which carries just above half the price tag.

The post La Aurora Broadway Series (New York Exclusive) appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The La Aurora factory has recently released this new line called Guillermo Leon. The Leon family business, Grupo Leon Jimenes, has been around for over 100 years and La Aurora is one of the many companies under its umbrella. Guillermo had his hand in creating this blend and was out to create something that is complex and a bit stronger then some of their other offerings but still brings lots of flavor to the table. The Guillermo Leon line is also the first cigar by La Aurora which is made with two binders.

The two binders in this cigar both have a specific purpose. The Cameroon binder offers a smooth sweet creaminess to the blend while the Dominican Corojo offers some spice and strength. The concept is interesting and I’m excited to see how they blend together as I smoke it. The Guillermo Leon line is currently available in Corona, Gran Corona, Belicoso and Gran Toro. They were recently released in mid-October 2010 and should be in your local shop already or arriving very soon. Today’s review will look at Belicoso vitola as I sit outside on a chilly afternoon.

Cigar: Guillermo Leon
Drink: Graham’s Late Bottled Vintage Tawny Port (2005)
Vitola: Belicoso (6.25 x 52)
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano Vuetta Arriba
Binder: Cameroon & Dominican Corojo
Filler: Peru, Dominican Republic, Brazil, Nicaragua
Price: MSRP of about $8.50
Burn Time: 1.5 hours

Construction:
• A soft cinnamon brown colored wrapper holds this cigar together
• The wrapper has some bumpiness to as well as some medium sized veins, none appear to be a potential problem though
• The cigar is firm but springy and consistent the whole way through
• The foot appears fairly well packed but not overly filled
• The cap is amazingly clean, almost impossible to see unless you really examine it
• Cutting was easy and effortless, I started with a small cut and got plenty of draw, so make sure not to over-cut on this vitola
• Got a bit of tar build-up that I commonly see with tapered heads, I cut off a bit more and problem was solved. I think my initial cut was too small

Burn:
• Toasting was a bit slow but still produced a nice evenly glowing foot
• The burn started out by creating a bit of a peninsula but it quickly corrected itself without my help
• Past the half-way mark and I’ve had no issues with the burn
• The cigar stayed lit with very little effort and allowed me to enjoy slowly
• A couple minor corrections were needed near the end

Smoke & Ash:
• First few draws are producing a ton of smoke
• The cigar gives off a moderate amount of resting smoke which gives off a nice cedar aroma
• Ash is a bit wavy and rigid but appears fairly strong
• The color of the ash is a bit on the darker side, leaving alternating lines of light and dark grey
• Ash held on just past an inch before being gently tapped off into the ashtray
• This cigar was a smoke machine the whole way through, never letting down and always producing a nice aroma

Tasting Notes:
• The wrapper has a soft cedar aroma on it, very light and pleasant
• The foot has more cedar aroma but is complimented but a fruity sweetness and a touch of spice
• The pre-light draw brings a mixture of interesting spices, I’m getting some pepper, nutmeg and a bit of cloves paired with a smooth cedar
• Initial draws bring more cedar, the same interesting spice mix and now I’m getting a flavor of freshly baked bread, starting out great so far
• The spices are slowly settling down and balancing nicely with the cedar and toasted bread flavors
• The body started in the low end of the medium range and is holding steady so far
• Retrohale is very smooth, there is no bite but has a great creamy finish
• As the cigar progresses near to the half way mark the creaminess from the Cameroon binder starts to become more apparent giving the cigar a very tasty finish
• Past the halfway mark and the spices are coming back a bit, mixing nicely with the new creaminess
• As the cigar progresses I can feel the body ramping up a bit but it’s so smooth you can almost barely tell
• The retrohale has developed a small bite now but still has that great smooth finish
• The flavors balanced excellent right up to the end giving a nice variety but blended into a smooth experience

