Vitola: Robusto- 4.5” x 50 ring gauge
- MSRP $7.50
- Purchased at Burns Tobacconist
Background
Late in the summer of 2018, CLE Cigars announced they were bringing back the Wynwood branding, something which had been retired several years previous when the company parted ways with Robert Caldwell. The full name this time is actually Wynwood Hills and it encompasses three blends, each available in a single size.
Today I’m looking at Mayhem, which uses an “Authentic Corojo Seed” from the Eiroa Farm in Jamastran, Honduras. One source indicated that “each blend is unique” but didn’t name them…another place I look says that the Mayhem is all Honduran Corojo. The Wynwood Hills blends come in boxes of 50.
I bought mine from Burns Tobacconist, where I work, but these can be found almost anywhere CLE Cigars are sold. I used Cigar-Coop’s news article for background information.
Prelight
When a cigar is on the cheaper side, it’s surprising when the company pays attention to the small details that will enhance its standing on the shelves of a crowded humidor and just plain make the cigar look good. The Wynwood Hills blends share the same main band and it’s an attractive one, using just red and gold metallic inks on white paper, along with good use of embossing. The differentiator is the tissue paper sleeves that are put on the part of the cigar below the band…something which CLE has been doing for a couple years with The First 20 Years and other blends. This sleeve has the blend name—“Mayhem”—sideways with “Question Everything” below it (this phrase is repeated on the other two blends, as well). The back of the sleeve has a barcode to make for easy inventory for shops that use the factory-placed barcodes.
Take the sleeve off and the Mayhem has a medium brown color with a lot of reddish hues in it. The leaf was smooth and mildly oily; it had an aroma of natural tobacco, wood, and hay. The foot of the cigar was more of a clean, sweet hay aroma with a touch of a vegetal note. The cold draw was excellent and tasted mostly of wood and grass.
Flavor
Going into this cigar, my expectations were pretty low. After all, I had not really liked most of what CLE had done with Honduran Corojo in the past. The Wynwood Hills Mayhem set out to change my mind, though, starting off with cedar and bell pepper and sweet grassiness, along with a mild white pepper burn. The pepper was more prevalent on the nose and the overall body off the cigar was right around medium at the outset. About 10 minutes in I got a strong influx of sweetness, citrus mostly, but also a bit of a molasses note to it. The pepper got slightly stronger on the palate around the same time.
As I got into the second third, I got more pepper on the palate, as it morphed into a red pepper heat. The citrus sweetness continued along, while cedar flavors rode quietly underneath.
The last third of the Wynwood Hills Mayhem was a very nice mix of sweet and spicy with the woody flavors receding into the far background.
Construction
I had a fantastic draw, very even burn line and solid ash the whole way.
Value
The Wynwood Hills line is practically value-priced, especially for delivering such a good experience.
Conclusions
I really enjoyed this blend. Wynwood Hills Mayhem is, in my opinion, the best thing CLE has put out using the Eiroa family’s “Authentic Corojo,” with a blend that is Bette to my palate than the Eiroa Corojo or CLE Corojo. While it isn’t the spice bomb that the present-day Camacho Corojo is, that doesn’t detract from its appeal for me, as sometimes I’m just not in the mood for something that peppery. The pricing for the Wynwood Hills line only enhances its attraction for me when I’m looking for a medium-bodied cigar with a moderate amount of spice for about 40 to 45 minutes.
By-The-Numbers
Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 2/2
Flavor: 4/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 9/10
