Agile Cigar Reviews are cigar assessments where we use a lightweight, shorter format. These will never take the place of our comprehensive reviews. They are only used on blends we have previously assessed. This might be a blend we are re-scoring or giving a score for the first time. It might be a blend we are looking at in a different size. Today we look at the Esteban Carreras Chupa Cabra 10 Year Anniversary Robusto Grande. This is a cigar previously assessed back in January 2022 in the Corona Gorda size.

Wrapper: San Andres Mexican
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Factory: Tabacalera Carreras
Robusto Grande: 5 1/2 x 54

Back in 2012, Esteban Carreras would release a line of cigars known as Chupa Cabra. Chupa Cabra (which is how the cigar name is spelled) refers to the Chupacabra, a mythical creature in the Americas. The creature is said to have vampire-like behavior in that it is known to drink the blood of livestock. Prior to that, Esteban Carreras cigars had been building a slow, steady following, but Chupa Cabra would be the cigar that would put Esteban Carreras on the map. Since then the Chupa Cabra line has grown to include several blends: Natural, Maduro, and Hellcat (Box Pressed). To mark the ten-year anniversary since its inception, a fourth blend was added under the Chupa Cabra name – appropriately titled Esteban Carreras Chupa Cabra Ten Year Anniversary. Today we take a look at this cigar in the Robusto Grande size.

The Esteban Carreras Chupa Cabra 10 Year Anniversary features a San Andres Mexican wrapper over a binder and filler of tobaccos from Nicaragua. Production of the Chupa Cabra 10 Year Anniversary comes from the company’s Tabacalera Carreras factory in Estelí, Nicaragua. The Robusto Grande measures 5 1/2 x 54 and comes in 20-count boxes.

The Esteban Carreras Chupa Cabra 10 Year Anniversary Robusto Grande kicked off with notes of coffee, earth, cedar, pepper, and a slight amount of chocolate and fruit. During the first third, the coffee and earth notes became primary. By the second third, the earth notes began to emerge and became the sole primary note. As the cigar entered the second half, there was an increase in the cedar and pepper. The cedar notes closed in on the forefront. By the second half, the chocolate and fruit gave accents of sweetness to the cigar experience. Not much change in the last third as the earth notes were primary and complemented by the coffee, cedar and pepper and to a lesser extent the chocolate and fruit.

The cigar experience of the Esteban Carreras Chupa Cabra 10 Year Anniversary Robusto Grande started out with medium strength and medium body. By the second half, both attributes progressed to medium to full. The burn required minimal maintenance, but the draw was a little more snug than preferred.

OVERALL ASSESSMENT

Final Thoughts

The Robusto Grande is the second size I have assessed with the Esteban Carreras Chupa Cabra 10 Year Anniversary line. The other size was the Sixty (6 x 60). I found the Chupa Cabra 10 Year Anniversary Sixty to be a smoother cigar. The Robusto Grande had more in the way of spice, and at times exemplified some of the pungency that San Andres wrappers tend to deliver. Still, the Robusto Grande is a cigar that I enjoyed. I’d probably steer this cigar to a more experienced enthusiast who would prefer a spicier profile. As for myself, it’s still a cigar I would buy and smoke again.

Summary

Key Flavors: Earth, Coffee, Chocolate, Fruit, Cedar, Pepper
Burn: Excellent
Draw: Very Good
Complexity: Medium
Strength: Medium
Body: Medium
Finish: Very Good