Nestor Miranda Special Selection Danno 2012

In 2012, the Nestor Miranda Special Selection Danno returned after a hiatus in 2011. The Danno was originally released in 2009 to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Miami Cigar Co. and as a tribute to company founder Nestor Miranda’s late son Daniel Miranda, who was the vice-president and director of marketing for Miami Cigar & Co. and passed away in 2008.

There have been five total releases in the Special Selection Danno line:

• Nestor Miranda Special Selection Danno 2009 Rosado
• Nestor Miranda Special Selection Danno 2009 Oscuro
• Nestor Miranda Special Selection Danno 2010
• Nestor Miranda Special Selection Danno 2010 Buckhead Edition
• Nestor Miranda Special Selection Danno 2012

The first mention of the 2012 came in April while officials from Miami Cigar & Co. were finalizing blends at My Father Cigars S.A. Despite what this might say, early indications were the cigar would feature a San Andrés wrapper.

We got a look at the 2012 edition at IPCPR this year where this cigar made its debut. There we were able to get some pictures of the box, which look like this:

• Cigar Reviewed: Nestor Miranda Special Selection Danno 2012
• Country of Origin: Nicaragua
• Factory: My Father Cigars S.A.
• Wrapper: Mexican San Andrés
• Binder: Nicaragua
• Filler: Dominican Republic, Honduras & Nicaragua
• Size: 7 Inches
• Ring Gauge: 56
• Vitola: Double Corona
• MSRP: $10.00 (Boxes of 20, $200.00)
• Date Released: August 3, 2012
• Number of Cigars Released: 1,500 Boxes of 20 Cigars (30,000 Total Cigars)
• Number of Cigars Smoked for Review: 1

The mottled medium to dark brown wrapper is smooth and oily to the touch. A triple-capped pigtail adds a nice touch to the look of the cigar. It is very firm without any soft spots and has a deep barnyard aroma coming off the wrapper. On the cold draw there are notes of sweet milk chocolate, cinnamon and hay.

Starting the first third there is a blast of pepper, some of the aforementioned cinnamon, milk chocolate and only a slight sweetness—though not nearly as sweet as the cold draw was. The draw is perfect however with smoke production average to high. With the burn starting off a little squirrely I’m hoping it’s only the wind outside. There is a slight nuttiness developing and the pepper is quickly fading only half an inch in. Soon the sweetness starts ramping up with the chocolate coming to the forefront with some light coffee notes in the background. Continuing on the nuttiness has grown—almost a hazelnut note—but not quite. The burn has evened up significantly with a little touch-up getting the last straggling bit of wrapper. A bit of light pepper has returned with cedar as well, though both are just a whisper in the flavor profile.

The second third has again had the pepper fade away though the cedar has become more prominent. Chocolate is hanging out in the background with a slight nuttiness still there. The Danno 2012 is smoking smooth and creamy overall with only a touch of sweetness. Burn has continued to be pretty steady and the dark gray ash holds solidly to an inch. The last bit of this section has mellowed out a little.

The final third has brought out a little bit of strength, but overall this is still a medium-strength cigar. Towards the end there are lots of cedar, nuttiness, cinnamon and touch of chocolate notes in the background. The sweetness has all but faded though it’s still very smooth. The cigar wraps up nicely without any harshness and still producing the wonderful flavors that have been present throughout the entire cigar. 

Final Notes

• This is supposed to be a yearly release but there was no Danno release in 2011.
• Alongside the Danno, the Special Selection line also received a new Connecticut line.
• The Buckhead Danno had more Ligero for Mike Turrentino’s personal taste. Turrentino allegedly smoked through dozens of boxes himself.
• In a blog post for Miami Cigar & Co., Barry Stein, assistant director of marketing & advertising, wrote:
  

  When I came to Miami Cigar & Company, my title was being discussed with Jason. I was going to be the Director of Advertising & Marketing. This is a title that was Daniel Miranda’s title. I couldn’t have that. Much like many great teams retire a number, I felt the title should be retired as well. Thus, I took Assistant Director of Marketing & Advertising. While in Nicaragua, I asked Jason Wood if we can revisit The Danno which was made in his memory. This year the cigar undergoes a blend change. The 7 x 56 features a San Andreas Maduro wrapper with some added ligero for extra strength.

• While the Buckhead Danno had a secondary band, the 2012 version is the first to feature a footband.
• In my opinion there have been a good number of successful new cigars using the Mexican San Andrés wrapper. I think this was a great call to use for this year’s release.
• The size might be a deterrent, as it definitely requires you setting aside a good chunk of your day to enjoy. However, the 56 ring gauge is perfect in my opinion, giving the cigar enough substance to match its length without going overboard and jumping on the 60+ ring gauge wagon.
• The cigars for this review were provided by Miami Cigar & Co. at IPCPR 2012.
• Final smoking time was two hours.
• If you’d like to order the Nestor Miranda Special Section Danno 2012, site sponsors Atlantic Cigar and Casa de Montecristo have them in stock. Don’t forget to tell them halfwheel sent you.

Brian Burt

I have been smoking cigars since 2005 and reviewing them as a hobby since 2010. Initially, I started out small with a 50-count humidor and only smoking one or two cigars a month. Not knowing anybody else that smoked cigars, it was only an occasional hobby that I took part in. In March of 2010, I joined Nublive and Cigar Asylum, connecting me with many people who also shared an interest in cigars. Reading what they had to say about brands I had never heard of, I quickly immersed myself in the boutique brands of the industry and it was then that cigars transformed from a hobby into a passion.