Casa Fernandez Miami Reserva Maduro | Cigar Review

Wrapper: Mexican San Andrés
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan Medio Tiempo leaf, Ligero, Viso
Size: 6 x 54
Body: Full
Price: $9.80 MSRP
Humidor Aging Time: 9 Months
Dry Boxing Time: 36 Hours

Today we take a look at the Casa Fernandez Miami Reserva Maduro.
Thanks to Duffy Ensign Waldron for the stick.

BACKGROUND:
Debuted at the 2013 IPCPR trade show
Regular production
I reviewed the Natural version.
According to Cigars International:
“In 2011, Casa Fernandez Miami Natural garnered a 92-point rating along with being named the number 12 cigar of the year.”
Cigar Aficionado says: Casa Fernandez works exclusively with the company’s high-quality tobacco grown throughout Estelí, Condega and Jalapa, Nicaragua by Aganorsa S.A.”

DESCRIPTION:
The wrapper is an oily, mottled, chocolate/hickory color. Beautiful. The stick is rock hard. This will be a roller coaster of hours of nicotine.
Seams are invisible. The wrapper is slightly microscopically toothy. The cap is devoid of striations so it is one with the shaft. I assume it is a triple cap.

SIZES AND PRICING:
Corona Extra: 5 x 46 $8.00 MSRP
Titan: 6 x 60 $9.00 MSRP
Toro: 6 x 54 $9.80 MSRP

AROMAS AND COLD DRAW NOTES:
From the shaft, I smell strong barnyard, red pepper, lemon citrus, cedar, and chocolate.
From the clipped cap and the foot, I smell chocolate, spice, lemon citrus, cedar, malts, and coffee.
The cold draw presents flavors of milk chocolate, cedar, red pepper, dried fruit, and mixed nuts.

FIRST THIRD:
First off, my body seems to have changed. It is exactly two months ago, when we moved, I got over dehydrated, got heat stroke, and then renal failure and a week in the hospital.
Here is the point. Ever since, I’ve not been able to handle full bodied cigars. I just don’t handle nicotine. I had a big bowl of cereal this morning. Like pal Duffy suggested, rinsed my mouth with Hydrogen Peroxide to clean my palate, and I’m ready to go.

Casa Fernandez has always been one of my favorite brands.
A ball goes over the fence in right field.
Flavors? Creaminess, chocolate, red hot pepper, caramel, nuts, malts, dried fruit, cedar, and espresso. Wow. Now that’s how a cigar should start. No foolin’ around.

The humidor aging on this blend is perfect for bringing out the blender’s intent.
The draw is a bit stiff as the cigar is packed so solid.

I use my cigar awl. I run it down the entire length of the cigar which ain’t easy. I have two awls. One looks like an ice pick. And the other is a tool with a tiny shaft but 1” of threaded drill-type bit at the end. I prefer the later. Less chance of cracking the wrapper.
The draw now opens up dramatically.
I get a serious V burn while I was fixing the draw and must torch the foot. Damn.

The char line won’t cooperate. This really pulls the shade down on my impression of a cigar. Plus, the constant torching affects the flavor profile.

The flavors are muted now. No doubt due to the torching of the foot on two occasions.
But then after a couple minutes, they return. Good.

No changes to the aforementioned list; but they are becoming more intense and defined.

Strength is only a medium body at this point. Thank you baby Jesus Alou. And baby Manny Mota too.
It’s kind of a shame to review a good cigar after I reviewed a spectacular cigar yesterday: Blessed Leaf Theophany by Ezra Zion Cigar Co.I rated that a 99. It would have gotten a 100 if not for some burn issues.

So the Casa Fernandez Miami Reserva Maduro is up against some stiff competition.
There are no transitions 1-1/2” into the cigar. Stagnant.
Complexity is minimal.

I get a damn V burn again. In both of my humidors, I have electronic humidifiers and I keep them at 67.5%.
This is really starting to piss me off.

I have only one stick so there is no comparison, prior smoked sticks. This constant torching greatly accelerates the time spent on the first third.