Final Thoughts:
This cigar was right up my alley, it had a fantastic blend of flavors, body, construction, smoothness and balance. Even before you light it, the Guillermo Leon had a great aroma on it that just drew you right in. The cigar started off with a burst of various spices and the balanced out nicely with the cedar and toasted bread. The finish on this cigar never disappointed. It also never left my palate dry. The sweetness and creaminess from the Cameroon binder and the strength from the Corojo binder really showed through and I think they achieved their goal with this dual binder creation. I enjoyed every bit of this cigar and the flavors changed just enough to keep me interested the whole way through. The MSRP prices fall just below the $10 mark. Some people may see this as a bit high, especially when taxes are mixed in, but I think they are worth their cost. The body may be a bit much for a new smoker but are definitely worth a try. I will be looking for more of these, I’m especially interested in trying the corona vitola. Give them a try and let me know what you think.

Pairings:
I’ve paired Tawny port with a variety of cigars and I always find it pairs best with something that has a bit of body and spice to it. This pairing didn’t disappoint at all. The berry, oaky and tart flavors of the Grahams Late Bottled Vintage Tawny Port from 2005 was just right. The price of the bottle is also very accessible and offers lots of flavors. This is a good starting point if you’re interested in trying out some Tawny Port. Some other good pairings would include scotch, coffee or a dark soda.

The post Guillermo Leon Belicoso appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

Nestor Miranda is the founder of Miami Cigar & Company who started off his business by importing and distributing cigars to the United States. The company is family run and was first established in 1989. As you can guess, this is where the name of today’s reviewed cigar come from.

Apart from the brands that Miami Cigar & Company imports and distributes, they have also developed a few of their own lines such as Tatiana flavored cigars, Don Lino, Habanito, and the Nestor Miranda Collection. The Nestor Miranda Collection currently consists of 3 cigars, the Special Selection, Dominicano and the 1989.

As mentioned, the 1989 commemorates the year that Miami Cigar & Company opened their business. This particular cigar is produced in the My Father Cigars factory in Esteli, Nicaragua. If you’ve ever had any of the My Father cigars you will know that this factory is known to produce some great cigars and great quality.

Cigar: Nestor Miranda Collection 1989
Drink: Waterloo Brewing Co. Dark Ale
Vitola: Belicoso (6.125 x 52)
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Habano Rosado
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nigaraguan and Honduran
Price: $4.50
Burn Time: 1.75 hours

Construction:
• Fairly dark almond brown colored wrapper with a touch of oiliness
• Has a few medium sized veins running along the wrapper but none seem big enough to pose any problems
• The tapered cape is excellently applied with clean edges
• The cigar has a fairly soft feel to it, giving quite a bit under a light squeeze
• The foot appears to have some open gaps in the filler, not under-filled but not tightly packed either
• The cut was effortless and clean
• Only needed a small cut, any more and I fear this could have had a very open draw. As it stands now my draw is perfect with a small cut

Burn:
• Toasting was even, easy and slow, lit up perfectly
• Burn has started off somewhat wavy despite a nice toasting, we’ll keep an eye that as it progresses
• Although the burn is continuing to be slightly wavy it’s not getting worse and is keeping within good burn range
• Around the half-way mark the waviness finally strayed a bit too far and needed a minor correction

Smoke & Ash:
• Initial draws give off a comfortably moderate amount of smoke
• Quite a bit of resting smoke from this cigar, giving off a spicy cedar aroma
• Ash appears a little bumpy but seems fairly strong and no flaking
• A nice light grey color on the ash, very consistent and clean
• Ash fell off just past the 1 inch mark, almost into my lap so be sure to tap this one a bit early

Tasting Notes:
• The wrapper gives off a mostly sweet cedar aroma
• The foot has a peppery and nutmeg type spice aroma to it with some earthy notes
• More pepper on the pre-light draw with some hints of cedar
• Initial draws have a nice pepper kick to them with a smooth cedar finish
• Retrohale also have a peppery bite and still that same smooth cedar finish
• This cigar seems to be starting out in the mild/medium range
• The pepper seems to be slowly mellowing out as my draws progress, the cedar is starting to shine through a bit more and I’m picking up some nutty and earthy notes
• As I pass the half-way mark, the pepper is lightly in the background and the nutmeg has made another appearance on top of the cedar and earthiness
• The body hasn’t changed much as I come up to the last 3rd, maybe just up into the medium category and the retrohale hasn’t changed much
• The last bit of the cigar finished smooth and flavorful and I actually found the body mellowed out a bit near the nub

