Wrapper: Nicaraguan Corojo ’99 Rosado

Binder: Nicaraguan 2 different blends (Entubado style)

Filler: Nicaraguan Aganorsa ‘98

Size: 5.5 x 50 “Robusto”

Body: Medium

Price: $6.00

This is not a blend designed by A.J. Fernandez, the Master. But it is designed by the “Dream Team” at Casa Fernandez. Legendary blender Arsenio Ramos gathered his team including Chandito and Jacinto Horowitz (I don’t know their real last names.) And with the goal in mind to blend Aganorsa tobacco with the rest of the eclectic leaves mentioned above.

The price point on the La Mia is extremely reasonable….and I’ve allowed them to rest for a solid month in my humidor before smoking one; which is now.

Construction is very good. When I first got them, I panicked. They were soft. Oh no. But over the last month they have become the rocks of Gibraltar. There is a nice oily sheen. There is a triple cap with a nice little pig tail. A bit on the rustic side with veins running up and down the stick. But seams are tight as my grandma’s choo choo.

I do the sniff-o-rama and detect spice, cocoa, and nutmeg. But all aromas were very faint. Mostly, it smelled like good tobacco.

I clip the baby and light up.

I get a very creamy tobacco taste. Very warm and comforting. The draw is dead nuts. A little bit of pepper. And a perfect char line.

The band is very old fashioned. No ornate Gurkha-like billboard design. Just the name of the cigar on a blue, white, and gold plain band.

I’ve reviewed all of the Casa Fernandez blends. And I’ve bought plenty of boxes and 5 packs. So I am curious to see how the “Dream Team” does.

It also appears that only Atlantic Cigar carries them. I wasn’t able to find them anywhere else in my Google search. And yet, Atlantic does not brag about this. Curiouser…..

I am an inch in and not much going on. The red pepper begins to get off its haunches. And a nice sweetness shows up. But if this is going to come through with all the hype surrounding it, I expect it to begin showing off in the second third. Let’s hope so.

There is a bit of a caramel taste that comes from the sweetness. The body is on the shy side of medium…as the cigar nears the end of the first third.

And as hoped, things seem to ramp up around me. The creaminess becomes the most apparent flavor complementing the caramel, the sweetness, some cocoa, some cedar, and some nuts. It has a classic Nicaraguan profile. But this second third is building really fast. I can taste the Casa Fernandez influence. The Daddy of the outfit is Eduardo Fernandez.

According to Atlantic Cigars, this is a very small batch cigar. So who knows how long it will be around? And in the very efficient $6 price range, these cigars with the right PR, should go like crazy from the folks who love Casa Fernandez cigars, like me. The biggest difference is that the regular lines of CF cigars have a much higher price point.

The sweetness and creaminess are out of this world close to the halfway point. The cocoa, and now coffee, are in the back ground. It is now like a Creamsicle. Buttery smooth. Well balanced and outright delicious. Wow. My new favorite cigar.

The body climbs to classic medium bodied and the red pepper ascends with it. I am glad I waited a month to try one. My gut tells me I would not be getting these flavors and since I bought a box due to the reasonable cost, I have 19 more of these fun sticks to enjoy.

This little cigar spews smoke like a huge steam engine. The triple cap is very well made and no detritus is found. No loose tobacco at the cap and it stays in relatively good form. At this point, as I begin the last third, a coffee component really comes zinging at you. Much stronger than the cocoa. Now, it’s a Starbuck’s Creamsicle.

The thin paper band is a pain in the ass to get off. I have to use a sharp knife to remove it…naturally, putting a ding in the wrapper.

The last third is very complex. This cigar is a flavor bomb. The body remains at medium. So no dancing with the dog in the middle of the living room.

The cigar finishes out making me want to light up another one.

The fact that there is very little hype surrounding this cigar is a good thing. You can go to Atlantic Cigar and choose any cigar size, and any quantity. Once word gets out, that will become much more difficult. Get some.

Categories: CIGAR REVIEWS