In 2015, Miami Cigar and Company made a decision to release another installment of one of its special limited vitolas, the Nestor Miranda Danno. The latest release of the Danno would be incorporated into the revamping of the Nestor Miranda Collection. It was explained on Episode 126 of Stogie Geeks by Miami Cigar and Company Vice President Jason Wood that company founder Nestor Miranda was quite pleased with the changes for the line, however he had one question– “what about my special sizes?”.  Wood assured Miranda that he had things covered.  As he explained to us, the special sizes – the Lancero, Ruky (perfecto), and Danno were slated for limited edition releases called the “One Life” edition. The first of these sizes, the Danno was released prior to the IPCPR. The Danno is a special 7 x 56 vitola named for the late Danny Miranda, Nestor’s son. This is the fourth time in six years there has been a Danno release. With the Danno 2015, the size is being rolled out across the three blends of the Nestor Miranda Collection: Connecticut, Habano, and Maduro. Today we take a look at the Nestor Miranda Collection One Life Edition Danno Habano. Overall I had been quite pleased with Nestor Miranda Collection Habano blend, and the new Danno Habano is a great extension of this line.

For the first time, the Danno pays homage in writing to the late Danny Miranda. Inside each box is this short write-up:

Every family has its prized possession and ours is the Danno. More than just a limited edition release, this cigar was created to celebrate the life of DANIEL LUIS MIRANDA, a man who left us too early, but whose values will never be forgotten.

It was in 2009 when the first Danno was released – The Nestor Miranda Special Selection 20th Anniversary Danno. The 20th Anniversary was made available in a Nicaraguan Habano Rosado and a Nicaraguan Habano Oscuro wrapper blend. This was followed up in 2010 by the Nestor Miranda Special Selection Danno 2010 using a Nicaraguan Habano Oscuro wrapper. A special retail exclusive cigar was made for Buckhead Cigars in Atlanta, Georgia. This one was called the Nestor Miranda Special Selection Danno 2010 Buckhead Edition. The Buckhead Edition used the same core blend as the Danno 2010, but would utilize an Ecuadorian wrapper. In 2012 came the Nestor Miranda Special Selection Danno 2012 using a San Andres Mexican maduro wrapper – a cigar that was the Cigar Coop #26 Cigar of the Year for 2012.

Wood told us on Stogie Geeks that in 2016 and 2017 plans are to roll out Miranda’s other special sizes – the lancero and the Ruky, so it might not be until 2018 when we see another iteration of the Danno.

Without further ado, today we take a closer look at the Nestor Miranda Collection One Life Edition Danno Habano and see what this cigar brings to the table.

Blend Profile

Nestor Miranda Collection – Habano (Green)

Wrapper: Nicaraguan
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan, Honduran, Brazilian
Country of Origin: Nicaragua (My Father Cigars SA)

For completeness, we list the other blends in the Nestor Miranda Collection. These cigars are made in Esteli, Nicaragua at the My Father Cigars factory.

Nestor Miranda Collection – Connecticut (Blue)

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan, Dominican, Honduran
Country of Origin: Nicaragua (My Father Cigars SA)

Nestor Miranda Collection – Maduro (Red)

Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Peruvian, Nicaraguan, Dominican
Country of Origin: Nicaragua (My Father Cigars SA)

Vitolas Available

The sizes across all three of the Nestor Miranda Colleciton blends are consistent. The Danno blend was optimized for the 7 x 56 size. The Danno is available in 20 count boxes. The total production of the Danno is 1,000 boxes per blend.

Danno: 7 x 56 (Limited Production)
Corona: 6 x 46
Robusto: 4 1/2 x 50
Toro: 5 1/2 x 54
Gordo: 6 x 60

Appearance

The Nicaraguan wrapper of the Nestor Miranda Collection One Life Edition Danno Habano had a medium brown color with a slight cinnamon tint to it. There was some oil on the surface of the wrapper. The wrapper had a slight bumpiness to it. There were some visible veins, but most of the wrapper seams were actually well hidden. The cap is finished with a small pig-tail.