Final Thoughts:
This was a nice Medium bodied and easy smoking cigar. It had some interesting spicy and earthy notes paired with a nice smooth cedar backing throughout the smoke. There was a good amount of smoke, the burn was fairly smooth with just one small correction, and the ash was nice and consistent. This is definitely worth trying, especially if your a fan of some peppery notes without it being over powering. I found the finish to be a high point of this cigar with it mellowing out and the flavors mixing together smoothly and enjoyable.

Pairings:
Today’s pairing was a Dark Ale offering from a brewery not far from me called Waterloo Brewing Co. This is a tasty Dark Ale but it’s not too bold or strong. I found it to be smooth and tasty. I also paired this beer with the A. Fernandez Signature Series recently, check out the review to read more about the pairing.
With this specific pairing I found the Dark Ale to be a bit light for the peppery notes on this cigar. I think it would have paired much better with a stout or porter if I wanted to stick with beers. Other good pairings could have been Scotch, Port, a strong coffee or some dark soda.

I had another Nestor Miranda Collection 1989 with Grahams LBV Tawny Port after writing this review and it paired perfectly, a nice counter-balance with the pepper and spice notes.

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Miami Cigar & Company is a distributor of some fantastic cigars and has given us such names as Leon Jimenes, La Aurora, Nestor Miranda and Don Lino. Make sure to visit their website and read more about their products and the company at: www.MiamiCigarandCompany.com. Not long ago they ventured into creating their own house blend cigar which turned into the Calibre 58 creations.

These new cigars were graciously sent to us from our friends over at Miami Cigar & Company. The Calibre 58 is offered in two sizes and two different wrappers. The sizes they created were non-standard but offer something different to the cigar enthusiast in us. The two shapes are what resembles a Short Churchill and a Short Torpedo, both measuring in with a 58 ring gauge. The wrappers offered for the Calibre 58 are a Nicaraguan Rosado and Oscuro.

Up for review today is the Short Churchill version of the Calibre 58 wrapped in the Nicaraguan Rosado wrapper. There’s a couple things to note about this cigar. Firstly, this is a Nicaraguan Puro, which means all the tobacco leaves used come from the country of Nicaragua. Secondly, this is a pre-release version which means that future releases could see some differences such as the addition of bands or slight changes in the blend.

Cigar: Miami Cigar & Company Calibre 58
Drink: Quinta de Infantado Tawny Port (2004)
Vitola: Short Churchill (4 x 58)
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Rosado
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Price: Around $5-6
Burn Time: 1 Hour

Construction:
• Very even diameter throughout the length of the cigar
• A couple prominent veins but none seem big enough to cause any burn problems
• Fairly firm from end to end with just a tiny bit of spring
• Very cleanly applied triple cap
• The foot appears to be very well packed
• The large ring gauge just fit barely into by double blade cutter but it did cut nice and clean, you might need scissors or a punch cutter if your guillotine style doesn’t fit large ring gauges
• A small crack formed near the head but it never caused any problems

Burn:
• Toasting took a fairly long amount of time but it did toast up nice and evenly with no dark spots
• Burning very slowly, needs a few extra draws to stay lit but nothing overwhelming
• Burn has been fairly even through the first inch although it did require one minor touch up
• Almost went out near the halfway point, needing a little more attention now
• Some more touch-ups as the cigar burns, I seem to have this problem a lot with large ring gauge cigar, possibly because I smoke them very slowly when reviewing

Smoke & Ash:
• Lots of smoke right off the first draw
• Moderate amount of resting smoke giving off a nice woodsy aroma
• Ash appears extremely strong in the first inch of the cigar with no flaking
• First ash fell off at about 1.5 inches, it probably could have held on longer if it wasn’t for some touch-ups

