Eiroa Dark 11/18

CLE Cigar Co.

• Country of Origin: Honduras
• Factory: The CLE Factory
• Wrapper: Honduras (Corojo)
• Binder: Honduras (Corojo)
• Filler: Honduras (Corojo)
• Length: 6 Inches
• Ring Gauge: 48/54/48
• Vitola: 11/18 Perfecto
• MSRP: $16.70 (Box of 20, $334)
• Release Date: May 1, 2023
• Number of Cigars Released: 500 Boxes of 20 Cigars (10,000 Total Cigars)
• Original Score: 92

While Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic get the lion’s share of attention when it comes to new releases, Honduras has increased its visibility by leaps and bounds in the past few years, led by the Eiroa family’s host of cigars, which includes two different companies: CLE and JRE Tobacco Co.

The most recent Honduran puro that impressed us in a big way was CLE’s 2023 TAA release, which combined an existing blend named Eiroa Dark with the Eiroa family’s most iconic size, the 11/18. The iconic perfecto shape has been used for dozens of Camacho—the Eiroas once owned Camacho—and now CLE releases, although it is perhaps most famous as the go-to vitola for the Camacho Liberty Series.

Reviewers listed a number of positive points about the blend, including distinct transitions between thirds and a nuanced flavor profile that included flavors of beef jerky, dark chocolate, charred oak, and terroir. However, minor construction issues were common, with one reviewer lamenting the cigar’s extremely flaky ash.

By releasing a plethora of new blends made up entirely of Honduran tobacco, the Eiroas, in my opinion, have done more to champion the Honduran tobacco cause than any other cigar company in the last five years. The Eiroa Dark 11/18 is the latest example of that assertion. After being impressed so much during his review, Charlie Minato bought a box of them for the office, now I just have to find where he put it. — Brooks Whittington.