Miami Cigar | Half Ashed

Cigar News: Miami Cigar Unveils Nestor Miranda Danno

June 4, 2015 By Kip Fisher

Miami Cigar & Co. set to Unveil Limited Nestor Miranda Collection “Danno”

Earlier this week, Miami Cigar announced the upcoming release of the “Nestor Miranda Collection Danno,” a limited edition extension of the Nestor Miranda Collection which pays homage to Miranda’s late son Daniel, who passed away in 2008.

The 2015 NMC Danno will be unveiled through a series of events that follow the recently rebranded Collection. According to the company, “the new visual identity has been well embraced, along with its accompanying tagline #OneLife. The message of the brand has inspired many supporters, to enjoy life and of course, a great smoke.”

Only 3,000 boxes of the Danno will be produced, in quantities of 1,000 boxes for each of the three available wrappers. While the blend components remain the consistent with this year’s brands, the proportions have been adapted in an effort to balance the blend for the Danno vitola.

Nestor Miranda said, “As you all can imagine, the Danno cigar holds a very special place in my heart, and I am very excited to be releasing it under the new NMC brand. This cigar has always been the epitome of my brand, and I am so proud to present you with our newest version.”

The NMC Danno is available in a singular 7″ x 56 vitola, with the following wrappers:

Connecticut: Ecuadorian CT wrapper
Habano: Nicaraguan Habano wrapper
Maduro: Broadleaf Maduro wrapper

Beginning June 12th, Nestor Miranda will host six events in a tour scheduled as follows:

June 12th Sanj’s Smoke located at 419 Broad St, Bloomfield, NJ 07003 Phone :( 973) 743-0693
June 13th Wooden Indian Tobacco Shop and Cigar Lounge located at 95 S Eagle Rd, Havertown, PA 19083, Phone:(610) 449-7001
June 17th Barrister located at 2565 US-22, Union, NJ 07083, Phone :( 908) 964-3000
June 18th, El Humidor located at 1116 Hwy 315, Plains, PA 18702, Phone :(570) 822-3544
June 19th Tobacco Park located at 161-17 29Th Avenue Flushing, NY 11358 United States
718-357-3510
June 20th Two Guys Smoke Shop located at 304 South Broadway (Rt. 28) Salem NH 03079
(603) 898-2221

About Miami Cigar & Co.

Miami Cigar & Co. proudly celebrates its 25th Year in the cigar industry. Founded by Nestor and Mariana Miranda, Miami Cigar & Co. has become one of the premier distributors of premium cigars boasting a portfolio which includes Tatiana, Don Lino and the Nestor Miranda brands. Miami Cigar & Co. also serves as the exclusive United States distributor for La Aurora, S.A and all Viva Republica brands.

Follow Miami Cigar & Company on Social Media here:

Facebook: Miami Cigar & Company
Instagram: MiamiCigar
Hashtag: OneLife

Viva Republica Releases Limited Edition Culebra

March 12, 2015 By Kip Fisher

VIVA REPUBLICA LIMITED EDITION CULEBRA

Yesterday, Viva Republica™ announced the impending release of a Limited Edition Culebra. Only one thousand (1,000) coffins each containing a traditional three-piece culebra have been produced, shipping in retailer 5-packs (5 coffins per pack). The Culebra is comprised of three differing blends, featuring the Company’s Rapture, Rapture Maduro and Guerrilla Warfare brands.

Each of the cigars that comprise the culebra have a length of 5.75,” and 39-ring gauge. Inside each five piece package is a memo that identifies the three components by wrapper shade and discloses the blend breakdown for each cigar. The details for each cigar are as follows:

Blend Details

Rapture Natural

Wrapper – Ecuadorian HVA
Binder – Dominican Republic
Fillers – Brazil, Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Peru

Guerrilla Warfare

Wrapper – Ecuadorian Sumatra
Binder – Dominican Republic/Mexico
Fillers – Brazil, Dominican Republic, Nicaragua

Rapture Maduro

Wrapper – Mexican San Andres
Binder – Dominican Republic
Fillers – Brazil, Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Peru

Further Information

Additional details on the card describe how to diferentiate the blends: “The lightest wrapper is the Rapture Natural. The one featuring a slightly darker colored wrapper is Guerrilla Warefare. The darkest wrapper is the Rapture Maduro blend. We could have color-coded them with more ribbons – but why take the fun out of it?” –Jason Holly

“I’ve always been intrigued by and have enjoyed culebras and wanted to use creating one as an opportunity to feature three of our core lines,” said Jason Holly, owner of Viva Republica.

The cigar(s) will officially launch during the DC Tweet Up on Saturday, March 14 at Tobaccology in Manassas, VA from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm. The limited run has an MSRP of $18 (excluding applicable local tax).

