E.P.Carillo Edition Inaugural 2009

[Garbandz]

The long awaited Carillo cigar,the Encore, is finally here. The smoke is a toro size,it is very firm and heavy in the hand,consisting of Nicaraguan and Dominican tobaccos with 2 to 5 years of age. The wrapper is Ecuadoran, grown in limited quantities. The wrapper is light brown,very smooth and slightly shiny,with almost invisible seams. The bunching is excellent,the cap is clean and cuts evenly.This is not a cheap cigar,but I think it will be worth the price.

The pre light is full of nuances of rich mature tobacco with aromas of honey and cedar. The flavors are of sweet tobaco and a clean taste of light earth,the draw is medium firm. I spent several minutes just experiencing it,there were such good flavors.


The first third begins with a blast of cedar,pepper and earth,smooth rich tobacco flavor and a totally delightful aroma of nutty,almost cashew essence,toasted oak and gentle fine leather. I am instantly reminded of the smell of the old La Gloria Cubana from the late 80's and early 90's. WOW! What a treat! My mouth is watering.

The second third stays very rich and full tasting,more fine leather,toasted oak, cedar, and that delightful nutty aroma. The finish is very clean,with a lightly lingering taste of mature tobacco,with almost a velvet mouth feel. The ash is light gray,almost white,and firm.I am astonished by the depth of flavor in this smoke,it is a very young cigar.

The final third gets a bit creamy,the intensity builds slightly,and the aromas are very compelling. The taste is almost chewy,the finish is still surprisingly clean,absolutely no bitterness or ashy taste at all. The burn is very even all the way to the end. It is sad when I have to put this down,the whole experience has been excellent.

I am convinced this cigar will improve with a little age.It is terrific now,but I will not revisit it for several months,it will be awesome in 6 months to a year. I hope you have the patience to wait,it will be worth it. I recently smoked a 14 year old La Gloria I had saved from 1995,it was incredible.Trust Ernesto to deliver a top notch product.He and his family can be very proud.

Appearance-9,Aroma-10,Burn-9,Balance-9,Construction-9,Draw-8,Flavor-9