Herrera Esteli Miami (2019) Toro Especial (6 x 52)

Video review HERE.

The Herrera Esteli Miami is handmade at the famed El Titan de Bronze factory on Calle Ocho in Little Havana.

Crafted by Level 9 Cuban Rollers, the complete Herrera Esteli Miami line is expertly rolled with a lavish Ecuadorian Habano Oscuro wrapper over a rich Ecuadorian Sumatran binder with select fillers from the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua. The new look of Herrera Esteli Miami features a black and gold color tone.

From El Titan de Bronze, Drew Estate Master Blender Willy Herrera notes, “The amount of pride I feel unveiling the full Herrera Esteli Miami line to our most valued retailers is immense. Getting to spend so much time in my family’s factory, El Titan de Bronze, I was able to personally supervise every step of the process to make sure the Miami’s are smoking excellently. I know, I smoked a ton of them!”

Blend info:

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano Oscuro 

Binder: Ecuadorian Sumatran 

Filler: Dominican Republic and Nicaragua.

Vitolas available:

Robusto Grande 

5x50 

MSRP $109.97/ Box of 10

Toro Especial (REVIEWED TODAY)

6x52 

MSRP $117.47/ Box of 10

Lonsdale Deluxe 

6.5x44 

MSRP $112.97/ Box of 10

Piramide Fino 

6.5x54 

MSRP $127.47/ Box of 10

Short Corona Gorda 

5 3/4 x 48 

MSRP $97.97/ Box of 10

The cigar has a very good feel in the hand; very weighty.

The test draw after cutting the cap was very good. The initial flavors at light up were a large amount of black pepper which I rated at 8 to 8 1/2 initially. Additionally there was cedar, nutmeg, quite a bit of cinnamon, brown sugar, and a nice black coffee base. I got hints of caramel but wanted to see if they develop. At this point the cigar reminds me of the original Herrera Esteli which I reviewed in 2016. That particular cigar received a score of 94.

At the first third (38 minutes) I have decided this cigar is different from the original; it's not as sweet. Perhaps it's due to the larger ring gauge or perhaps the original blend leaves are no longer available. In any event the fact is the cigar is not as sweet. I still have cedar, lots of nutmeg, a touch of brown sugar, lots of cinnamon, and a black coffee base. The hint of caramel has not developed into a full blown flavor. There is so much nutmeg that the coffee tastes earthy. The black pepper has toned down to a 7 to 7 1/2. The finish is coffee and nutmeg with nice lingering black pepper. The cigar is medium bodied. I rated the first third at 92.

At the second third (1 hour 17 minutes) I had a brief moment of an increase in the sweetness. It occurred at approximately the midpoint but it lasted only a brief time. Then the cigar went back to the "normal amount" of sweetness it's had. The flavors remain the same and the nutmeg remains very heavy. The finish has less coffee with a minor amount of brown sugar and nutmeg.  By the end of the second third the cigar tasted about the same as the first third. I maintained the score of 92.

The cigar lasted 1 hour 55 minutes. A very nice burn time. I'll give the cigar one credit; it's consistent. Nothing changed from the final third through the end. It remained heavy on the nutmeg with average sweetness. But, I enjoyed the cigar. It's pretty good. I maintained the score of 92 because it's definitely a 92 cigar. But it didn't rise to the level I had hoped and it's not as good as the original. Perhaps a smaller ring gauge might give different results since the original was smaller. The finish was unchanged. The cigar ended at medium bodied. To give these cigars a try in this size of the other sizes they can be purchased HERE.

Overall Score: 92