Lancero, 7.5" x 40 ring gauge / $7.90, Burns
It's been a while since I really paid much attention to these...it's not the fault of Nestor Miranda or anyone at Miami Cigar...there's just so much hitting the shelves at any given time, that some cigars end up getting overlooked once the newness rubs off. I do remember what a big deal these were when they first hit the market...a Don Pepin Garcia blend sold under the name of "The Most Interesting Man in the Cigar World." I always liked the Oscuro more and it doesn't look like I ever got around to reviewing the Lancero, although I do remember smoking and enjoying it quite a bit when it first came out...so here we are today. The Special Selection is made of Nicaraguan, Honduran and Dominican fillers, a Nicaraguan binder, and a Nicaraguan Habano Oscuro (also available in Rosado) wrapper.
I had the cigar sitting next to me on the desk while I wrote that first paragraph and I just have to say, the beautifully pungent aroma of earth, coffee, and cocoa powder coming off of it was absolutely intoxicating. I love that you can tell the difference visually between the Oscuro and Rosado versions of this cigar...there are other cigars in the Nestor Miranda Collection where that is not so easy. This wrapper was dark with some medium sized veins, some mottling and a nice oily touch. I already mentioned what the wrapper smelled like...the foot was even more potent with chocolate and earth notes. After clipping, I got a very good draw that was strong in dark chocolate flavor with a spicy tingle on the lips, too.
This is one of those cigars that taste almost the same before and after lighting...lots of earth, plenty of cocoa powder and coffee, a delightful sweetness and just enough pepper on the palate to remind you that it is heavily Nicaraguan. On the retrohale, the pepper was at an almost painful level, but that is almost expected from Pepin. The spice doesn't keep to that level, though, and by the middle of the first third, the Special Selection had deep earthy flavors along with semi-sweet chocolate and dark roast coffee notes.
During the second third, I noticed how full bodied this Oscuro Special Selection was. Full, smoky, earthy...dark in flavor just as it in name. Construction was excellent, the draw just about perfect, the burn line very even, the ash holding on for about three-quarters of an inch.
In the last third, the cocoa powder and pepper spice both returned strongly and created a magnificent interplay of flavor. I did have a bit of an issue with a void in the middle of the stick and tunneling as a result, but other than that there were no issues. Overall, the Nestor Mirando Special Selection Oscuro is a very, very good cigar that really shines in this vitola. While full bodied it does not have a huge amount of nicotine strength and is a cigar that enthusiasts should try if they haven't already. If you have been overlooking this one recently, like I did, maybe it is time to pick one up again and rediscover it.
Body: 8/10
Strength: 7/10
Complexity: 8/10
AFP Scale
Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 1.5/2
Flavor: 4.5/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 9/10
It's been a while since I really paid much attention to these...it's not the fault of Nestor Miranda or anyone at Miami Cigar...there's just so much hitting the shelves at any given time, that some cigars end up getting overlooked once the newness rubs off. I do remember what a big deal these were when they first hit the market...a Don Pepin Garcia blend sold under the name of "The Most Interesting Man in the Cigar World." I always liked the Oscuro more and it doesn't look like I ever got around to reviewing the Lancero, although I do remember smoking and enjoying it quite a bit when it first came out...so here we are today. The Special Selection is made of Nicaraguan, Honduran and Dominican fillers, a Nicaraguan binder, and a Nicaraguan Habano Oscuro (also available in Rosado) wrapper.
I had the cigar sitting next to me on the desk while I wrote that first paragraph and I just have to say, the beautifully pungent aroma of earth, coffee, and cocoa powder coming off of it was absolutely intoxicating. I love that you can tell the difference visually between the Oscuro and Rosado versions of this cigar...there are other cigars in the Nestor Miranda Collection where that is not so easy. This wrapper was dark with some medium sized veins, some mottling and a nice oily touch. I already mentioned what the wrapper smelled like...the foot was even more potent with chocolate and earth notes. After clipping, I got a very good draw that was strong in dark chocolate flavor with a spicy tingle on the lips, too.
This is one of those cigars that taste almost the same before and after lighting...lots of earth, plenty of cocoa powder and coffee, a delightful sweetness and just enough pepper on the palate to remind you that it is heavily Nicaraguan. On the retrohale, the pepper was at an almost painful level, but that is almost expected from Pepin. The spice doesn't keep to that level, though, and by the middle of the first third, the Special Selection had deep earthy flavors along with semi-sweet chocolate and dark roast coffee notes.
During the second third, I noticed how full bodied this Oscuro Special Selection was. Full, smoky, earthy...dark in flavor just as it in name. Construction was excellent, the draw just about perfect, the burn line very even, the ash holding on for about three-quarters of an inch.In the last third, the cocoa powder and pepper spice both returned strongly and created a magnificent interplay of flavor. I did have a bit of an issue with a void in the middle of the stick and tunneling as a result, but other than that there were no issues. Overall, the Nestor Mirando Special Selection Oscuro is a very, very good cigar that really shines in this vitola. While full bodied it does not have a huge amount of nicotine strength and is a cigar that enthusiasts should try if they haven't already. If you have been overlooking this one recently, like I did, maybe it is time to pick one up again and rediscover it.
Body: 8/10
Strength: 7/10
Complexity: 8/10
AFP Scale
Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 1.5/2
Flavor: 4.5/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 9/10
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