The band is a modified version of the band of the regular production Nestor Miranda Collection. This band consists has a black background with lime green and chrome in the color scheme. The Nestor Miranda Colleciton logo consists of a lime green-colored interlocking N, and M that also contributes to the shape of the wrapper. Below the logo is the text “ONE LIFE” in chrome font. Below that text is the “EDITION” in a smaller chrome font. To the left of the logo is the chrome colored text “NESTOR MIRANDA COLLECTION” in landscape mode with each word on a separate line surrounded by a thin lime green pinstripe. To the right of the logo is the text “HABANO” in chrome text on a lime green background. To the far right siting on the back of the band is a smaller interlocking N and M Nestor Miranda Collection logo in chrome color. There also is a lime green stripe at the bottom with chrome pin-striping. Siting on that stripe is the text “DANNO” in chrome font. Just below that is the text “2015” in smaller chrome font.

Preparation for the Cigar Experience

As opposed to pulling off the pig-tail cap, I went with my usual choice of a straight cut to remove the cap. Once the cap was removed, I moved on to the pre-light draw. The dry draw yielded a mix of nut, natural tobacco, and some cedar spice. Overall I considered the pre-light draw of the Nestor Miranda Collection One Life Edition Danno Habano to be satisfactory. At this point I was ready to light up the Danno Habano and see what the smoking experience would have in store.

Flavor Profile

The start to the Nestor Miranda Collection One Life Edition Danno Habano delivered a mix of nut, cedar spice, and some fruit sweetness. The cedar was quite prominent on the retro-hale, but it was not overpowering.

During the first half of the Danno Habano, the nut flavors moved into the forefront as a constant primary note. I found both the cedar and fruit sweetness to surface in the forefront from time to time. The fruit notes contributed to some of the sweetness of the flavor profile while the cedar contributed a spice component.

During the second half, a pepper component surfaced in the background adding another dimension to the spice component. When the pepper surfaced, it wasn’t overwhelming. At the same time the fruit notes had diminished and by the last third, I found most of the fruit notes had dissipated.

By the last third, I found the profile to have a combination of nut, pepper, and cedar notes.  There was a slight amount of harshness toward the end, but at this point it was time to put down the cigar. When the cigar experience closed, the resulting nub was soft to the touch and cool in temperature.

Burn and Draw

The burn to the Danno Habano scored quite well. The burn took a relatively straight path from start to finish. The burn line itself had a slight curvature from time to time,  but was never in danger of tunneling or canoeing. The resulting ash was a silver gray color.  It was not any overly firm ash, but it was not a loose one either.  The burn rate and burn temperature were both ideal.

The draw was outstanding.  It had a touch of resistance to it – which is something I like. This made the Danno Habano an enjoyable cigar to smoke from start to finish.

Strength and Body

From both a strength and body perspective, I found the Danno Habano to be a little more dialed back than when I smoked the Nestor Miranda Collection Habano Robusto. The strength started on the upper end of mild to medium. The strength slowly grew and by the second half, I found the Danno Habano moved into medium strength territory. Meanwhile, I found the notes started out medium-bodied and by the second half, it moved into medium to full-bodied territory.  In terms of strength versus body, I gave the body an edge throughout the smoking experience.

Final Thoughts

From a flavor standpoint, I found the Nestor Miranda One Life Edition Danno Habano to deliver some nice flavors. The flavors seemed in the wheelhouse to what I got when I smoked this blend in the Robusto size. As mentioned, the difference I saw was the Danno was a little more dialed back. I found the cigar to perform extremely well in the large 7 x 56 format. Overall I found the Danno Habano to be a cigar suited for either the novice or experienced cigar enthusiast. As for myself, while I did prefer the Danno Maduro in this series, this is a nice change of pace – and it’s a cigar still worthy of a fiver.

Summary

Burn: Excellent
Draw: Excellent
Complexity: Medium
Strength: Mild to Medium (1st Half), Medium (2nd Half)
Body: Medium (1st Half), Medium to Full (2nd Half)
Finish: Good
Assessment: 3.0-The Fiver
Score: 88

References

News: Nestor Miranda Collection Danno 2015 set to Launch
Price: $12.00
Source: Cigars Provided by Manufacturer
Stogie Geeks Podcast: Episode 126
Stogie Feed: n/a