Esperanza

[ElkTwin]

In 1998, the second deadliest Atlantic hurricane in history, hurricane Mitch, hit Central America. As it slowly made its way inland, the category five dumped so much rain that thousands were killed in Honduras and Nicaragua.

After experiencing the devastation firsthand, the Eiroa family decided to do something to help. As a respected, multi-generational Cigar family, it seemed only natural that the creation of a cigar to help the victims of this horrible storm was the right way forward.

The Honduran Saint Luis Rey blend was legendary for its strength and balance in the mid 90s, and the Eiroas has just purchased Camacho cigars a few years before.

A few lucky American cigar hobbyists were invited to help with the project, and in 1999 the Esperanza para los Niños cigars were created. Some of the first boxes were auctioned, and the line was made available in 2000. As mentioned the proceeds went to El Nuevo Amanecer, a school and orphanage in Honduras. The entire project was chronicled on the Internet cigar boards.

These new cigars quickly gained a reputation for having the type of knockout power that Honduras was famous for, and an enviable blend that got very good reviews. It was a limited run, and most of the cigars sold quickly. They were available in small closeouts until 2002 or 2003. They sold for $65-85 a box at the time, a good price for a solid, box-pressed maduro cigar in a lacquered box.

I bought a couple of boxes. One box of Robusto, and one box of the Churchhill size. Sean was sent a Robusto to evaluate.

As a happy side note, one of my old friends from the days of alt.smokers.cigars, Cigar Craig, had been smoking an Esperanza every Father’s Day for 20 years. Sadly, that tradition came to an end last year as Craig smoked his last Esperanza.

Or so he thought. This week, I sent him my unopened box of Churchills so that his family tradition could continue for another 20 years.

https://forums.cigarweekly.com/showthread.php?t=183951

https://www.cigarcraig.com