Nestor Miranda Grand Reserve 2024

Annual limited edition releases from cigar manufacturers are a dime a dozen, and every year more are added to the list. However, a limited edition rarely returns to production after a significant delay, especially when it has been more than a decade since the last release.

The Nestor Miranda Grand Reserve is one of the exceptions: the line debuted in 2011 with the release of the Nestor Miranda Grand Reserve 2011, a box-pressed 6 1/4 x 52 torpedo made up of all Nicaraguan tobacco. The next year, the company followed that cigar up the next year with the Nestor Miranda Grand Reserve 2012, a 6 1/4 x 52 box-pressed torpedo that used a Connecticut broadleaf wrapper and a filler blend of Nicaraguan tobacco.

Until earlier this year, that was that. But as part of its 35th anniversary, Miami Cigar & Co. announced the Nestor Miranda Grand Reserve 2024. As was the case with the first two releases, the newest addition to the line was made at My Father Cigars S.A. in Nicaragua; however, the 2024 incarnation is a round 6 1/8 x 52 belicoso instead of box-pressed and is made entirely of Nicaraguan tobaccos.

“The Nestor Miranda Grand Reserve 2024 was a special one for us. The 35-year anniversary is a big one,” said Nestor Miranda, co-founder and president of Miami Cigar & Co., in a press release when the cigar was announced in March. “My wife and co-founder of Miami Cigar, Mariana Miranda, and I are still in awe by how far we have come. I really wanted to create a blend that was worthy of such an anniversary. I thank the team at the My Father Cigar Factory, for being patient with me throughout this process, as I wanted this blend to reach the highest possible standard.”

There have now been three different releases in the Nestor Miranda Grand Reserve line:

• Nestor Miranda Grand Reserve 2011 (6 1/4 x 52) — July 2011 — 1,000 Boxes of 10 Cigars (10,000 Total Cigars)
• Nestor Miranda Grand Reserve 2012 (6 1/8 x 52) — August 2012 — 1,500 Boxes of 10 Cigars (15,000 Total Cigars)
• Nestor Miranda Grand Reserve 2024 (6 1/8 x 52) — June 2024 — 1,500 Boxes of 10 Cigars (15,000 Total Cigars)

Each Nestor Miranda Grand Reserve 2024 has an MSRP of $18 and production is limited to 1,500 boxes of 10 cigars.

• Cigar Reviewed: Nestor Miranda Grand Reserve 2024
• Country of Origin: Nicaragua
• Factory: My Father Cigars S.A.
• Wrapper: Nicaragua
• Binder: Nicaragua
• Filler: Nicaragua
• Length: 6 1/8 Inches
• Ring Gauge: 52
• Shape: Round
• MSRP: $18 (Box of 10, $180)
• Release Date: August 2024
• Number of Cigars Released: 1,500 Boxes of 10 Cigars (15,000 Total Cigars)
• Number of Cigars Smoked For Review: 3

While all three cigars are covered in similar medium brown wrappers, two have some noticeable mottling but the third cigar lacks entirely. Those wrappers are smooth to the touch with just a hint of roughness, and each cigar is firm when squeezed. There is a slight amount of oil present, and a physical inspection reveals a large soft spot halfway between the foot and the bottom of the secondary band on my first cigar. Aromas from the wrappers include creamy woodiness, sweet breadiness, earth, barnyard and leather, although my second cigar also features a massive sweet oak note. The feet feature scents of nutmeg, creamy wood, espresso beans, earth and milk chocolate sweetness, along with a touch of citrus peel. Creamy hay and earth lead the flavors on the cold draw, along with espresso beans, meatiness, almonds, sawdust and light black licorice sweetness.

Nutmeg and black pepper start the cigars off; there’s also a small amount of spice on my tongue that seems to be dissipating almost as quickly as I recognize it is there. Very quickly, creamy oak and leather tack take over the profile, followed by secondary notes that include gritty earth, salted pretzel bread, almonds, powdery cocoa nibs and light hay. On the retrohale, there is black pepper and a light but increasing honey sweetness. Flavor is at medium-plus, while both the body and strength are at a solid medium. In terms of construction, all three cigars feature amazing draws and copious amounts of dense smoke, and while two of the three cigars have extremely straight burn lines, I need to use my lighter on the last one to avoid larger issues.

During the second third, leather tack and creamy oak continue to lead the profile of the cigars, but there are some new secondary flavors of anise, bitter espresso, dark chocolate and toasted bread to go along with the gritty earth and almonds from the first third. There is slightly more black pepper and honey sweetness on the retrohale compared to the first third, but neither note is strong enough to impact the profile in a significant way. Flavor bumps up to medium-full, and the body remains at a solid medium, but the strength increases slightly to land a a point just over the medium mark. The construction is a carbon copy of the preceding third: all three cigars feature excellent draws and plenty of smoke, but the third cigar runs into enough trouble that it needs a burn correction.

During the final third of my second cigar, a light mineral saltiness shows up for a short time on my lips—a note that is totally lacking on the first and last cigars—but the top flavors of creamy oak and leather tack never come close to being replaced. Additional flavors of bitter espresso, earth, hay, almonds, pencil lead and plain white rice show up at various points, but the amounts of honey sweetness and black pepper on the retrohale do not change. Flavor remains at medium-full, the body remains at a solid medium and the strength ends up at medium-plus. Construction remains extremely consistent compared to the first two-thirds, with great draws, lots of smoke and one single burn correction for my final cigar.

Final Notes

• This cigar was released to commemorate the 35th anniversary of Miami Cigar & Co., the company founded by Nestor and Mariana Miranda.

• The first time I saw the top of the box these cigars are packaged in, I thought that the “gem” was actually real for a moment, but it turns out that it was just a trick of the light and how that part of the band is printed.
• Interestingly, multiple companies have incorporated Swarovski crystals into packaging for their cigars: Crux Cigars placed one on boxes of their cigars for years after the brand debuted in 2011, each box of the Rocky Patel Fifty used more than 500 orange Swarovski crystals on two different custom-designed plates and Habanos S.A.’s Cohiba 55 Aniversario Humidor—which was auctioned off for an astounding €2.4 million in 2022—featured a logo made up of gold and Swarovski crystals.

• I have smoked many cigars that developed holes or openings in the ash, but one of these cigars had a hole that was positioned almost perfectly in the middle of the surrounding ash.
• Two of the cigars I smoked for this review featured fantastic construction: amazing burn lines, great draw resistance and plenty of smoke. However, my last cigar bucked the trend when it came to the burn, as it needed a correction from my lighter in each third.
• These cigars began shipping more than a month earlier than they were supposed to, which is not exactly a common occurrence in the cigar industry.

• These cigars are officially listed as being 6 1/8 x 52 vitolas.
• Miami Cigar & Co. advertises on halfwheel.
• Cigars for this review were purchased by halfwheel.
• Final smoking time for all three cigars averaged out to one hour and 41 minutes.
• If you would like to purchase the Nestor Miranda Grand Reserve 2024, site sponsor Famous Smoke Show has them in stock.