Eiroa by Christian Eiroa | Cigar Review

By Cigar Reviews by the Katman on October 30, 2013

Wrapper: Honduran Corojo
Binder: Honduran
Filler: Honduran
Size: 5 x 50 “Robusto”
Body: Full
Price: $9.00

This new blend added to the Eiroa stable of cigars made its debut at the 2013 IPCPR trade show.
CLE Cigars produced this press release:
“Along with the opening of the new Aladino Cigar Factory, Christian Eiroa is also releasing two new cigar lines made entirely by the Aladino Factory. EIROA and CLE Plus will be available in late June/early July 2013 and bring something new to the Fabricas Unidas family and to the cigar industry as a whole.
“I am making the introduction of this new factory with two new blends that are representative of my passion for bold and full bodied cigars,” says Eiroa. “These two new Honduran puros deliver strength and flavor like nothing I have ever done before; I believe in them enough to name them after my family and me: The EIROA and the CLE Plus.“

In an interview with Eiroa, he exclaimed that it was time for CLE to have a truly full bodied stick in their repertoire. Yet oddly, the online stores refer to the Eiroa being medium/full bodied. We shall see.

Each box, and each cigar, features the Spanish saying, “Salud, Amor y Pesetas” which means, “Health, Love and Money.” An old Spanish motto for a successful life.

Construction is solid as a rock. At a minimum, the cap looks like a double but it is so impeccably done, it is hard to tell. There are lots of minor veins. A slight oily sheen and very smooth to the touch.

I clip the cap and find aromas of the darkest bitter sweet cocoa, and a snoot full of potent spice that makes me sneeze and my eyes water. Could it be that I am becoming allergic to the spice in cigars? Each time I smell a spicy cigar from the clipped cap, I sneeze. This is something new. There is a sweet fruitiness. It is smells of peach preserves. I also smell earthiness. And brand, spanking new leather.
Time to light up.

The first puffs are meaty and earthy. And then a wallop of black pepper in the back of the throat. The draw is not bad but due to how much tobacco is shoved into this stick, I am not surprised.

A delightful sweetness takes over. And then a smooth creaminess. That brand new leather smell translates to a flavor. And I am only at the 1” mark. I have a good feeling about this cigar. The body starts as classic medium. With the strength climbing the ladder rung by rung.

As the cigar nears the end of the first third, I can taste a citrus element and some melon. I sip some water to confirm these flavors. If you are never sure of what you taste, sip water only. Anything else will disguise the true flavor.

Still, the black pepper is mandating the presentation of the cigar. It is very spicy. Which I love. That kick of oomph is something I am very partial to. Sweetness is right behind, slightly taming the spice.

The second third begins without much change.

If you take a close look at the cigar band it is full of interesting words. A large red circle has the blend name on it. Surrounding the word Eiroa within the red circle, it says: Salud, Amor y, Pestatas.

A black ring surrounds the red circle and the words say Tadicion Tabacalera and Calidad Superior. It translates to Tradition, Tobacco, and Superior Quality.

On one side of the band, it says Desde 1916. On the other side of the band, it says Hecho 2013. And all of this on a red awning looking affair.

The ash is strong and I could let it go so you can see how cool I am. But it’s playing with fire and I don’t want the ash in my lap or on my laptop. So I gently break the ash off when the moment is right.

I taste salty pretzel now. In the second third, a very rich and intense character arrives.

The cigar hits the medium/full body mark now.

Creaminess reappears to complement the tobacco, sweetness, citrus, and melon flavors. It is here that the cigar reaches its complexity. It has a very long finish and perfect balance. This is not a flavor bomb cigar. It is not a kitchen sink flavor profile.

The halfway point lets the cigar hit full bodied. There is quite a bit of nicotine and my body is reacting to it. As I have never smoked a cigarette in my entire life, I might not be so sensitive to nicotine.

The cap is heading towards being a real mess. I don’t think a double or triple cap would do this.

I hit the last third and the flavors of spice, creaminess, leather, earth, and fruit beam with a rich consistency. The sweet spot is the last third. Of course, if I had allowed the cigar to marinate in my humidor for 6 months, the whole profile would probably be more refined.

The cocoa flavor shows itself. Accompanied by coffee. The creaminess gives both flavors quite a boost.

This is a very complex cigar and nothing like I expected. It has a very Cuban-esque profile. The cigar is unique and nothing like the other blends by CLE. I should note that this cigar is not on the CLE web site. The official name of the cigar is: “Eiroa by Christian Eiroa.”

The spice ramps up once more making my nose run and my eyes water. Yet it doesn’t over shadow the flavors.

The cigar comes in four sizes:
Prensado or Corona Extra: 4 x 48
Robusto: 5 x 50
Toro: 6 x 54
Gordo: 6 x 60

Now this ain’t a cheap cigar. But the proof is in the pudding. It took the folks at CLE a long time to develop this blend..and it shows with its complexity.

I belong to the Atlantic Cigar VIP Club which gives anything from a small discount to a very large discount. This cigar only sees a few shekels off the selling price of other online stores.

I recommend this cigar to aficionados. It is not a newbie cigar. It requires a smoker with an exceptional palate.
Thanks to CLE for the samples.