Originally released tot he market in 2006, the Nestor Miranda Special Selection was taken off the market in 2014 a part of an overhaul and branding refresh. Five years later, Nestor and his Miami Cigar & Co. team re-introduced the blend in 2019 as part of the company’s 30th anniversary, and I for one, am glad they did.
Still hand crafted, at the My Father Cigars factory in Estelí, Nicaragua – the Nestor Miranda Special Selection has a blend described as:
- Wrapper – Nicaraguan Habano
- Binder – Nicaraguan Criollo ’98
- Filler -Nicaraguan (Estelí, Condega, Jalapa)
The Nestor Miranda Special Selection is expressed in 3 vitolas, each packaged in 20-count wood boxes:
- Coffee Break (4.5 x 50) MSRP $6.95
- Gran Toro (6 x 60) MSRP $7.95
- Toro (5.5 x 54) MSRP $7.50
For this review, I sampled the Nestor Miranda Special Selection Coffee Break, which I received as part of the collection at the 2020 Great Smoke event by Smoke Inn.
Pre-Light Examination
The Nestor Miranda Special Selection Coffee Break, is a beautiful silky smooth dark brown cigar that is expertly capped. Small in stature it is inviting to look. It has a few veins and is solidly packed from head to foot.
Two bands adorn the cigar. The primary band uses a copper, brown, white, and red motif. The name Special Collection is boldly printed in copper on a brown background and Nestor’s signature printed in red on a white background.
Running the Coffee Break along the nose, I picked up an enticing baking spice along the barrel while the foot was even more interesting with notes of chocolate and nut.
I sliced the cap straight across the shoulder and took some cold puffs that had a decent restriction and offers a pleasant nut with a growing pepper on the lips.
My double flame torch did the trick for warming the foot and getting it ready to draw in the first puffs of peppery zing on the nasals. Follow along as I turn this one to ash!
Cigar Review Notes
- Starts off with a peppery zing to the nasals
- Smoke is full and thick with a fine draw
- Light grey ash on a medium thick char line develops
- Light floral notes enter as the pepper recedes
- Floral note morphs into a growing fruit note with a natural tobacco sweetness forming in the background
- Slight jag develops in the burn
- Ash falls in a small chunk revealing a flat but centered burn cone
- Cinnamon notes join the mix
- Off burn develops deep in the second third
- Cream and coffee notes
- Mild touch up fixed the burn
- Ash got bit flaky
- Nut and sweetness completes the journey
- Medium to Full in strength
- Total Smoking Time was 1 hour and 10 Minutes
Overall, I found the Nestor Miranda Special Selection Coffee Break to be a pleasant short smoke that offered a bundle of flavor notes from foot to nub. It did develop a jagged burn and eventually a small off burn that required a touch-up. These are worth picking up a 5 pack for sure and I look forward to trying the larger vitolas. I rate this a 90.
Point Deductions: (-1) Jagged Burn; (-1) Off Burn; (-1) Flaky Ash; (-1) Flat Burn Cone