“Pricing was always a consideration. These are time-consuming to produce. But I wanted to keep value pricing so [more] people would try a culebra,” said Holly. I think their typical cost could be a bit of a consumer barrier.”

Viva Republica is exclusively distributed in the United States by Miami Cigar & Co.

Cigar News: La Aurora "Untamed"

July 2, 2014 By Kip Fisher

Untamed by La Aurora to be showcased at IPCPR 2014

La Aurora issues warning, the Lion has gone rogue!

I received news yesterday of yet another IPCPR 2014 introduction, this time from La Aurora Cigars. They will be releasing their latest offering, La Aurora Untamed, at the tradeshow in a couple of weeks. Master blender Manuel Inoa and team are eager to [Read more…]

25th Anniversary brings new look for Miami Cigar & Company

June 4, 2014 By Kip Fisher

Armed with a new image, the company sets a new tone for the next two decades.

Miami Cigar & Company has big plans for this year’s IPCPR Trade Show, using it as the launch platform for their new look. The company is undergoing a great deal of change in celebration of 25 years in business. Aside from being of celebratory significance, the hope is that these key changes will also better position Miami Cigar to increase brand awareness toward continuing to serve their customers in the future.

Earlier this year, a teaser campaign began to appear throughout various print publications, including Cigar Aficionado and Cigar Snob Magazine. This campaign provided a preview of the new look for the Nestor Miranda Collection line. The new sleek and contemporary look represents the philosophy behind the tag line “One Life” which has been pushed via their social media platforms.

Jason Wood, Vice President of Miami Cigar & Co. stated: “It has been an honor for me to begin the process of creating a new look and feel which is worthy of what Nestor Miranda and the Miami Cigar & Co. team have accomplished over the last 25 years. The “One Life” tagline represents the way that Nestor has and continues to live his life. It represents a call to action to seize the day and live every moment with passion. We are looking forward to celebrating our new look and company anniversary in Las Vegas this July.”

In addition to unveiling the new design elements at the show, Miami Cigar & Co. will also host an invitation-only 25th anniversary event at the Hyde Bellagio Las Vegas, overlooking the Bellagio fountains. The red carpet event, sponsored by Brown Forman Beverages, will welcome friends, colleagues, media, collaborators and celebrities who have helped Miami Cigar & Co. reach this milestone. The event will also symbolize a passing of the torch as Nestor Miranda has decided to pass along day to day operations to his son-in-law Jason Wood.

Director of Miami Cigar & Co., Nestor Miranda said: “2014 marks the 25th anniversary of my company and it has brought a renewed excitement to my wife and me. I can proudly say that I knew my son in law, Jason Wood, was a special talent who just needed industry experience that time has brought to him. I am excited about the new vision that he has for our future and the re-branding of the Nestor Miranda Collection. 2014 looks very bright for us as we have positioned ourselves to make a lasting impression on the cigar industry for years to come!”

About Miami Cigar & Co.

Miami Cigar & Co. proudly celebrates its 25th Year in the cigar industry. Founded by Nestor and Mariana Miranda, Miami Cigar & Co. has become one of the premier distributors of premium cigars boasting a portfolio which includes Tatiana, Don Lino and the Nestor Miranda brands. Miami Cigar &Co. also serves as the exclusive United States distributor for La Aurora, S.A and all Viva Republica brands.

Social Media:
Facebook: Miami Cigar & Company
Instagram: MiamiCigar, Hashtag: OneLife
Twitter: Miami Cigar & Company

For those attending the IPCPR in Las Vegas wanting to visit Miami Cigar & Co. Their booth number is # 404

Half Ashed Episode 061: Kelner

April 12, 2014 By Kip Fisher

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This week, we’re smoking a cigar that we’ve each had at different times in the past….and one that isn’t marketed (at least not here in the U.S.). It’s a cigar produced by Henke Kelner and son in the Dominican Republic. There is quite a bit of speculation as to how many/when these were produced, as well as their availability. In any event, I brought a few back from my most recent trip to Santiago. Tune in to see how they smoked!

I also wanted to take a moment, both during the show and in print as well, and welcome any and all of you to use our forum. If you listen to this week’s show, you’ll find out there is a giveaway coming up for regular posters. In the news, we had quite a few interesting stories this week – including Estelian earthquake news, items from CLE/Asylum, Fuente, Nat Sherman, Tarazona, Barry Stein, and Tatuaje. We wrapped up with a summary of other cigars we’ve enjoyed this past week, and a minor rant from me that apparently is not shared by the majority of folks out there :).

