Vitola: Robusto- 5” x 50 ring gauge
- MSRP $7.00
- Purchased at Dana Point Cigar & Wine
Background
The Tobacconist Association of America (TAA) held its 48th annual meeting in March 2016. While they do some business, talk about issues, and definitely party hard, the most visible end of the meeting for most of us is the annual batch of TAA-exclusive cigars. Last year, CLE Cigars produced the Asylum Nyctophilia for the TAA, but this year they decided to put the spotlight on the mother-brand: CLE.
The Azabache is a three-vitola blend named after the “glistening coal often used in Latin cultural jewelry.” The blend uses Honduran Corojo (no surprise there, since that’s been a trademark of Christian Eiroa since his Camacho days) and Peruvian Pelo de Oro fillers, a pair of Honduran binders and a Mexican San Andres wrapper (which is dark enough to remind one of coal). The three sizes range from $7 to $9 for MSRP and they are only producing 320 boxes of 25 of each blend.
Although the shop I work at is a TAA store, we did not bring in the Azabache. When I was out in California recently, I visited Dana Point Cigar & Wine, a TAA store owned by Craig Cunningham, who also happens to own the Esteban Carreras Cigar Company. I purchased a couple of the Robusto sizes while I was there and this review is based on my second smoking of the blend. Background facts for this article are courtesy of the 800-pound Gorilla Lifestyle Mag.
Prelight
CLE has taken to upgrading their packaging in the past year and it’s a welcome upgrade. I’ve been told that they do not want to use cellophane, but want to preserve the use of barcodes and give some of the protection that cellophane affords, so they instead have tissue paper wrapped around the cigar from the band to the foot. I will admit that it does look very good. In this case, the band is silver and black, with foil and holographic elements. The tissue paper is white and black, including the CLE logo, as well as the TAA logo and “TAA Exclusive” printed on it.
They are all wrapped around a leaf that was dark chocolate brown in color with a bit of mottling and striations, as well as a good amount of toothiness that you could feel under the fingertips more than see in the light. There was a mild box press to the cigar and the aroma from the wrapper was a mix of earth, leather and chocolate.
The cold draw of the Azabache was good and had flavors of cocoa powder and medium-roast coffee bean.
Flavor
From reading the country of origin information, you might expect this blend to start off bold and full-bodied, but you would be wrong. The Azabache was on the south end of the medium-bodied spectrum at the outset, and featured subdued notes of semi-sweet chocolate, coffee bean, and earth. Secondary notes of wood and pepper were on the palate and there was just a little pepper spice on the retrohale. So at least near the beginning, it was proving to be an unexpectedly nuanced and subtle cigar.
Through the first third and well into the second, the flavor proved to not be terribly complex, but it was well-balanced and very good. I continued to get the notes of chocolate and coffee, while the earth and pepper tapered off a bit. Mostly the cigar was just smooth, sweet and enjoyable.
And in the last third, there really wasn’t much different to report. The same smooth, sweet flavor profile held sway with maybe just a little cedar added to the mix.
Construction
Azabache featured a very even burn line for a Maduro, as well as a great draw and solid ash.
Value
The price tag for these is very fair, based on them being a fairly limited distribution and a very good smoking experience.
Conclusions
Based on the fact that the flavor profile didn’t change a whole lot throughout, it’s easy enough to say that the CLE Azabache isn’t a very complex cigar. But it is very good. The sweet, smooth flavor profile held onto its enjoyability from beginning to end. I would go a step further and say that this is my favorite cigar ever with the letters “CLE” on it. That being said, it doesn’t really stand up to the Eiroa First 20 Years or even the Eiroa CBT in terms of overall flavor profile plus complexity. As a very good medium-bodied cigar at a very reasonable price tag, though, it succeeds wildly and I can recommend it without hesitation.
By-The-Numbers
Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 2/2
Flavor: 4/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 9/10
