Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sumatran
Binder: Nicaraguan (x2)
Filler: Dominican, Nicaraguan
Size: 4.875 x 50 “Encantos”
Body: Medium/Full
Price: $5.20 by the box

Jason Harding sent me a few of these sticks a couple months ago. Check them out at BestCigarPrices.com.

It debuted at the 2010 IPCPR trade show. When Carrillo’s line of cigars were first released they were the flavor of the month for a long time. But I’m disappointed with the line. Carrillo is not a work animal. He doesn’t crank out blends very often and what he does have on the shelves, we’ve all smoked. And some are very good and some are just so so. His E Stunner was very good (I reviewed it here). I found the “INCH” a big disappointment. It took forever to age properly in my humidor and then it tasted like some of his other blends…but basically a blah cigar.

E.P. Carrillo spent his formative years as a top roller at La Gloria Cubana in Cuba. In fact, this cigar has been compared to LGC’s production lines in the 1990’s.

Construction of the cigar is a bit funky. Very rustic and fragile looking. It has a lot of veins, both big and small. But the triple cap is flawless. The wrapper is the color of brown spackle. No sheen and relatively smooth. Carrillo claims that the wrapper has been aged for 3 years prior to placement on the cigar. The cigar rated a 92 in CA. From CA: “… creamy yet spicy, taking on savory notes of leather and a black-cherry sweetness.”

The cigar comes in six sizes: 5.625 x 46, 4.875 x 50, 5.875 x 52, 6.125 x 52 (torpedo), 7.125 x 49, and 6.25 x 60.

I clip the cap and find aromas of gentle cocoa, baking spices, pepper, and cedar.
Time to light up.

The cigar starts off with a huge blast of red pepper. The draw is excellent. Smoke begins to get stronger with each puff. The pepper is very strong.

And now, less than a quarter inch in, smoke just pours from the foot. I read a review that says the spice is white pepper. Gol durn it…I gotta buy me some white pepper at the grocery store to see what that tastes like and what sets it apart. I apologize for being such a rube. But this spice tastes like red pepper.

The spice tamps down a bit at the half inch point allowing some cedar to enter the flavor profile. It has a buttery feeling on the lips. And then a nice espresso component rears its head.

The strength starts out at classic medium body. The cigar is very toasty with a fine tobacco flavor that makes it a meaty cigar.

Halfway through the first third, cocoa and creaminess expose themselves.

The spiciness dominates the flavor profile. Think habanero.

The second third comes and before I know it, I’m at the halfway point. The cigar is for the experienced palate. For the aficionado. This is not a typical flavor bomb. It is all about subtle nuances and carefully blended tobacco that is driving the bus.

The last third begins with these flavors: Earthiness, red pepper, sweetness, creaminess, cocoa, espresso, cedar, and oak.
The cigar cones on me a little. It’s OK. My wife will clean it up.

The last third is most definitely the sweet spot of the cigar. All of the flavors are emboldened. The red pepper doesn’t supersede them any longer and meshes with the flavor profile nicely.

This is a fast burning cigar. I’ve only been smoking for 35 minutes.

The last couple of inches sees the strength reach medium/full. Honey shows up to lay next to the sweetness. I don’t taste black cherries like CA says. The cigar is balanced and has a nice long finish. This is almost a different cigar now.

Cocoa and espresso are very strong…matching the creaminess step for step.

I like this cigar even though I’m partial to flavor bomb sticks…which this cigar never achieves. Carrillo has a trademark type of blend. Something only he does. All of his cigars are woody and woodsy and are blended for the palate of experienced smokers.

Thanks Jason.

Categories: CIGAR REVIEWS

Tags: cigar review, cigar reviews by the katman, cigars, e.p. carrillo, E.P. Carrillo Core Line Natural Cigar Review