Next week, our Cigar of the Week will be the La Aroma de Cuba Mi Amor. As always, we’re constantly looking for suggestions about potential Cigars of the Week, and Unbanded cigars. So if you have one drop us a line at one of the email addresses below. Be sure to check back in next Friday night at 9:30pm EST at Cigar Federation (details on locating the show will be on the front page that evening an hour before showtime), where you can catch us recording and participate in the chatroom. If you would like to contact us in the meantime, you can reach us through the contact page or at the following email addresses: [email protected] or [email protected]. Please feel free to drop us a line if you have any questions you’d like answered, comments to make…or even compliments and complaints. We love to get your emails! Also, remember you can always go back and listen to previous episodes, which can be found in the Half Ashed Archive. You can download this week’s audio directly below (right-click “Download” and save), or find us on iTunes to subscribe. Video, as always, will be available at the Half Ashed Video Archive.

P.S. – If you have unbanded suggestions or contributions, you can get those to us by sending an email to [email protected]. This email address goes directly to my wife, so you can simply suggest an unbanded cigar for her to source, or send me an email to [email protected] if you have something you’d like to send in. I will provide an address to send them. Thanks!

Half Ashed Episode 058: Unbanded #013

March 24, 2014 By Kip Fisher

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Hello again and welcome to Episode 058 of Half Ashed. This week, we’re smoking an Unbanded – #013, supplied by Jacob Pinkas. We had quite a big of technical difficulties, but I have edited as much of those snafus out as possible. Please forgive that. In cigar news, we talked over items from Skip Martin, Eddie Ortega, Miami Cigar/Viva Republic, Blessed Leaf, Paul Stulac, and Tatuaje. We also kicked around one legislative story. We also covered what we’ve been smoking, and some listener comments. So kick back with a cigar and join us. Thanks for listening!

Next week, our Cigar of the Week has yet to be determined. As always, we’re constantly looking for suggestions about potential Cigars of the Week, and Unbanded cigars. So if you have one drop us a line at one of the email addresses below. Be sure to check back in next Friday night at 9:30pm EST at Cigar Federation (details on locating the show will be on the front page that evening an hour before showtime), where you can catch us recording and participate in the chatroom. If you would like to contact us in the meantime, you can reach us through the contact page or at the following email addresses: [email protected] or [email protected]. Please feel free to drop us a line if you have any questions you’d like answered, comments to make…or even compliments and complaints. We love to get your emails! Also, remember you can always go back and listen to previous episodes, which can be found in the Half Ashed Archive. You can download this week’s audio directly below (right-click “Download” and save), or find us on iTunes to subscribe. Video, as always, will be available at the CigFed Half Ashed Video Archive.

Half Ashed Episode 046: Unbanded 011

December 21, 2013 By Kip Fisher

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Welcome to Episode 046 of Half Ashed! This week’s show is a bit abbreviated due to some impending technical issues that might have made it difficult to post the show for the next several days. We’re smoking Unbanded Number 011, provided by Jacob Pinkas (thank you Jacob!). This week, we covered news items from TL Johnson, New York City legislators (sigh), recent controversy on CA’s Top 25 list, La Sirena/Miami Cigar, Fuente, and Crowned Heads. We also managed to cover a couple of the things we’ve been smoking this week, as well as a couple of past-due emails. So, kick back and enjoy the shortened show!

Next week, we plan on have a normal 2 hour show at the regularly appointed time, although I’ll be on the road with an unknown amount of bandwidth….so be patient if it takes us a moment to go live. Next week’s Cigar of The Week will be a surprise, as Craig hasn’t yet picked which of his cigars we’ll be smoking. Be sure to check back in next Friday night at 9:30pm EST at Cigar Federation (details on locating the show will be on the front page that evening an hour before showtime), where you can catch us recording and participate in the chatroom. If you would like to contact us in the meantime, you can reach us through the contact page or at the following email addresses: [email protected] or [email protected]. Please feel free to drop us a line if you have any questions you’d like answered, comments to make…or even compliments and complaints. We love to get your emails! Also, remember you can always go back and listen to previous episodes, which can be found in the Half Ashed Archive. You can download this week’s audio directly below (right-click “Download” and save), or find us on iTunes to subscribe. Video, as always, will be available at the CigFed Half Ashed Video Archive.

Press Release: La Sirena and Miami Cigar

December 10, 2013 By Kip Fisher

NEW YORK, NY – December 12, 2013– Following a successful three-year partnership with Miami Cigar & Company, La Sirena Cigars will become independently owned and operated by Arielle Ditkowich as of December 31st, 2013. Ditkowich will remain at the helm, continuing to produce new and exciting blend profiles. Arielle is excited for La Sirena’s continued growth and looks forward to 2014 projects, industry shows and travelling to retail events.

