PCA 2025: C.L.E. Cigar Company

When I started thinking about C.L.E. Cigar Company’s theme for the 2025 Premium Cigar Association (PCA) Trade Show, one word came to mind – smorgasbord. There was a little bit of everything going on at C.L.E. across the company’s three brands: C.L.E., Asylum, and Eiroa. There were new lines, reblends, rebrands, innovative packaging, and a flavored cigar. However, all these releases dwarfed Asylum’s 134 x 13 release – the Megalophobia.

C.L.E.

Early in the year, C.L.E. Cigar Company announced it was removing five lines from its product catalog (not discontinuing, as they still would be made available on special order). Four of those five lines came from the C.L.E. brand, and two were maduro blends (C.L.E. Azabache and C.L.E. Prieto). While those maduros disappeared, C.L.E. replaced them with the new C.L.E. Maduro.

A San Andres wrapper highlights the C.L.E. Maduro and comes in five sizes: 40 x 4, 50 x 5, 54 x 6, 60 x 6, and C.L.E.’s unique 11/18 figurado size. Each is available in 25-count boxes. Pricing is expected to range from $5.00 to $11.66 per cigar based on size and not including taxes. The packaging of the C.L.E. Maduro conforms to the style of the brand’s packaging refresh that happened last year.

Asylum

Asylum April Fool’s Day 4.1.2025 – Year of the Snake

For the fifth year in a row, Asylum has released its 90 x 9 April Fools’ cigar – and for the third year in a row, this is branded with the Chinese Zodiac. The April Fools’ Cigar was released before PCA, but it was showcased at the Trade Show. The Asylum April Fools’ 2025 Year of the Snake comes packaged in the six-count tray, where the tray can be used as an ashtray. Pricing comes in at $45.00 SRP per cigar. Until this point, this was the largest cigar in the C.L.E. portfolio.

Asylum Megalophobia

Following Aganorsa Leaf’s release of a 100 x 10 cigar last year, Tom Lazuka, co-founder of Asylum, was determined to reclaim the title of the largest cigar. In response, he created the impressive 134 x 13 cigar named Megalophobia, which aptly refers to the fear of large objects and aligns perfectly with Asylum’s overarching theme. Not wanting to be outdone once more, the cigar was co-branded with the phrase “Enough is Enough,” serving as a tongue-in-cheek plea to put an end to the ongoing competition for the biggest cigar on the market.This cigar is simply massive. The Megalophobia contains 8.3 ounces of tobacco, which is remarkable. To put this into perspective, an Asylum 13 70 x 7, which is considered large by most cigar smokers, has only 1.1 ounces of tobacco.

Megalophobia will be packaged in two-count boxes that will also include a lighter. The price for a box is $250.o0 SRP comes out to $125.00 per cigar (assuming you don’t count the lighter). For you wrapper/binder/filler fans, the blend was undisclosed.

Asylum Split Personality

Asylum has a new flavored cigar, the Split Personality. This cigar is described as being banana flavored. This extends some of the other flavored offerings we have seen with Asylum 867 and Cool Brew. It comes in five sizes. Each size comes in a 25-count box except for the 70 x 7, which comes in a 20-count box. It’s targeted for a release this summer.

40 x 4 (SRP $6.50/cigar)
50 x 5 (SRP $10.50/cigar)
52 x 6 (SRP $11.50/cigar)
60 x 6 (SRP $12.50/cigar)
70 x 7 (SRP $14.00/cigar)

Asylum 13 Time Capsule

Since 2019, Asylum has done an anniversary cigar, starting with its seventh anniversary. This year, it’s Asylum’s 13th anniversary, and since it coincides with its branding (Asylum 13), C.L.E. decided to do something special called Time Capsule. The Time Capsule is an ultra-premium sampler that includes two cigars from each of the previous anniversary cigars (Asylum Seven through Asylum Twelve) and a special Asylum 13 13th Anniversary cigar. The Asylum 13 13th Anniversary cigar has the same Habano wrapper as the Asylum 13, but the rest of the blend is quite different. This includes a Honduran Binder and fillers consisting of Honduran and Colombian Pinareno tobacco from 2021.

As with previous years, the Time Capsule is available in two sizes: 70 x 7 (250 boxes) and 11/18 (500 boxes). Orders will be taken on a first-come, first-served basis. The 13-count boxes come in with a $473.20 price for the 11/18 and a $573.20 price for the 70 x 7.

Eiroa

Eiroa Repackaging

The cigars in the Eiroa brand are getting new packaging. The new packaging features ten-count boxes in a new box design. The Eiroa lines see this change:

Eiroa 30th Dark Anniversary

Eiroa Dark is getting a bigger refresh. It will also be released with new Eiroa packaging, but the blend is getting updated. In addition, the cigar is now being branded the Eiroa Dark 30th Anniversary. It commemorates C.L.E. founder Christian Eiroa’s 30th anniversary in the cigar industry.

Eiroa Aviator

The Aviator is one of the most innovative packaging items I encountered at the PCA Trade Show. This project was led by Christian Eiroa’s son, Santiago Eiroa. The Aviator Series comes in a cigar trunk, reminiscent of the ones used by Christian Eiroa’s grandfather. Each trunk contains eight briefcases, each holding 22 cigars. A total of five trunks were created, and each cigar is priced at $114, which amounts to $2,508 per briefcase and $20,064 per trunk. While specific details about the cigars have not been disclosed, we were informed that all five trunks were sold before the Trade Show, although C.L.E. still chose to showcase them..

PCA Exclusives

For the fifth year in a row, C.L.E. Cigar Company will release a PCA Exclusive cigar. PCA Exclusives are cigars offered exclusively to those retailers attending the show. The 2025 PCA Exclusive releases from C.L.E. cover all three brands, each with a different wrapper.