Cigar Review – CLE Plus 4×48

Described by Christian Eiroa as “the full bodied CLE Corojo cigar the market has been asking for,” CLE Plus is a full flavored Honduran Puro that debuted at this year’s trade show. One of the first cigars to be produced at Eiroa’s new Aladino Factory in Danli, Honduras, the CLE Plus just arrived on our shelves this week so I decided to break it in with a quick review of the 4×48 vitola.

This short stogie had nice sharp construction and a super-clean triple cap up top. Pre-light draws gave off a taste of cedar and coffee with a slight sweetness.

The 4×48 lit up to lots of chewy smoke with an earthy and peppery flavor. There wasn’t a whole lot of subtlety here, just a mega-blast of ultra-rich flavor. After the initial “flavor-shock” subsided I began to pick up some tasty nuances of nuts, white pepper, and coffee.

In the 2nd third the heavy clouds of thick smoke had’nt let up a bit. The bold flavor was now offset somewhat by a wave of creaminess, which made for a nice contrast to the stick’s initial intensity. The draw here was about as open as they come and the burn had gone only slightly awry.

The final portion of the smoke held deeper flavors of earth, cedar, coffee, and cocoa, along with a syrupy anise-like sweetness on the finish. I smoked the little 4-incher down as far as I could until the smoldering nub threatened to burn my fingers.

After finishing the CLE Plus my mind goes directly into a sales pitch: “Looking for maximum flavor and strength in a 20-30 minute smoke? Well, look no further…” The CLE Plus definitely delivered on its promise of full-bodied flavor, and the 4×48 size really pulls no punches. The taste was pleasant and strong without being “harsh”, though I am sure the larger sizes will do the blend a little more justice and I look forward to trying them out. This one was a full-on flavor assault and definitely not for the faint of palate. I give the CLE Plus 4×48 a hearty B+ grade and recommend it for lovers of strong smokes looking for something to quench their desire in a coffee-break time frame. This was raw Corojo power at it’s finest.