I cannot recall the last time I smoked a cigar that felt just as fat in hand as it appeared short of stature to the eye. The C.L.E. "460" Connecticut takes the cake for being a bit of both, and then backs it all up with some seriously satisfying mellow cigar flavors.

Brought to us by Christian Eiroa of Camacho Corojo fame. A man known for producing heavy-strength cigar blends and fatter ring-gauged smokes. Rolled at his C.L.E. Aladino factory in Danlí, Honduras, this "Gordo" robusto is a bit of an oddball for the C.L.E. brand.

Seeing a milder, "vanilla-looking" premium cigar blend listed alongside all of those stout stogies on the C.L.E. website gave me pause. Had I accidentally stepped into some strange shade-grown parallel universe? Or are those earthy Honduran internals primed straight from the stalk at Eiroa's farms in Honduras going to provide the potency I require to appease my palate? 

Forever eager to unearth the tobacco truth, I fired this fat little bastard up and was almost immediately taken aback by what awaited. This is the C.L.E. Connecticut in "460" form, and its pudgy ass is here to encourage you to eat all the almonds... 

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Unlit Impressions

Clearly, there's a silky outer shell to this cigar that is of Ecuadorian descent and American Connecticut lineage.

Soft, sweet-smelling, and entirely too spongy, I found myself wanting to take a bite out of the cigar. What... You mean it's not a little honey and cream-flavored almond dessert roll of some sort?

Get past all of the paper coverage and blinging cigar band shenanigans, and you are greeted by a 4-inch long smoke that is rolled to the tune of a 60-ring gauge.

Ah... that's where the whole "460" nomenclature stems from. I dig it. Short and straight to the point. Just like the smoke itself. Now if only that free-flowing unlit cold draw was a bit tighter we'd be in business.

Initial Smoke

With a genuine fear for the welfare of my facial hair in mind, I triggered the ignition on my triple-torch Klaro lighter and set to incinerating the foot of this fatty.

Praise be to the tobacco gods. My conservative cut and controlled starter puffs kept the whole thing from erupting in an inferno scene pulled straight out of the film Backdraft.

Overtly open draw aside, there's a metric mess-load of flavor to consider here, some of which is very traditional for a Connecticut shade-grown cigar, and some that are distinctly Honduran. Allow me to elaborate while you salivate...

1st Half

The first half of the C.L.E. Connecticut is a real treat. A nutty, creamy vanilla free-for-all, packed with zesty baking spices and built upon a buttery crust. Even at light-up it's all there and then some. 

It's like all of the fillings for grandma's prized Christmas nut brittle got together with a bunch of Nilla Wafers and had an orgy. Hell yeah. Pass the lube. 

As predicted, smoke pours forth from both the severed head and the foot of the portly "460" in quantities that only Cheech Marin can quantify. 

Loosely packed, but holding a surprisingly solid ash (likely due to its heftier circumference), the Honduran core of this premium cigar blend provides that signature earthen taste I know.

Hair follicle fire hazards be damned. This is the best orgy I've been to in a while...

2nd Half

First third gives way, and the halfway point on the "460" opts to hold back on the milk-and-honey nut medley for a moment. Hmm... Where have those baking spices gotten to?  

Retrohale and ye shall receive. Ahh...there they are. It appears that they were hiding behind that shortbread sweetness that continues to gather steam. It's not pineapple upside-down cake sweet, but as the final third approaches, that doughy, chewy vanilla creaminess is coming back again.

Oh, and what a final third this is, as the C.L.E. Connecticut produces a pop of white pepper, along with a toasted cedar taste to go with all of that mellow Honduran soil earthiness. Familiar flavors from that region of the world that up until now were virtually undetectable.

Parting Puffs 

With fingers on fire, I pull whatever pleasure is left from the smudge of a cigar in hand, and in return I am rewarded with a milk tea flavor. Retrohaled, this turns into a slightly sweetened chai tea taste, as those exotic spices still have yet to climax. 

There's a ton to appreciate here. Where typically flavors become muted and char often tends to take over, this premium cigar blend has only become more magnificent. Without a doubt one of the best adult-oriented events I've been to in recent memory, and I'm already looking forward to the next invitation. 

Ash / Burn / Smoke / Draw

So here is where things get a bit wonky.

Where on one end I thoroughly enjoyed the lushness found within the cumulus clouds of smoke this cigar produced, I found the draw to be entirely too loose. 

This not only caused the cigar to burn a bit on the hot side, but it also felt awkward in both the hand and mouth. There's a "That's what she said!" joke in there somewhere, I just know it...

Luckily, the ash on this fat robusto was fairly sturdy for the majority of the stick, and I only had to do a touch-up with my lighter once during the finale to keep things tidy. 

Final Thoughts

If you are in search of a flavorful Connecticut shade-grown wrapped cigar and are in need of tons of cigar smoke, then look no further. The C.L.E. Connecticut provides more enjoyment than most of the milder cigars I've smoked since joining the Klaro crew about a year back.

Is it a bit of a spongy, unevenly constructed, underfilled oddity of a vitola? Indubitably. 

But take your time, cut conservatively, and puff with restraint, and you will be rewarded with a wonderful hour-long short smoke montage of mellow flavors and aromas. 

It's like Peanut Brittle met Christmas Cookie, and they both invited Vanilla Shake over for some hedonistic Honduran lovin' one sunny afternoon. And guess what? You're invited to their next little get-together... 

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