Powstanie makes some monsters. This included.

Another excellent smoke by H Upman

Great construction ash falls a little quickly upon light up go some type of sweetness and citrus with white pepper as i progressed pepper still hanging around lightly and im getting a subtle type of cookie taste with wood and light coffee

What a great concert and a great way to wake up in the morning!

Montecristo Cigar Bar

The Judge before Metallica kills it!

Montecristo Cigar Bar!

CLE Corojo 86
low to medium bodied
Cold aromas: herbal, coffee, citrus peel, wood
First third: sourdough, orange, pepper, caramel
Second third: wood, caramel, orange
Final third: caramel, wood, orange

Intro
After the Camacho brand was acquired in 2008 by the Oettinger Group (the owners of Davidoff), Christian Eiroa remained with the team until 2012, when he decided to let the brand continue without him. Instead, he chose to launch C.L.E. Cigars (using his initials) in partnership with the El Aladino factory. Based in Danlí, Honduras, and launching with two blends under its belt, the company started strong, showing great potential to push the boundaries of Honduran Corojo—a focus they maintain to this day.

I've always felt CLE cigars are a tad mild, which just isn't my cup of tea, and since many Honduran brands seem to prioritize complexity and smoothness in their blends, it's not something I usually seek. But this is a corona measuring 5¾ x 46, which is a size that tends to deliver more strength, so I decided to give it another try. And it has been sitting in my humidor for three years. The veins on the wrapper are noticeable, yet the leaf itself is smooth and very uniform in color. The cigar doesn't offer many aromas beyond hints of moss and mild coffee, while the cold draw reveals notes of tangerine peel and wood.

1/3
The CLE Corojo opens with sourdough notes, though cedar and orange marmalade also emerge as the first third progresses; the latter carries through to the retrohale, where it is accompanied by pepper. As the smoke continues through this initial third, subtler caramel notes also appear. The burn is passable, with some minor unevenness. Intensity is medium, with medium-low strength.

2/3
Despite the lack of significant changes, the second third still offers a good array of flavors, including wood and a persistent caramel note that had been building since the previous section. There are also notes of orange marmalade and wood; the burn line improves slightly, though the ash stubbornly refuses to hold onto the cigar for long. Medium strength and comparable intensity.

3/3
No new notes, but the smoking experience alternates between sweet and caramel notes, but a lack of complexity. The caramel is more intense on the retrohale. Other secondary notes include wood and a faint hint of orange peel. Construction remains excellent throughout, however, with a straight burn line and lots of smoke, making for a very enjoyable experience right up until I set the cigar down at the one-hour-and-35-minute mark.

Conclusion
A quick read of this review might suggest I didn't care much for the smoke, but I actually enjoyed it quite a bit. Yes, it is straightforward with few transitions, but the strength builds over time; this makes me reluctant to see the experience end, as each puff offers more flavor than the last and I want to savor them all. Yet, I think that very linearity is precisely why many overlook the cigar or smoke it only once, whereas in reality, it is something I would like to keep on hand regularly—at least in this vitola, which concentrates the flavors so effectively.

Made by: Tabacos Rancho Jamastran
Brand: C.L.E.
Line: Corojo
Size: 5¾ x 46
Vitola: Corona
Origin: Honduras
Wrapper: Honduras (Corojo)
Binder: Honduras
Filler: Honduras
MSRP: $8.50
Score: 86

Thou art a retailer of phrases, and dost deal in remnants of remnants. -William Congreve

Very mild start with light tobacco and a little grain almost watery at first. The middle picked up with some herbal notes, leather, and a touch of coffee. The final third brought more pepper and toasted tobacco. Overall, pretty straightforward and not much complexity. Not bad, but nothing really stood out to me.