Tasting Notes:
• Wrapper aroma is mostly cedar with some hints of earthiness
• The foot brings more cedar and a sweet nutmeg type spice
• Pre-light draw has more cedar and some pepper mixed in with the nutmeg spice
• Initial draws bring flavors or toasted wood and some peppery spice
• Retrohale starting off with lots of cedar and a smooth spicy finish, just a small bit of kick
• About 1 inch in some of the nutmeg spice is making a more prominent appearance and the pepper has settled down, just getting minor hints of it here and there
• Some added earthiness is joining the flavor mix, they all seem to be well balanced so far
• Passing the halfway mark there is some creaminess being added to the mix and despite the touchups there has been little to no harshness
• Body started off a bit mild and has slowly made it’s way up to medium
• The creaminess also added itself to the finish of the retrohale, nice and smooth and the bite has gotten a little more aggressive
• Body definitely picking up as I approach the last inch, also feeling a bit of nicotine kick, surprising for this short vitola cigar
• Used a toothpick near the end to maximize nubbing since there was very little harshness

Final Thoughts:
I enjoyed this cigar and I think most people would. It had some peppery spice at the start and end but not a very in-your-face type of pepper that usually turns me away. It was fairly balanced throughout and had a fair bit of dimensionality considering it’s shorter length. It does kick into full gear near the end so novice smokers may need to be careful here. A good drink is key here, something with some sugar in it will help reduce to nicotine kick you get. The burn required some touchups but it was never major, just make sure to keep some constant draws and it should burn no problem. For the price it’s worth picking up a few of these and trying them out. I’m curious to see if they change the blend at all on the official release but I’ll try another one when they come out regardless.

Pairings:
I finished off my last bottle of Quinta de Infantado Tawny Port with this cigar. You can read more about this port from this review of the Tatuaje Verocu Red Tubo. This paired very well with this cigar. I find that the sugar in port helps reduce any nicotine kick in stronger cigars. The oaky flavors also matched nicely with the cedar/woodsy notes and the spicy notes in this cigar. A good porter/stout, sweet tea or a dark soda would also pair nicely here.

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Getting back to my story, Jose sent me an invitation to attend an exclusive seminar he was hosting. I was leaving for my vacation the next morning and hadn’t even packed yet but I couldn’t miss out on the opportunity. Jose took us through the process of how they choose the blends for a cigar and explained a lot of the processes involved as well as what to look for when you are smoking a cigar. Aside from being a great person, he is also very knowledgeable and very willing to share all of his knowledge. It was a wonderful experience and on-top of the exclusive invitation he also gifted me with a few La Aurora cigars, including the one being reviewed today, the yet-to-be release 107 Corona.

The La Aurora 107 was created to commemorate the La Aurora company’s 107 years in business. The factory was opened in 1903 by Don Eduardo León Jimenes near Santiago, Dominican Republic. The company has remained family owned and is now under the watchful eye of Mr. Guillermo León, a fifth-generation León. The factory is also home to León Jimenes line of cigars. You can read more about the company on their main website, http://laaurora.com.do

The La Aurora brand is distributed by Miami Cigar & Company in the United States. Their headquarters is in, you guessed it, Miami, Florida. Miami Cigar represents a variety of brands and has ben happily working with La Aurora for over 20 years. You can read about the press release for the La Aurora 107 on the review that Tony wrote on the La Aurora 107 Robusto. You can also follow Miami Cigar & Company on twitter: @MiamiCigar

The La Aurora 107 is currently available in 3 vitolas, Belicoso, Toro and Robusto. The Corona vitola should be hitting shelves soon so keep your eyes open. The cigar has a nice blend of leaves and promises to be a complex cigar without crossing into the full-bodied category, making it an all-around good smoke for anyone. Check out Tony’s review of the La Aurora 107 Robusto vitola and then compare the notes and see how our opinions differ.

