REVIEW: Casa Miranda by Miami Cigars

Today's cigar review is on a stick I have had sitting in my humidor for awhile now. A few months back, I was sent a very generous package from Miami Cigars which , amongst some prototypes and some other new releases, included a pair of Casa Miranda robustos. I have no excuse as to why it took me so long to smoke this, other than there are so many new cigars coming out each week and once a stick goes into my humidor, it might not see the light of day again for weeks or months.

The official Press release from Miami Cigars about Casa Miranda: Rolled exclusively by level 9 rollers from world re-nown factories in Cuba. The cigar is being manufactured in historic Calle Ocho by Titan de Bronze blended by master blender Willy Herrera. 

What makes this cigar special is that it is 100% handcrafted in Miami and will be Miami Cigar & Company’s first ultra boutique cigar with the tagline of “A new approach to an old school tradition.”

This was a good looking cigar that I really didn't know a lot about. I do know that they were on display at the 2011 IPCPR, but these are the first two that I've had the opportunity to smoke.
Specifics
Vitola: Robusto 
Length: 5
Ring Gauge: 50
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Price: $10
Smoking Location: New Havana Cigars
Beverage: Water

Pre-Light 

The wrapper on my Casa Miranda was medium to light brown in color with some large, thick veins. There was a little tooth present, but mostly the texture on the leaf had a waxy feel to it. The pre-lit aroma was of hay and natural tobacco. The cap clipped easily and the cold draw had a sweet taste to it with some hints of plum. I would also to mention the artwork on the band of this cigar because I think it's a bit different than what we normally see and I like it. It is a bold design with lots of different elements, but I don't feel it's over done or cheesey. Nice job.

First Third   

Lighting up my Casa Miranda was an easy task and, right away, I started to get some enjoyable flavors. The front of the profile had a not-too-spicy, yet distinct black pepper. The finish was a little more interesting in that it had a strong taste of bread or oats. I am able to pick out this bready flavor in a lot of cigars, but this one was slightly different. Now that I think about it, it was more a raw grain taste than of baked bread. Interesting, to say the least. The burn was great and the draw had zero issues. I'd put the strength of the cigar in the medium range.

Second Third  

The second third of my Casa Miranda was similar to the first third, but the black pepper flavor completely disappeared unless I pushed the smoke through my sinuses. I missed a bit of the spice from the first third, so I found myself reto-haling a lot during this portion of the cigar. The finish returned with the oats/grain taste which, although heavy, left my palate feeling clean. Toward the end of the second third, a bit of sweetness began to creep into the finish. The construction was still spot on and the strength maintained in the medium range.

Final Third and Final Thoughts 

The final third smoked exactly how the second third left off all the way to the nub. The heavy grain with hints of pepper and sweetness dominated the palate from draw to exhale. Even though this stick burned quite quickly and produced a lot of smoke, it never got hot or harsh, not even toward the end of the smoking experience. Strength stayed consistently in the medium range.

 

My final thoughts on the Casa Miranda by Miami Cigars? This is a solid release from Miami cigars and I will go on record as saying that it may be the second best cigar they have ever made. (I'm still a big fan of a fresh La Sirena.) It's not crazy complex, but it's an easy cigar to smoke with some interesting flavors.

Would I buy it again? Yes, I would buy more of these. I think it's a great stick to share with friends because it has real cigar flavors, but will not kill any new smoker with nicotine.

Would I buy a box? I don't think I'd buy a whole box for myself, but I would go in on a split.

Dan