 |
| Casa Fernandez Miami – Petit Robusto |
As this web-site has evolved, there are some brands that still have not gotten any assessments. One such brand is Casa Fernandez. There has been a little confusion about the cigar I will assess here – Casa Fernandez’s Miami cigar. This is not a new cigar, but a re-branding of their core cigar, the Casa Fernandez. Recently, Tabacalera Tropical relocated the operations for the Casa Fernandez brand to Miami, Florida. To reflect this change, the core Casa Fernandez cigar has been renamed the Casa Fernandez Miami. The blend remains exactly the same The confusion has come in that at IPCPR 2011, Casa Fernandez did release a new cigar called the Casa Fernandez Miami Reserva. This is a different blend highlighted by the inclusion of four year old Nicaraguan medio tiempo in the blend. In this assessment, I will highlight the renamed core blend – the Casa Fernandez Miami. This is a cigar that proved to be a nice surprise to me, and provided an unexpected punch.
Casa Fernandez might not be a name a lot of folks have heard of, but the cigars are slowly gaining a following. The company is run by founder Eduardo Fernandez and his cousin, Paul Palmer. Most notably, team Casa Fernandez was involved with blending Dion Giolito’s Illusione and Cruzado brands – and as many know, these cigars have an enormous following.
Let’s take a closer look at the particulars involving the Casa Fernandez Miami.
Blend Profile
The Casa Fernandez Miami is an all-Nicaraguan puro:
Wrapper: Nicaragua
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
In regards to the tobaccos, the following information is on the Casa Fernandez web-site in regards to this: “Is a 100% Nicaraguan puro utilizing a variety of Authentic Cuban seeds and ‘AA’ Tobacco leaf from Aganorsa. The cigar’s blend is comprised of Medio Tiempo Maduro, Ligero, and Viso from specific Aganorsa Tobacco farms in Jalapa Valley, Condega Valley, and Esteli in Nicaragua. “
Vitolas Available
There are currently three vitolas available:
Petit Robusto: 4 1/2 x 52
Torpedo: 6 1/4 x 52
Toro: 6 1/2 x 52
Preparation for the Cigar Experience
For this cigar experience, I opted to go with the Petit Robusto. I placed a straight cut into the cap and immediately started with the pre-light draw. The pre-light draw was very good – it provided notes of caramel, wood, and a hint of cedar. After finishing the pre-light experience, I fired up the Casa Fernandez Miami with my jet torch.
Flavor Profile
The initial draws from the Casa Fernandez Miami gave me notes of pepper and wood. I also detected the cedar notes from the pre-light draw. These cedar notes had more sweet undertones as opposed to spice. I also detected some notes of caramel as well. The cedar sweetness eventually would become the primary flavor note. The caramel played more of a secondary role while the pepper and wood notes were more in the background.
Throughout most of the first half of the smoking experience, the cedar and caramel alternated in terms of intensity. By the midway point, I definitely detected strong hints of pepper through the nostrils. As the Casa Fernandez progressed into the second half, the spice soon re-emerged on the tongue The spice became the primary flavor note in the last third. This cigar had a real kick at the end – especially with the spice. The finish was definitely spicy, but not harsh. The nub was a little less than ideal – it was soft and warm.
Burn and Draw
If this cigar had its weak point, it was a less than ideal burn. This cigar required many touch-ups. While it burned at an ideal rate, it did seem to burn a little hot. While this burn was less than ideal, I was still surprised this cigar gave me good flavor. It made me think that the Casa Fernandez Miami might even have better flavor if the burn was better. There were no issues with the draw – this was solid.
Strength and Body
I did not know much about this cigar before I starting sampling it. I was very surprised what a punch this cigar packed. It was full in terms of nicotine from the start and I felt got stronger as the cigar progressed. From a body standpoint, there was plenty of depth to the flavor notes – easily landing on the full area on the spectrum for body.
Final Thoughts
I still have to smoke a little more of the Casa Fernandez Miami Reserva, but I would actually say I prefer the core lin Casa Fernandez Miami that I smoked here. The only downside was the burn. With a cigar being a hand-made instrument, I am certainly willing to try it again and see if the burn was better. This cigar is probably too much cigar for the novice cigar enthusiast. Experienced cigar enthusiasts – and those who like Nicaraguan puros will enjoy this. Overall, the Casa Fernandez Miami is a cigar I would smoke again.
Summary
Burn: Fair
Draw: Excellent
Complexity: Medium
Strength: Full
Body: Full
Assessment: Nice to Have
Source: The cigar for this assessment was given to me by an authorized representative of Casa Fernandez cigars. This request was initiated by the representative in order to provide feedback. In no way does this influence the assessment provided here.
