E.P. Carrillo Edición Inaugural 2009 Cigar Review

Posted in Cigar Reviews, E.P. Carrillo | 3 comments

This week, we have another guest review from Danny. He’s reviewing the E.P. Carrillo Edición Inaugural 2009, a new cigar from Ernesto Perez-Carrillo, creator of the extremely popular La Gloria Cubana line. I actually had the opportunity to interview Ernesto last week, and will be posting the interview in a few days, so stay tuned!

Vitola: Encore
Length: 5 3/8″
Ring Gauge: 52

This is a cigar I have been wanting to try for some time, but a $13+ pricetag kept me away. Thankfully, Ken, the very generous owner of my local B&M (http://www.cigarsandmore.com) was nice enough to give me one and, I have to say, this is one of the finest cigars I have had the pleasure of smoking.

The Verdict

Appearance: 14/15
This cigar is beautiful. There is not a lot of oil to the wrapper, but the veins are tiny, and the cap is applied in a way that makes it almost flush with the the wrapper leaf. The cigar is firm and evenly packed. There are 3 water spots on the wrapper, which is something you see every now and again, particularly with Cuban cigars.

Flavor: 25/25
The wrapper smelled of sweet hay/grass, and the cold taste had hints of raisin and cinnamon. The draw seemed a bit snug, but as soon as the cigar was lit, it opened up perfectly.

The first few puffs were incredible. The taste was unbelievably complex, and included cinnamon, honey, a slight grassiness, raisin, and pepper (think a softer white pepper as opposed to a Cubao or Tatuaje).

As the cigar progressed, the body picked up slightly, going from mild/medium to medium. The ash was strong, and held on for around 2”. The second third showed a similar taste profile, but the honey/graham sweetness and cinnamon picked up and I started to notice vanilla in the background.

The pepper faded out in the second third, and picked up again in the final third. At this point, the body had crept to the medium/full range.

Construction: 23/25
The construction was top notch. The burn was mostly straight, but went jagged a few times. The remarkable thing was that no matter how bad the burn got, the cigar always evened itself out.

Overall Impression: 34/35
What can I say? This cigar is a masterpiece. It tastes like a cross between a Cuban Romeo y Julieta Short Churchill and a Davidoff Aniversario No. 3. At $13, the E.P. Carrillo Edición Inaugural 2009 is a steal. This is the perfect smoke for a lazy Sunday afternoon outside on your deck, and would be even better paired with an iced latte. If I had the money, I would pick up a box or two in a heartbeat. Also, if I had smoked this cigar before I put out my Top Cigars of 2009, the E.P. Carrillo Edición Inaugural 2009 would be very near the top.

Final Score: 96/100