nestor miranda

La Sirena Cigar Launch Party in New York City

Filed under: Cigars

The world just got a new cigar! I've been waiting for this launch for months, having first heard about it last winter. And, if ever there was an open secret in the cigar industry, this was it. The La Sirena line of cigars, manufactured at Don Pepin Garcia's My Father Cigars factory and distributed by Miami Cigar & Company, is the latest bold and powerful Nicaraguan stick to take a place on tobacconists' shelves. It is unmistakably a Pepin creation, with rich flavors and the sort of kick that inveterate cigar smokers are bound to appreciate.

La Sirena was launched at a dinner in its honor held last week at De La Concha in Manhattan. "Full house" was redefined, as customers packed themselves into the Sixth Avenue retail establishment ... while more than a dozen others made it no further than the waiting list. Even with Cigar Aficionado's Big Smoke going on at the same time, the presence of Nestor Miranda, Janny Garcia and Arielle Ditkowich demonstrates the excitement that had built around this product. And, Pete Johnson of Tatuaje Cigars stopped by to offer his regards (and announce with De La Concha General Manager Ron Melendi that the store would begin carrying Johnson's Tatuaje cigars).

Gallery: La Sirena Cigar Launch, De La Concha

Gallery: The Guests at the La Sirena Cigar Launch at De La Concha

[photos by Steve Zak Photography]

Tags: big smoke, cigar, cigar aficionado, cigar dinner, cigar lounge, cigars, nestor miranda, new york, new york city, nicaragua, NicaraguanCigars, pepin garcia, tatuaje, tatuajes, tobacco

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Nestor Miranda to Release New Art Deco Cigar

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Cigars

A new creation from Pepin Garcia's cigar factory will be unveiled in New Orleans this week. Miami Cigar is set to release its newest cigar, the Nestor Miranda Art Deco, at the International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association's 78th Annual Convention and International Trade Show. This exciting new cigar's blend is 60 percent Nicaraguan Corojo 99 and 40 percent Dominican San Vicente, dual Dominican Criollo '98/Nicaraguan Habano '00 binder, and a dark, oily and aromatic Nicaraguan Corojo '06 wrapper leaf with a triple cap. The cap, according to Miami Cigar, offers a dark, rich-tasting smoke that provides a unique balance of aroma, flavor and strength."

According to Nestor Miranda:

"We wanted to get Pepin out of his comfort zone, which is using Nicaraguan tobacco," said Nestor Miranda. "He accepted the challenge and came out with an amazing blend using 40% Dominican tobacco."

Instead of using traditional wooden boxes, the Nestor Miranda Art Deco will be sold in metallic art deco-designed tins with 21 cigars each. The sizes are:

Coffee Break / 4.5 x 50
Robusto Grande / 5.5 x 54
Gran Toro / 6 x 60

Gallery: Cigar Rolling at My Father Cigars, Pepin Garcia's Factory

Welcome to the new My Father Cigars Factory in Esteli, Nicaragua

Cigar Manufacturing Operation at My Father Cigars in Nicaragua

Tags: cigar, nestor miranda, New orleans, nicaragua, NicaraguanCigars, pepin garcia

New Cigar: Nestor Miranda Collection 1989

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Cigars

The Nestor Miranda Collection 1989 just hit the streets, and it is worth the 45 minutes you'll need to commit to it. Rolled by Pepin Garcia, it is inspired by Nestor, who told Pepin he wanted a cigar "that can be sold at a very reasonable price point, in deference to the prevailing economic conditions."

Like the other cigars in the Nestor Miranda Collection, the 1989 is available with one of two wrappers. One is a Rosado, for smokers preferring a medium-bodied cigar. The other is an Oscuro, for those who want something a little fuller. It comes in three sizes: Robusto, Toro and Torpedo.

I smoked the Torpedo with both wrappers and found it thoroughly enjoyable, and fans of Pepin's work will notice his handiwork immediately. As with most of Nestor Miranda's cigars, its body that you notice immediately, rather than flavor, though he certainly isn't deficient in the latter.

Interestingly, the 1989 is included in the 10-cigar sample pack currently on sale through the Cigar Rights of America. A one-year membership is included.

[Photo via Facebook]

Tags: cigar, cigars, nestor miranda, nicaragua, NicaraguanCigars

Welcome the New La Aurora Cigar at Your Local Shop For Free

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Cigars

If you haven't lit up a La Aurora Serie 107 Anniversario yet, you've been missing something special. The cigar, which celebrates La Aurora's 107th year of operation in the Dominican Republic, actually caught me by surprise.

This cigar was not nearly as light as I expected it to be, bringing a lot of character and complexity. It was a bit spicy and stayed interesting from foot to ash. The medium-bodied cigar was great for me as late morning stick, but your specific timing may not be the same. The La Aurora 107 has a Sun Grown Ecuadorian wrapper and contains filler from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic aged more than six years.

So, you could always get one of these cigars the ol' fashioned way ... you know, buy it. Or, you could wait until April 30, 2010, when 107 cigar retailers across the United States will be giving away 107 La Aurora 107 robustos.

Tags: cigar, cigars, dominican republic, free cigars, la aurora, nestor miranda, nicaragua, tobacco, tobacco industry

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Cigar Review: Nestor Miranda Dominicano

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Cigars

Nestor Miranda puts together a solid cigar. So, when I heard about the new Dominicano, I was pretty excited. With both Nicaraguan and Dominican tobacco, I figured it would be a bit different from what I normally smoke from Nestor – and had a sense that the cigar would be exciting. Well, Nestor Miranda did not disappoint. Check out the video to get a feel for what the Dominicano is like.

Do keep in mind, this is a reasonably hefty cigar, just north of medium-bodied. So, if you smoke three times a year on the golf course or only at bachelor parties, save some money, and buy something you can handle. This is a great cigar for regular cigar smokers.

Disclosure: Miami Cigars provided the samples to me. But, the opinions expressed here are my own.

Tags: cigar, cigar review, cigar reviews, cigars, nestor miranda