Eiroa The First 20 Years

Christian Eiroa decides to come back with a 20th anniversary blend appropriately titled “The First 20 Years Series”. Christian was given the tobacco from his father, Julio Eiroa, to create this special blend in honor of his 20 years in the industry. This is very exciting, since Julio Eiroa is regarded as one of the most influential tobacco famers in the Honduran region.

This powerhouse family in the cigar industry should be a household name for most. If not, here’s a little history. The Eiroa family purchased Camacho Cigars in 1995. Christian eventually ran the company, which he later sold to Davidoff in 2008. Since then, Christian introduced his own brand, C.L.E. Cigar Co. Christian’s father and older brother Justo have also gone on to create their own brand, JRE Tobacco Co.

Eiroa 20th Anniversary Blend Breakdown

Christian’s father Julio provided Christian with the tobacco to create this 20th anniversary cigar. The Eiroa 20th Anniversary cigar is a Honduran puro. Its presentation is beautiful and very eye catching. It displays a glossy/holographic red, gold, and black band and a tissue paper wrapper covering the bottom 2/3 of the cigar with “The First 20 Years Series”.

The actual tobacco wrapper has a nice dark color to it, without any major veins to note and an open foot. Upon feeling the cigar, it is soft and oily, but has a nice firmness to it. With closer inspection, the cigar emits a unique cedar aroma, which instantly triggers memories of early mornings in the spring time, with fresh dew on the lawn.

Smoking Experience

My pre-light draw was very smooth. I picked up lots of cedar notes. I would compare the taste to that of the scent you get when you open up a well-seasoned, full humidor and take a nice, big breath in. Within the first third, I noticed a good amount of smoke output. The overall burn was all over the place, however, it never affected the draw or flavors in the cigar. The retro-hale was very smooth, with notes of white pepper and cedar. In my opinion, if you’re trying to learn to retro-hale, this would be a great stick to experience the benefits it can offer. The ash was solid and by the end of the first third, the underlying thoughts I had were that this cigar was definitely a “cedar bomb”.

• Flavors: spicy earth & cedar » cedar mixed with hints of raisin
• Retro: light mixture of earthy undergrowth with a note of white pepper » sweet cedar

At about the halfway point into the cigar, my mind ventured into what had become the cigar’s “sweet spot”. I had a feeling of being transported into the ideal environment for this smoke – a large balcony/patio overlooking a lush forest. A relaxing experience, no doubt. The ash held strong for about 3 inches before finally falling. The burn was still very uneven but once again, did not affect the overall flavor or draw.

• Flavors: vanilla & cinnamon » woody oak & cedar with hints of raisin
• Retro: creamy cedar and a touch of cinnamon » additional burnt oak notes

Moving into the last third and throughout, it maintained the sweet spot of flavors and draw. Then, within the last 2 inches, I noticed a bit of spiciness creep into the the retro. The ash managed to hold together fairly solid and fell after about an inch and a half. The smoke output was noticeably less in the last third. I put the cigar down with about 1/2 inch left, only due to the heat on my fingertips. If I had a cigar tool close by to “nub” it even further, I would have.

• Flavors: leather, cedar, and a pleasant dirt-type taste » rich oak & leather (reminded me of the smell in a leather shop)
• Retro: creamy tanned leather » additional notes of peppery, burnt oak

Would I smoke this cigar again

This is the 4th time I have tried Eiroa The First 20 Years. With every experience, the unique cedar notes have become more noticeable and abundant. Which, for me, I enjoy. I would recommend purchasing a 3 to 5-pack of these and try them out. I believe that it will wow some, but not others who may not like the medium nicotine output/full flavor experience. For those of you who enjoy that type of experience in a cigar, I would say at minimum a box split, if not a full box to yourself. Personally, I would get a box to rest and a 3 to 5-pack just to smoke on while the box picks up even more flavorful intricacies with time (I have no doubt they will).

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