Ditkowich is extremely grateful for everything Nestor Miranda and the entire Miami team has taught her during their partnership and will always look at the Miranda family as an extension of her own. “Miami [Cigar & Company] saw the potential in me to create a boutique brand in a challenging business dominated by men. We worked tirelessly to create distinct blends that appeal to aficionados looking for something unique” Said Ditkowich.

Distribution of La Sirena and Merlion Cigars will remain under the Miami Cigar & Co. umbrella until December 31st, 2013. Starting January 1st, 2014 distribution will be handled by La Sirena. La Sirena Cigars will continue to work with the Garcia Family at My Father Cigars and Guillermo Leon at La Aurora Cigars to make the current Sirena and Merlion Blends respectively.

La Sirena Cigars will be announcing more exciting updates, find out first by following us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @lasirenacigars

La Sirena Cigars was founded in 2009 by Arielle Ditkowich in partnership with Nestor Miranda of Miami Cigar & Co. The La Sirena Original blend, available in six vitolas debuted in 2009 and is rolled in Nicaragua at My Father Cigar Factory. The brand followed up with its second release in 2012, The Merlion, created by La Aurora in the Dominican Republic with the medium bodied, full flavored smoker in mind. La Sirena brand cigars are distributed nationwide and available at over 300 retail stores.

WWW.LASIRENACIGARS.COM

Half Ashed Episode 036: Unbanded 010

October 13, 2013 By Kip Fisher

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Half Ashed Episode 036: Unbanded 010

Good afternoon, and welcome back for another episode of Half Ashed. This week, for episode 036, we’re smoking an unbanded submission from Steve Dorau (Thanks, Steve!). In news, we cover stories from Drew Estate, upcoming cigar festivities for anyone in the central Florida area, the education I recently received in Chicago tobacco taxes (yikes!), Sotolongo Cigars, Miami Cigar, Emilio and Emilio-distributed Nomad Cigars, as well as the upcoming availability of a budget pipe tobacco.

We also cover what we’ve been smoking (a few goodies for me, and one that just wasn’t in Craig’s sweetspot), cigar etiquette, and an update on my attempts at putting together a new website. Additionally, we did get to a couple of emails and notes we’ve gotten from folks that have been quite generous and kind toward the show. Thanks to all for that, we really appreciate the encouragement.

Next week, our Cigar of the Week will be a surprise, at this point even to us. Be sure to check back in for that next Friday at 9:30pm EST at www.halfashed.com. If you would like to contact us in the meantime, you can reach us through the contact page or at the following email addresses: [email protected] or [email protected]. Please feel free to drop us a line if you have any questions you’d like answered, comments to make…or even compliments and complaints. We love to get your emails! Also, remember you can always go back and listen to previous episodes, which can be found in the Half Ashed Archive. You can download this week’s audio directly below (right-click “Download” and save), or find us on iTunes to subscribe. Video, as always, will be available at the CigFed Half Ashed Video Archive.

Half Ashed Episode 035: Fuente Unnamed Reserve

October 6, 2013 By Kip Fisher

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Half Ashed Episode 035: Fuente Unnamed Reserve

Welcome to another fun-filled episode of Half Ashed! This week, we’re taking a look at an unexpected (at the time) release from the Fuente family – the Unnamed Reserve. When this cigar showed up on select retailers’s shelves in December of 2012, little was known about it other than the facts that it was somewhat limited in scope and contained some mixture of the Don Carlos blend with a Sungrown wrapper. Join us as we enjoy a couple of the last few remaining in my humidor.

We also cover several news items, including the announcement of Tatuaje’s “Unlucky 13” retailers for 2013 (see article and poll over on The Cigarmy), a really cool Miami Cigar promotion going on tomorrow (October 7th), a scheduled timeframe for this year’s Serie V Maduro release from Oliva, and George Rodriguez’s take on bringing the consumer into the loop in blend development.

Additionally, Craig and I discuss what we’ve been smoking, a couple of associated cigar interest topics, and a few of this week’s outstanding listener emails. Join us for all the Friday night fun….

Next week, our Cigar of the Week will be Unbanded #008, provided by Steve Dorau. Be sure to check back in for that next Friday at 9:00pm EST at www.halfashed.com. If you would like to contact us in the meantime, you can reach us through the contact page or at the following email addresses: [email protected] or [email protected]. Please feel free to drop us a line if you have any questions you’d like answered, comments to make…or even compliments and complaints. We love to get your emails! Also, remember you can always go back and listen to previous episodes, which can be found in the Half Ashed Archive. You can download this week’s audio directly below (right-click “Download” and save), or find us on iTunes to subscribe. Video, as always, will be available at the CigFed Half Ashed Video Archive.