Nestor Miranda Special Selection Connecticut

The Nestor Miranda Special Selection Connecticut was one of several new cigars launched by Miami Cigar and Company and the 2012 IPCPR.  The Special Selection Connecticut puts an Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade wrapper on the popular Nestor Miranda Special Selection blend.  For the past two years, there has been a big industry trend toward Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade cigars.  The big question would be, how would the Nestor Miranda Special Selection stand up with so many Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade wrapper cigars in the marketplace?   After smoking this blend, I’m confident to say that this cigar holds its own against some deep competition.

A few years ago, Miami Cigar and Company launched the Nestor Miranda Special Selection line.  These were the first cigars by the company to have company president Nestor Miranda’s name on the brand.  The cigars were made by the Garcia (My Father Cigars) family in Esteli, Nicaragua.  The original Nestor Miranda Special Selection line had two wrapper options: a Nicaraguan Habano Rosado and a Nicaraguan Habano Oscuro.  Rosado and Oscuro wrappers have been staples of the Garcia family for some time. Lately, we are seeing more Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade options from the Garcias.

Let’s break down the Nestor Miranda Special Selection Connecticut and see what this cigar delivers:

Blend Profile

The Nestor Miranda Special Selection Connecticut is a blend consisting of tobaccos from four countries.  The binder and filler are similar to the Nestor Miranda Special Selection Rosado and Oscuro options.

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Honduran, Nicaraguan, Dominican

Vitolas Available

At this time, the Nestor Miranda Special Connecticut will be available in four sizes:

Coffee Break: 4 1/2 x 50
Robusto: 5 1/2 x 54
Piramides: 6 1/4 x 52
Gran Toro: 6 x 60

Appearance

For this cigar experience, I selected the Coffee Break (petit Robusto) vitola. The Nestor Miranda Special Selection Connecticut Coffee Break has a light brown color complexion, with a few dark spots.  The wrapper is definitely one of the more oily Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade wrappers I have seen.  The wrapper itself has a few visible veins and a few visible wrapper seams.

The band is a variation of the original Nestor Miranda Special Selection band found on the Rosado and Oscuro options.  The band consists of copper striping at the top and bottom.   In between the copper striping is a large pewter-colored stripe and a large white-colored stripe.  On the pewter-colored stripe it says “Nestor Miranda” in red cursive font.  Just under that text it says “COLLECTION” (also in red font).   On the white stripe it has the text “SPECIAL” on one line and “SELECTION” just below it – all in brown font.  On the back of the band is the Miami Cigar leaf logo in copper.


Preparation for the Cigar Experience

As with just about every cigar I smoke, I started the cigar experience with a straight cut into the cap.  Once the cap was removed, I started the pre-light draw of the Nestor Miranda Special Selection Connecticut.  The flavors from the dry draw were a little difficult to assess, but I felt it yielded cherry and pepper notes.  Overall, it was a very good pre-light experience, so it was time to toast the foot and begin the actual smoking experience.

Flavor Profile

While I wouldn’t say the Nestor Miranda Special Selection Connecticut Coffee Break is going to provide a lot in the way of flavor transitions, it will provide plenty of flavor nuances in its profile.

The start to the Nestor Miranda Special Selection Connecticut consisted of a mix of pepper, cream, and wood – all three notes seemed to be on even footing.  The spice then moved to the back-end and I detected some orange citrus notes in the forefront.  The cream, wood, and citrus formed a unique flavor combination.

In the second half of the cigar, there was an increase in pepper as it joined the other notes in the forefront.  Toward the end of the smoke of the Special Selection Connecticut, the flavors were definitely on the spicy end.   While there was spice on the end, you could still pick up the cream, wood, and citrus notes.   The nub was ideal – firm to the touch and cool in temperature.


Burn and Draw

The construction is flawless on this cigar.  The burn was a true definition of a “low maintenance” burn.  I literally toasted the foot, and hardly needed my lighter again to keep the burn line going straight.  The burn rate and burn temperature were ideal.  The ash was tight with a salt and pepper color.

The tight ash and razor sharp burn of the Nestor Miranda Special Selection Connecticut

The draw was flawless on the Special Selection Connecticut.  Like the burn, I would categorize this as a low maintenance draw.

Strength and Body

One thing that has been interesting to watch as a part of the surge of Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade cigars is to see the manufacturers attempt to push the limits of strength and body – namely getting these attributes out of the mild zone.  Cigars such as the Xen by Nish Patel and My Father Le Bijou 1922 Ecuadorian Connecticut Federal Cigar Edition have been very successful in doing this.   To some extent the Nestor Miranda Special Selection Connecticut does a nice job at moving outside the traditional mild strength/mild-bodied range for Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade cigars.

From a strength perspective, the Nestor Miranda Special Selection Connecticut does start out in the mild to medium range.  As the cigar moves into a last third, the strength does cross into the medium range.  As for the flavors, these have some depth right at the start.  I assessed this to be medium-bodied right out of the gate – and by the last third, it does have just enough body to move into the medium to full range.   Overall, I give the body a slight edge over the strength.  However, I wouldn’t categorize this as a scenario where the Special Selection Connecticut has a large chasm between the strength and body.

Final Thoughts

When comparing this to the other releases of the Nestor Miranda Special Selection series, I have to say I think the Special Selection Connecticut might my personal favorite.   As mentioned what this cigar doesn’t provide in flavor transitions, it makes up for with flavor nuances.  I also like how this cigar provides some deeper flavors than traditionally found on an Ecuadorian Connecticut cigar.   This is the type of the cigar that is a perfect smoke for a novice enthusiast – especially one looking to move into a medium strength, medium-bodied smoking experience.   Experienced cigar enthusiasts will not only appreciate the nuances in the flavor profile, but the fact this Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade cigar has a higher level of strength and body.  This is a cigar I definitely look forward to having again.

Summary

Burn: Excellent
Draw: Excellent
Complexity Medium
Strength: Mild to Medium (Medium in last third)
Body: Medium (Medium to Full in last third)
Finish: Good
Assessment: Nice to Have
Score: 91

Source: The cigars for this assessment were purchased from Outland Cigars in Charlotte, North Carolina.