There has also been chatter about a Lancero vitola coming soon for the 107 line although there is no definite timelines. I think this would be a fantastic addition. The Corona size really brought out the lively flavors of the wrapper and I think the Lancero would make them pop even more. Keep your eyes peeled for more information on this…

Cigar: La Aurora Serie Anniversario 107
Drink: Havana Club Silvery Dry Rum on the rocks
Vitola: Corona
Wrapper: Sun Grown Equador
Binder: Dominican Republic
Filler: Dominican Republic & Nicaragua
Price: Gifted by Jose Blanco (@joseblanco809).
Burn Time: 1.5 Hours

Construction:
• Even diameter throughout the length
• No major veins on the wrapper to be seen
• Has a fair bit of softness and a good spring to it
• Nice and clean triple cap
• Foot looks well packed, one small hole in the center
• Wrapper has a nice golden brown color to it with just a bit of oiliness
• Cut was very clean
• Great draw, just enough resistance
• Band slid off easily with no damage to the wrapper

Burn:
• Toasting was nice and even with no dark spots
• These seem to have great burn, always nice and even with a razor sharp edge
• No need to baby-sit this cigar, allows you to enjoy it nice and slowly with no extra draws
• I did not have to touch-up or purge this cigar at all, a great experience through and through.

Smoke & Ash:
• Lots of smoke right off the bat, fills your mouth nicely
• Moderate amount of resting smoke that has a nice woodsy aroma to it
• Ash appears strong and steady for the most part, no flaking
• Ash fell off nicely into the ashtray just short of an inch, Id say that’s just about perfect for this vitola
• The following ashes continued to fall calmly into the ashtray making this an effortless experience

Tasting Notes:
• Wrapper aroma is fairly woodsy and earthy with a touch of spice
• Foot aroma has some woodsy to it but is dominated by a mix of fruity and citrus notes, very appealing
• Pre-light draw gives flavors of earthiness, woodsiness, spice and a bit of floral
• Initial draws are very woodsy with some slightly spicy undertones
• Each of these that I’ve smoked have had a great retrohale right from the start, it starts with a small bite and a smooth floral finish
• Body has been mostly mild for the first couple of inches
• As I approach the half-way mark a nice spice has begun making it’s appearance and the retrohale is now getting the fruity notes added to the floral notes, a great touch!
• The body is slowly increasing into the medium range as the cigar burns on
• The cigar has been nice and smooth throughout, no dryness or harshness as I approach the last 2 inches
• I’m really enjoying the contrast in flavors between the regular draw and the retrohale, it’s almost like smoking two different cigars
• Nearing the end, I’m picking up a nice tart-like citrus flavor. This is something I didn’t expect so close to the nub, another nice touch
• The body was dancing on the edge of medium-full, making this a perfect smoke for me with lots of flavor
• No real harshness all the way down to the nub and most of the flavors stuck around to the end

Final Thoughts:
Yet another great cigar added to my list and to my must-try recommendations. I found this cigar to have a nice unique flavor profile that I don’t find too often in other cigars. La Aurora has some fairly expensive offerings in it’s inventory, thankfully this is not one of them. The price is very fair actually and you get a great smoke on all levels, multi-dimensional flavor, solid construction, perfect burn and overall wonderful enjoyment. The body was also in the mild-medium range which can make it a great go-to smoke for any time of day and any level experience of smoker. I’ve had the chance to try the Robusto and Toro sizes as well and although they were all enjoyable I found the flavors in the Corona vitola to jump the most. This is another cigar that really gives a great retrohale and I’ve been doing that more often then usual. I think you’ll be missing a fine point to this cigar if you don’t retrohale. Even if you don’t retrohale though, this cigar still has some great flavors throughout.

If you haven’t had the chance to try a La Aurora 107 yet, definitely give it a go. If they don’t have the Corona vitola in stock yet, try one of the other vitolas as they were all top-notch smokes. Thanks again to Jose Blanco ((@joseblanco809)) for giving me the chance to try this great cigar, I will definitely be seeking out more of these in the near future.

Pairings:
I still haven’t stocked up the beer fridge yet so I decided to keep going on with the Havana Club Rum on the rocks. As I mentioned before, it’s a well priced Rum with some good flavors. It actually made a good pairing for the floral and fruity notes in this cigar. I think Port would have also made a great pairing here. Some other suggestions would include coffee, a dark lager or some sweet tea.

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