Met Nestor Miranda At Vilar Cigars In Miami

[MJL]

You meet the most interesting people in cigar shops in the Miami area. Honestly, these places are like some sort of cigar form of Cheers. Case in point; yesterday.

I read about a new cigar shop opening up in Homestead. I went to check it out but it has not opened. Damn! I wanted to check out a new cigar shop. I decided to drive up to Pinecrest to check out Vilar Cigars. I have been to their South Miami shop many times but for some unknown reason I had missed their Pinecrest store all these years. What makes this even more unusual is that I actually grew up in Pinecrest. Well, I made the drive up to Pinecrest and walked in. They seemed to have a nice selection of cigars and I did pick up a few of the Don Pepin Garcia blue label cigars to try out. I decided to smoke one in their store. I sat down on the couch to smoke the cigar and met a very interesting man sitting there watching TV. We began to chat about little things; life in Miami, etc He introduced himself as Nestor Miranda and pointed to the shelves containing the cigars from his company. He was waiting for some pool equipment next door so we had a good long time to talk one on one. The conversation was all about tobacco selection, the political environment in Nicaragua, rolling cigars, restaurants, wrappers, price points, units made, units sold, the future of Cuba, etc. I have met a number of people involved in the cigar industry in Miami and all seemed to be very happy with big smiles on their faces and all seemed to be really great people. Mr. Miranda was very down to earth, very approachable and willing to discuss any facet of cigar manufacture, sales, marketing and industry. He did point to one of his cigars with his name on the box and said I ought to try them. I bought a few but got busy last night so I will try them tonight. Very interesting way to spend a Saturday afternoon indeed!

ABOUT NESTOR MIRANDA
http://www.cigaraficionado.com/Cigar/CA_Pr...547,135,00.html

 

[Lightninrod]

Man, that brings back memories! We lived in Perrine in 1966-71, right after moving back to that area after living for two years in Key West. Can't remember their names but I bought tobacco and pipes from a B&M in South Miami and in Coral Gables.


Dan

 

[MJL]

Man, that brings back memories! We lived in Perrine in 1966-71, right after moving back to that area after living for two years in Key West. Can't remember their names but I bought tobacco and pipes from a B&M in South Miami and in Coral Gables.


Dan

Dan,

If you have not been back to the area it does not appear at all like you may remember it. White flight in the 80s, the loss of National, Eastern and Pan-Am airlines, hurricane Andrew, the loss of Homestead Air Force Base (now an Air Reserve Base) hurricanes Katrina and Wilma all took a hand in changing what is here now. The Pinecrest area is now big money. Perrine, in many ways, declined after Andrew. The east side of US1 incorporated a few years ago into the town of Palmetto Bay and seem to be turning the tide. I think the tobacco shop you may be thinking about is the old and now defunct Harrels Tobacco (I may be wrong on the spelling). As a pipe smoker myself South Florida is a desert for pipe tobacco selection and pipes. It is all about the cigar down here now. That is not bad but I do also collect and smoke pipes so I often feel like a real outsider in that regard.