Doc of Doc’s Cigar Corner
The featured cigar is the Migdalia Special Edition (S.E.) Petit Corona (5.0″ x 40) by Micallef.
This cigar was made in limited quantity by Micallef Cigar Company (MCC) of Arlington, Texas. Details about the history and construction were related to me directly on April 27, 2021 when Al Micallef, the owner of MCC, made an unannounced visit to Smokers Haven Cigar Store in Lubbock, where he stayed for several hours.
The Migdalia S.E. 5 x 40 is rolled in Esteli, Nicaragua using a blend of Dominican and Nicaraguan filler found in a warehouse recently purchased by MCC in Tampa, FL. The filler is high quality, and its manifest dating establishes the aging time as 10 years. The binder is 4 year old Sumatran, and the wrapper is 4 year old Mexican San Andres Habano.
Five hundred boxes of 12 cigars were produced under the supervision of Migdalia Gomez-Sanchez, the Cuban-trained master blender who partners with Micallef in Nicaragua. All of the available aged filler was used; the cigars have been distributed to Micallef affiliates as far north as Milwaukee, WI and as far east as Tampa, FL. As Micallef’s number one shop in the U.S., Smokers Haven originally received 15 boxes. These cigars are excellent, very rare, and have an interesting history, so they will likely be subject to hoarding. [Editor’s note: I think Doc is in on the hoarding!]
Following a deep V-cut, the cigar draws easily. No construction defects were found in the three examples smoked, except a very small capleaf separation in one case. After moistening, this re-adhered and there was no further problem. Minor unevenness in the burn was easily corrected by positioning.
Flavor showed some variability, as I expected with a cigar of this history, but the differences were minor. One of the three started with a very prominent cashew flavor over its base of natural, mild tobacco and light spice. The others also incorporated cashew notes, but these were more subtle. As the cashew waned after 1 to 1 1/2 inches, other notes came to the fore, including oak, leather, and less prominently, cedar. All three of the example cigars shared sweet creamy caramel flavor which began about an inch before the finish and persisted to the end.
Rating: Construction 99, Flavor 100
Overall this is an outstanding cigar. If you find these, get at least one for the experience, and strongly consider buying a box.
Availability: As of May 4, 2021 Smokers Haven in Lubbock has one box left in stock. Good Karma does not carry them. NeptuneCigar.com sells the Migdalia Special Edition for $12.00 per stick and $144.00 for a box of 12. (Or perhaps you have a friend in Milwaukee or Tampa who could find them locally?)
Enjoy!
Doc
Review #22
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