I don’t know if the torching is affecting the lack of transitions or not. But there aren’t any. I should be a lot more impressed with this $10 stick.
Of course, the size might matter. The Corona Extra probably soars with flavor. In my opinion, the bigger the cigar, the less impact it has on the palate.
If I can buy, which I can’t, a Corona Gorda (5.5 x 46), that’s my choice of sizes. Always intense and complex.
The Casa Fernandez Miami Reserva Maduro started off with such hope and it is now lying there like a flounder or my first wife on our honeymoon.

SECOND THIRD:
Smoke time is 17 minutes.
The char line seems to be evening out. Hope I didn’t jinx it.

I only found 6 reviews of the Casa Fernandez Miami Reserva Maduro. Not a good sign. Especially, since the cigar has been released since 2013.
And almost all reviewed the Corona. And none found more than four flavors.

I truly enjoyed the Natural version of this blend. I think Casa Fernandez slipped a disc on turning the blend into a maduro. And didn’t spend enough time on the bigger two sizes to get them right.

Apparently, they scored big with the Corona Extra and then fell asleep at the wheel with the Toro.
Strength remains at medium body. How odd for a full body cigar to act.

I’m too bummed to list the malts. It doesn’t matter.
The cigar continues not to present any transitions or complexity.

Is this a joke cigar? Is it going to explode in my face halfway through?

Under normal circumstances, if I was smoking this stick for pleasure, I would have put it down by now and moved on.
Alas, the rating will not be good. Forget the burn issues. Where are the exciting transitions and complexity?

Maybe the second half will make up for a lousy first half. Fingers crossed.
I am at the halfway point. Smoke time is 35 minutes.
No sign of improvement.

Flavors have disappeared. No more spice, chocolate, malt, caramel, creaminess, cedar, or nuts. All I taste is the tobacco and it ain’t that great.

Casa Fernandez is very inconsistent in their blends. In the 15 different Casa Fernandez reviews I’ve written, I only really enjoyed about 75% blends.
And the ones that weren’t so hot were the really expensive ones.

LAST THIRD:
Smoke time is 45 minutes.
Plain and simple, this is a terrible cigar.
I’m not enjoying it one bit.

Maybe the last couple inches will show some hope.
Nothing bums me out like a bad stick.

Famous Smoke sent me their new Baptiste by Oliva cigars for review. I will give them a shot tomorrow.

The char line is out of whack, for a change. I’m not going to fix it just to give the illusion that is doing fine.
Then, slowly, some flavors return: creaminess, chocolate, and caramel. Very subtle, but at least there is something to taste now.

The last third is attempting a comeback. Too little, too late. But I’ll take it.
The flavor profile is building. This makes no sense.

You should read my review of the Casa Fernandez Miami Reserva that I wrote on 4-17-2013. Night and day.
The Casa Fernandez Miami Reserva Maduro has returned to being a good cigar.

Transitions occur and it seems to be on the verge of finding its complexity.
Or am I grasping at straws? What a disappointment.
Do not buy this cigar. Yeah, I could have gotten a bum stick. But at $10 a pop, it tastes more like a $2 stick.
Poor Duffy is probably self-flagellating himself right now. I’m sorry buddy.

RATING: 75

Three days ago, I asked for help in my “Thank You” post.
7 people answered the call.

Since posting “Thank You,” I have had 1038 hits. That’s .0067% of the readers that responded.

Seven readers offered cigars for review and others sent me the $10 that I asked for.

When I finish reviewing the cigars I have, and the cigars I have coming, I’m done.

We are poor as church mice and yet we manage to spend $10 each on three charities per month.

One redonkulous reader made the comment that every single reader I have is poor. Such a stupid comment. Did he mean to tell me that 600,000 readers I have per year are all S.O.L when it comes to money?
It’s just a matter of not caring. I get it.

With the cigars coming in, it shouldn’t take more than a month before I shut it down.
The upside? I get to sleep in.

In my last review, I will thank those 7 people for their kindness and generosity.