This past week Asylum Cigars debuted their medulla oblongata which features a cigar wrapped in tissue paper. Which made me realize that the CLE Prieto has been on my list of cigars to smoke from last years trade show that I have overlooked for way to long. I constantly reach for the Chele, but today I decided to cross Prieto off my list and smoke it for review here at The Cigar Authority.
Cigar: CLE Prieto
Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Length: 5″
Ring Gauge: 50
Size: Robusto
The Look: The cigars come packaged in finished cabinet boxes and are packed with 25 cigars inside. The box features the brand in silver, which matches the silver foil on the cigar bands themselves. Inside, the cigars are covered in tissue paper with Prieto written on them, which is a slang word for dark or black. The cigars themselves features a dark wrapper that has some tooth to it. In the hand this box pressed smoke is firm to the touch which no soft spot and and a nice weight to it.
The Look: It’s hard to ignore the packaging of these cigars. They arrive in finished cabinet-style boxes of 25 with glossy and semi-holographic seals on them. The brand name is printed with silver paint on the front side of the box as well. The cigars themselves are covered 3/4 of the way with tissue paper that holds the name of the CLE brand, along with a primary black and gray band that denotes the same name.
The Notes: With the cigar clipped the cigar offers up a cold draw that is nutty with a touch of spice while the aroma off the foot has a chocolate like ambience to it with touches of espresso. Once the cigar is lit, the first note is some espresso as we kick back to enjoy this cigar from Christian Eiroa.
Moving into the first third the espresso notes continue as they take hold and become dominant. There is a subltle black pepper on the palate that is intensified on the retrohale of the cigar that also introduce a cedar like component to the Prieto.
The second third sees the sweet of cocoa begin to take hold with the espresso notes moving toward the background with the addition of some figs. The retrohale continues to add some cedar to the mix with touches of art and pepper. The cigar at this point becomes wonderfully complex and balanced.
The last third of the cigar sees the earth notes begin to slowly overtake the sweetness cocoa notes with continued fig on the finish. The retrohale which is so important on this cigar continues to serve up cedar and spice giving it an exceptional balance.
The Finish: I expected darker flavors from the CLE Prieto and was quite happy there was an abundance of sweet savory notes. While I enjoyed this cigar the Eiroa First 20 years has become my go to cigar when I really want to enjoy something with a high end liquor like Zacapa XO. Now don’t get me wrong, I loved my CLE Prieto and I can’t wait to light one up on the deck with a 23 yr old Zacapa. It seems like the perfect pairing.
Rating: 92
Price: $7.59 / $164.99
CLE Prieto
CLE Prieto Burn
