If you haven’t caught on yet, anniversary cigars are a big trend within the cigar industry. For our Chupacabra cigar review today, we’re covering a cigar that’s been around since 2012. The Chupacabra 10 Year Anniversary from Esteban Carreras debuted at the 2021 PCA show in Las Vegas this past summer.
The Chupacabra, as well as Esteban Carreras, seems to have flown under the radar for some cigar lovers out there. Master blender Craig Cunningham has dedicated a lot of time and energy into the original Chupacabra, and when the ten-year mark was coming up on this smoke, he wanted to make it extremely special for all the Esteban Carreras fans out there.
I myself have never smoked the original, nor have I smoked the 10 Year Anniversary that just came out. To dig me an even bigger hole, I’ve never had a cigar from Esteban Carreras at all. You see how popular they are within the community it's just a shame that I haven’t had a chance to smoke one yet.
However, for this Esteban Carreras Chupacabra review, I was excited to try a new cigar for the first time. My bias or expectations won’t tamper with how I truly feel about this cigar and will be a good indication if I plan on exploring more options from the Esteban Carreras catalog.
Cigar Specs
- Country of Origin: Nicaragua
- Factory: Tabacalera Carreras S.A.
- Wrapper: Mexican San Andres
- Binder: Nicaraguan
- Filler: Nicaraguan
- Strength: Medium-Full
- Smoke Time: 75 minutes
- Sizes Available:
- Esteban Carreras 10 Year Anniversary Robusto (5.5 x 54)
- Esteban Carreras 10 Year Anniversary Toro (6 x 52)
- Esteban Carreras 10 Year Anniversary Boolit (4.75 x 46)
Cold Draw
Due to some unwarranted aging caused by the pandemic, once I used my punch cut on the Chupacabra 10 Year Anniversary, my palate could really detect that these tobaccos have a vintage quality to them. It’s great being able to point out tobaccos that are clearly aged and worked on for a long time, as opposed to other tobaccos that still need some growing to do.
On the cold draw, flavors such as grass and nuts swarmed my taste buds. It was a combination, I have rarely tasted before but was delighted at the outcome. These two different notes got me excited to see what else I’m in store for.
First Third
Fifteen minutes into the first third the notes from the cold draw remained, with the addition of pepper and chocolate. The type of pepper I detected almost mimicked cayenne pepper. The richness and spiciness a cayenne pepper flake provides really went well with the grassy earth tone featured in the cold draw.
Second Third
As I entered the second third, notes of nuts and grass took a backseat to some new, inviting notes. Chocolate and Earth flavors were the notes that were standing out the most. The aroma of the cigar smelled more earthy than anything else, providing a very relaxing environment to smoke in.
I was very interested to see what flavors would remain as I was about to enter the final third of the cigar.
Final Third
For some reason, I thought there was going to be a significant change in tastes as I entered the final third, but much to my dismay there wasn't.
Notes of Chocolate, and Pepper remained until the very end. All while the notes of Earth, Grass, and Nuts completely vanished off my palate.
I was hoping for floral notes such as earth and grass would linger but once my palate stopped detecting these flavors, the cigar became richer in flavor and stronger in profile.
Pairing Options
For this pairing, I went a little off the beaten path. I usually pair a cigar with a coffee of some sort, a whiskey neat, or beer. But the Chupacabra is a very special cigar, which deserves a special pairing to go alongside its review.
This time I went with a more festive non-alcoholic beverage that ended up working out perfectly if I do say so myself. I’ve grown very fond of Apple Cider over the years. I decided since this is a new experience trying a different cigar for the first time, why not try a new pairing along with it?
The Apple Cider complimented the chocolate, earth, and peppers that are featured in this cigar very well. The sweetness mixed with the full-bodied tones of the Chupacabra went together like pizza and soda. I’ll be pairing Apple cider along with other cigars for future reviews to come.
Final Thoughts
I hope this specific cigar doesn’t spoil me for any other Esteban Carreras cigar I have after this one. I really enjoyed the complexity of this medium to a full-bodied gem. To me, this cigar could have been a bit fuller. However, I was pleasantly surprised at the level of craftsmanship that this stick possessed.
Available in four different sizes, that come in a box of 20, your MSRP will range anywhere from $7.50 to $9.85 per stick.
For an anniversary cigar to come under $10.00 per stick is something of myth and folklore. Yet, the Chupacabra 10 Year Anniversary is anything but that. Make your way over to cigars.com today and snag a box of the Chupacabra 10 Year Anniversary from Esteban Carreras today and enjoy an important milestone achieved rarely within the cigar industry.
I hope you enjoyed this special Esteban Carreras Chupacabra review. If you'd like us to review one of your favorites, get in touch on one of our social channels and we'll see what we can do!