The Platinum Nova Mirage is one many core product line offering from Platinum Nova Cigars that hit the cigar scene a few years ago. The premium cigars produced by the company are a reflection of the company owner’s grandfather as they note in their website:
“The Platinum Nova Cigar series is the creation of a lifetime. Our Brand represents a promise to our Grandfather’s decades of meticulous teachings on how to create a premium quality cigar while implementing the highest standards. Every Platinum Nova Cigar carries the personal family touch that makes it one of the world’s finest in any sense. We are an Ultra-Premium limited edition Cigar Brand and Factory located in Palm Beach, Florida; one of the most exclusive areas in the country.”
As for the Platinum Nova Mirage, it is stocky (6 x 60) Toro Gordo that has a blend described as:
- Wrapper – Ecuadorian Sumatra
- Binder – Piloto
- Filler – Dominican
The Platinum Nova Mirage comes packaged in 12-count boxes and carries an MSRP of $18.00. They are produced at the company’s Nova Cigars S.A factory in the Dominican Republic.
Pre-Light Examination
The Platinum Nova Mirage is a beautifully constructed Toro Gordo with a medium tan wrapper that has a fine oily sheen and a few noticeable veins It is solidly packed and firm from head to foot. A well applied double cap finishes the presentation.
The cigar is adorned with two bands. Both bands use a light aqua, black, and silver motif. The primary band proudly displays the Platinum Nova Cigars logo that is in of itself a classy band. Directly below, the secondary band defines this as the “Mirage.”
As I ran the barrel along the nose I detected a naturally sweet fermented tobacco note with a hint of cedar while the foot presented sweetness and nut notes.
I sliced the cap straight across the shoulder and proceeded to give the Mirage a few cold draw puffs that I found to be just fine in restrictions and offered notes of light peppery spice, a hint of cedar and touch of sweetness as you continue to cold puff on it. This is one of those cigars you want to cold puff a little while to appreciate the aged leaf in the blend.
After a some cold puffing, I decided it was time to fire it up and start the journey. I used my double flame torch to warm the foot drawing in to bring the foot to an even orange glow. The first notes to greet the palate were pepper and cedar. Follow along as I burn the Mirage to ash.
Cigar Review Notes
- Cedar and light peppery spice to start
- Natural sweetness joins the mix early
- Solid white ash forms on top of an even medium thick char line
- Vanilla cream add to the pleasure
- Ash fell after an inch of burn revealing a well formed burn cone
- Caramel nougat finishes the first third
- Dry fruit notes moving into second third
- Slight wave in burn in burn
- Spice increases with a nuance of cashew
- Slight bitterness moving into final third
- Mild to Medium in Strength
- Total Smoking Time was 2 hours and 5 minutes
Final Analysis
The Platinum Nova Mirage is a chubby long smoke of a cigar that offered a pleasant full body array of complex flavor throughout the journey. I especially enjoyed the notes of vanilla cream and caramel nougat that carried me through the first third of the cigar. The natural sweetness of the wrapper presented a solid core for each puff. The flavors were well balanced through a good two thirds of the cigar but did develop a slight bitterness entering the final third. This a cigar I would enjoy with my morning coffee to start the day. From a construction perspective, the burn was fairly spot on but did develop a wave deep in the second third. With over two hours of smoking time I would consider picking up a few of these and I rate it a 93. You can get a 15% discount on your purchase of this or any Platinum Nova Cigar by using the code Bostonjimmie15 on their website.
Point Deductions: (-1) Wave in Burn; (-1) Slight Bitterness in Final Third
Bonus Points: (+1) Complex Profile
