CLE Releasing PCA 2024 Exclusives for CLE, Eiroa and Asylum Brands

At this week’s 2024 PCA Convention & Trade Show, CLE Cigar Co. will debut exclusive cigars from three of its brands that will only be available to retailers who attend the show.

The company’s Asylum, CLE and Eiroa and brands will all be adding a PCA-exclusive cigar, and they all share a number of details. The binder and fillers of all three cigars are not being disclosed other than to say that they come from CLE Cigar Company’s farm in South America. The CLE release will use a Connecticut wrapper, the Eiroa release will use a maduro wrapper, and the Asylum cigar gets a habano wrapper, though the company is not disclosing where those wrappers were grown.

“We are slowly rolling out this tobacco from our South American farm,” said Christian Eiroa, the company’s founder, via a press release. “Last year’s PCA exclusives used tobacco from that farm, and it was well received. The tobacco has now gone through another year of aging, so the smoker can expect a more refined smoking experience. I am also excited to share this new and attractive box, which will house one hundred cigars.”

Each blend is presented in a unique, 100-count display that uses a honeycomb design and features four vitolas inside: a 5 x 50 robusto, a 6 x 52 toro, a 6 x 60 gordo and the 11/18 vitola, a figurado that measures 6 inches long and has a 48 ring gauge at the head and foot, while the center of the cigar has a 54 ring gauge.

Each box will contain 25 of each of the four vitolas and is priced at $1,896 regardless of the blend, meaning each cigar has an MSRP of $18.96.

The company says it will produce however many boxes are ordered at the trade show. Retailers can opt to hold onto the boxes and use them as a display case for other releases from the three brands. The company is producing the packaging in-house, with Eiroa purchasing the equipment to produce the boxes, which he says will increase control of the package quality and avoid long wait times.

When the cigars will arrive in stores has not yet been finalized.

Images courtesy of CLE Cigar Co.

Patrick Lagreid

I strive to capture the essence of a cigar and the people behind them in my work – every cigar you light up is the culmination of the work of countless people and often represents generations of struggle and stories. For me, it’s about so much more than the cigar – it’s about the story behind it, the experience of enjoying the work of artisans and the way that a good cigar can bring people together. In addition to my work with halfwheel, I’m the public address announcer for the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks during spring training, as well as for the Salt River Rafters of the Arizona Fall League, the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury, the G-League's Valley Suns, and previously the Arizona Rattlers of the Indoor Football League. I also work in a number of roles for Major League Baseball, plus I'm a voice over artist. Prior to joining halfwheel, I covered the Phoenix and national cigar scene for Examiner.com, and was an editor for Cigar Snob magazine.