Monday, November 08 2010
Last week the Famous Smoke Shop retail cigar store was visited by Ernesto Perez-Carrillo and his son, Ernesto Perez-Carrillo III (a/k/a "Ernie Jr."). As expected, there was a big crowd as they promoted their E.P. Carrillo and E.P. Carrillo Short Run cigars, mingled with the customers, and autographed boxes of their cigars. One fellow even brought in a rare 2006 La Gloria Cubana humidor for Ernesto to sign with most of the giant-sized Maduro figurados still in it. From what I could tell, Ernesto was pretty thrilled to see it, too, as well as a couple of other rare boxes the gentleman brought with him. He even had some stories to tell about the wood used, etc. But I digress...
After the requisite shaking of hands all-around, Ernie Jr. handed me a new cigar that they've been "trying out" with customers on their visits - the E.P. Carrillo Edición Limitada 2010, which was rolled to a 6 x 54. These cigars will be released sometime next year, and if I heard Ernie correctly amid the din, I think he said there will be other sizes, too.
The
blend consists of prime Dominican longfiller with a Nicaraguan
binder rolled in a dark Brazilian
Habano leaf. The cigar was impeccably constructed. No soft spots, seamless roll, a nice reflective sheen on the evenly-colored
wrapper, and a beautifully adorned
cap.
After clipping the cap, the pre-light draw had a distinctive coffee and cocoa-like flavor. "Mmmm, I like it already," I said as I turned to Ernie. But now for the acid test.
Once lit, the Limitada offered a beefy dose of peppery spice and earthiness with an underlying splash of sweet wood. However, the pepper flavor did not stick to the back of the throat as is often the case; rather, it just faded into the finish.
About an half-inch later, the cigar settled into a primarily woody smoke; lots of cedar and some sweet tobacco flavors began to emerge. Equally impressive was the smoothness and balance of the smoke.
Another item of note was how slowly this cigar burned. After one hour I was only about halfway through the cigar when Famous Smoke Shop prez, Arthur Zaretsky came in and sat down to chat with Ernesto (see photo at right). Up to that point I had paired the cigar with water, then switched to coffee after a fresh pot was ready. The two men talked for another hour-plus and I was still smoking the cigar!
The smoke was very consistent in flavor, dominated by a rich cedar wood character. Though as it approached the final act, it became sweeter and some of those pre-light cocoa and coffee notes began to surface. I let it go at about the last inch-and-a-half. Surprisingly, for as long as it took to smoke it, the cigar never got too juicy or tarry.
Overall, the E.P. Carrillo Edición Limitada 2010 was a chewy, rich-tasting and semi-complex smoke with a very full, yet non-overpowering body. I would add that this cigar was strong, not in the power sense, but in terms of the overall experience. What I'm trying to say is, that it really stood out from the crowd, and may have been one of the best new cigars I've smoked this year.
So far, all of the cigars I've smoked from E.P.C. have been pretty much on target for me, and this Limitada liga was particularly exceptional. Keep your eyes pealed for this series in the months ahead.
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Related story: An interview with Lissette Perez-Carrillo
